Washington's Brian Fay, OSU's Kaylee Mitchell Win Individual Titles At Chambers Bay

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

KIM SPIR PHOTOS | KEENAN GRAY INTERVIEWS | RESULTS

The top-ranked Stanford men were able to rest Cole Sprout and still put four runners in the top 10 of the NCAA Division 1 West regional Friday in University Place, Wash. 

Sprout is nursing a slight injury and is a significant piece of the Cardinal's puzzle if the team expects to beat the likes of Northern Arizona, BYU and Oklahoma State on Nov. 19 at the NCAA Championships at the Greiner Family course in Stillwater. 

Charles Hicks (third), Ky Robinson (fifth), Meika Beaudoin-Rousseau (sixth) and Devin Hart (eighth) made sure that the important business of earning an automatic qualifying spot was complete. 

What was more surprising is what happened behind, where No. 26 Gonzaga beat four higher ranked teams to earn the school's first automatic qualifying berth, taking second. Wil Smith's fourth-place finish and Yacine Guermali's seventh-place performance led a Bulldogs team comprised of seven local Washingtonians. 

Washington's Brian Fay, the Pac-12's reigning 3,000-meter steeplechase champion, won the race as the men stepped up to a 10-kilometer race for the first time this season. He ran 28:17.2. 

The Huskies, at third, are among a group that must wait until the at-large announcements are made later this weekend. Oregon, led by runner-up Aaron Bienenfeld, and California Baptist, rounded out the top five.

Washington and Oregon are expected to advance, with Cal Baptist missing out on its first appearance at the Division 1 final after finishing four points behind the Ducks.

In the women's race, Oregon State's Kaylee Mitchell gave her program a regional champion for the first time and she covered the 6-kilometer course in 19:19.2. 

Stanford, which finished behind Oregon at the Pac-12 Championships, surged back in front at regionals and those two teams locked up the automatic qualifiers, with 76 and 96 points. 

Washington finished third, led by Sophie O'Sullivan's ninth-place finish. 

And at fourth, Oregon State got vastly improved performances across the lineup and beat Cal Baptist on a tiebreaker after both teams accumulated 150 points.

Cal Baptist had accumulated valuable Kolas points this season and the Beavers had none. So by virtue of the tiebreaker and every place counting, Oregon State is likely to be pushed into the 31-team field competing Nov. 19 at the NCAA Championships.