Sehome HS alum Jake Riley second at USATF Club XC Champs; Bizzarri third in women's race...

BETHLEHEM, PA.--Bellingham native and Sehome HS alum Jake Riley (left/photo by Paul Merca) finished second in the USATF national club cross country championships Saturday on the Lehigh University cross country course.

Riley, the 2012 USATF national club champ, who finished 11th in his marathon debut in 2:13:16 at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in October, ran 29:10 over the 10k course to finish two seconds behind 2013 world championships team member Ryan Hill of the Bowerman TC out of Portland.

Rounding out the top five overall were Hill's Bowerman TC teammate German Fernandez in 29:10, Craig Forys of the New York AC in 29:14, and Andrew Colley of Zap Fitness Reebok in 29:15.

Other notables with Washington ties who finished in the top 100 (572 finishers) included Western Washington alum Jordan Welling in 59th (30:40); Bellingham native Chris Kwiatkowski in 67th (30:45); and Seth Bridges of Club Northwest in 70th (30:47).

Zap Fitness Reebok won the national club title with a low score of 65 points, with Club Northwest 24th in the 72-team field with 770 points.

In the women's 6k race, Seattle resident Angela Bizzarri of the Brooks Beasts moved up one spot from her finish at last year's club nationals in Bend, Oregon, finishing third in a time of 19:34, as Laura Thweatt won the title in 19:15.

Tara Erdmann of Nike was second in 19:25, followed by Bizzarri, then Alisha Williams in fourth in 19:35, then Brianne Nelson in the same time.

Bizzarri's Brooks Beast teammate Amanda Mergaert was 15th in 20:07.

Other athletes with Washington ties finishing in the top 100 (343 finishers) included Eastern Washington alum Mattie Suver in 17th in 20:15;  Western Washington alum Sarah Crouch in 23rd in 20:25; Gonzaga alum Lindsey Drake in 32nd in 20:34; Katie Conlon of Club Northwest in 83rd in 221:34; Andrea Garvue of Club Northwest in 89th in 21:41; and, Lana Lacey of Club Northwest in 92nd in 21:43.

The Boston Athletic Association won the women's team title with 50 points, while Club Northwest was ninth with 330.


In Bloomington, Indiana at the Hoosier Open meet Friday on the campus of Indiana University, Pasco HS graduate and NCAA cross country All-American Marisa Howard finished second in the 5000 meters, clocking a personal best of 16:07.90, the second best time in BSU history, easily eclipsing her previous best of 16:49.04 set in 2013 at the Mountain West indoor championship meet.


NOTE:  USA Track & Field and Boise State University contributed to this report.

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