OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Junior runner Alauna Carstens of The Evergreen State College is set to compete in the women's race at the NAIA Marathon Classic on Sunday, Dec. 8 in Sacramento, California. Action is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. PST. Carstens earned the fastest overall qualifying time in a pair of two-hour qualifying runs.

The NAIA Marathon will be held as part of the Cali International Marathon. A total of 48 runners qualified for the women's race and 52 runners qualified for the men's race. Max Baeder (So.) of Evergreen registered the sixth fastest qualifying time in the men's preliminary races and will run in the men's race on Sunday. Jaydon Blackburn (So.) of Evergreen also qualified for the men's race but will not compete due to an injury.

Carstens redshirted during the current cross country season but competed unattached. She placed second at the George Oja Invitational on Oct. 19 in 20:48 for a 6-kilometer run. She was third at the Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational in 17:11 during a 5-kilometer run on Oct. 5.

In 2023-24, Carstens received NAIA All-America honors in cross country and in the 5,000-meter run in track and field. She was 15th at the NAIA Cross Country Championships and placed seventh in the 5,000 at the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

"I am incredibly thrilled about the progress of Alauna and Max leading up to the NAIA Marathon," Evergreen Head Cross Country and Track and Field Coach Joel Pearson commented. "Both of them have executed their volume, intensity, rest, and recovery well! Max and Alauna have massive goals and it's a huge honor for me to prepare them for this race. I am looking forward to Sunday being a great day for the Geoducks!"

"I am excited for Alauna to return to the national level (she received NAIA All-America honors in 2023-24 in cross country and track and field) and to see how Max does in his first showing at this high level event," said Evergreen Assistant Cross Country and Track and Field Coach Katie Burnett.