INDEPENDENCE, Ore. – Alauna Carstens (Jr.) from The Evergreen State College won the individual championship in the women's 6-kilometer race at the 2025 Cascade Collegiate Conference Cross Country Championships on Friday, Nov. 7 at Oak Knoll Golf Course. Carstens also received All-Conference honors. In the men's 8-kilometer race, Max Baeder (Jr.) of Evergreen took 15th place to earn All-Conference recognition.

Carstens registered a winning time of 20:49.6 as she won the women's race by 45.2 seconds. Alyssa Johnson of Southern Oregon University was second at 21:34.8 and Kylee Quinton from College of Idaho placed third at 21:49.2. Julia Gilbert from C of I took fourth place in 21:54.7, while Riley Morris from Eastern Oregon University was fifth in 22:06.0.

It was Carstens' second top five finish in the CCC in women's cross country. She claimed fourth place at the 2023 CCC Championships before sitting out last season while preparing for the NAIA Marathon Classic.

The win by Carstens was her second CCC individual championship as an Evergreen athlete. She won the women's 10,000-meter run in 37:36.40 at the 2025 CCC Track and Field Championships.

"I am incredibly proud of Alauna for her performance today! Winning the CCC in such a dominant fashion is a direct correlation to her hard work and passion for this sport," said Evergreen Head Cross Country and Track and Field Coach Joel Pearson.

"It was Alauna's race today and she ran like she was the only one out there," commented Evergreen Assistant Cross Country and Track and Field Coach Katie Burnett. "It's always a joy to see her have the success from all the diligent work she has put in."

Also contributing to Evergreen's team score in the women's race were Sherlyn Perales (So.), Madison Palek (Jr.), Dani Buttrell (Jr.) and Izabelle Trefts (Sr.). Perales earned 38th place with a time of 24:17.6. Palek took 43rd place in 24:35.0. Buttrell was 52nd in 24:56.1 and Trefts placed 58th at 25:19.4.

Times for other athletes competing for the Evergreen women's team were Sylvie Biesack (Fr.) in 25:36.7, Soleil Bianchi (Jr.) in 25:53.4, Merecedies Dupont (Fr.) in 27:14.9, Mara Schwenneker (Jr.) in 27:21.5, and Althea Clifford (Fr.) in 28:16.7.

Baeder completed the men's 8-kilometer race in 25:12.0 to grab 15th place. The top 15 finishers in each race were selected for All-Conference honors.

"Max! Wow! What a performance," Pearson commented. "He ran a really gutsy race and got himself into a position where he had to close the last mile hard to make All-Conference! And he did!"

"Max's race … I got chills," Burnett recalled. "He had a big gap to cover going into the last loop of the course, and he closed it and secured 15th place! Stellar to have an All-Conference award winner in both the women's 6km and the men's 8km."

The men's CCC individual title was won by Yemane Mulugeta from Trinity Western University (Canada) with a time of 24:03.1. Justin Kiplagat, also form Trinity Western, took second place in 24:10.7. Jack Gladfelter of Corban University was third at 24:15.0, and Carter Stedman from Southern Oregon placed fourth at 24:20.3. Mason Weisgerber of SOU was fifth in 24:31.0.

Joining Baeder as Geoducks who contributed to the score for the men's team were Jaydon Blackburn (Jr.), Jackson Rye (Jr.), Louis Esquivel (So.), and Osvaldo Calderon (So.). Blackburn was 58th overall in 26:44.9 and Rye placed 60th at 26:59.2. Esquivel complete the course in 27:39.4, while Calderon achieved a time of 28:19.3.

Other athletes for the Evergreen men's team and their respective times were Nathaniel Sanchez (Fr.) at 28:32.4, Evan Williams (Sr.) in 28:37.7, Daniel Sanchez (Fr.) in 28:45.5, Will Niskanen (Jr.) at 28:49.4, and Harlan Estrada (Sr.) at 29:17.1.

"As someone who is an Evergreen grad and competed in cross country for the Geoducks, I'm so, so proud of this team," Pearson said.

Evergreen placed seventh in the women's team standings. The Geoducks took ninth place in the men's team standings.

College of Idaho claimed the women's team championship with a score of 39 (3-4-7-11-14). Southern Oregon was second at 91 and Eastern Oregon was third at 102. Lewis-Clark State College placed fourth at 105, with Oregon Tech in fifth at 128, Corban in sixth at 144, Evergreen State in seventh at 182, and Trinity Western in eighth at 202. Northwest University was ninth at 225, Bushnell University (Ore.) finished 10th at 244, and Walla Walla University was 11th at 311.

Eastern Oregon won the men's team title with a score of 71 (9-10-12-19-21), while Southern Oregon was second at 89, and College of Idaho placed third at 91. Trinity Western followed in fourth place at 93, with Corban in fifth at 108, and Northwest University in sixth at 148. Oregon Tech was seventh at 174, Lewis-Clark State was eighth at 180, Evergreen held ninth place at 253, and Walla Walla was 10th at 263. Warner Pacific University took 11th at 300, and Bushell was 12th at 357.