OLYMPIA, Wash. – Six members of The Evergreen State College cross country teams will participate in the BMW Dallas Marathon / NAIA Marathon Classic on Sunday, Dec. 14 in Dallas, Texas. The marathon races will begin at 8 a.m. CST / 6 a.m. PST.

Results

Leading the group of Geoducks is Alauna Carstens (Jr.), who won the NAIA Marathon Championship in December of 2024, when the race was held in Sacramento, California. She won that race in 2:47:04 (2 hours, 47 minutes, 4 seconds) on a fast course. Joining Carstens in the women's marathon race this year are Soleil Bianchi (Jr.) and Sherlyn Perales (So.).

Geoducks competing in the men's marathon race are Max Baeder (Jr.), Jaydon Blackburn (Jr.), and Jackson Rye (Jr.). Baeder took eighth place in the 2024 NAIA Marathon Classic with a time of 2:30:24 (2 hours, 30 minutes, 24 seconds).

Last year, Carstens and Baeder were named All-Americans in the marathon. A marathon race covers 26 miles and 385 yards. With three runners in each of this year's marathon races, Evergreen will be eligible for team scores and a chance to battle for the team title.

"I am incredibly excited to be heading off to Dallas," Evergreen Head Cross Country and Track and Field Coach Joel Pearson said. "Alauna, Max, and the coaching staff have been talking about this Sunday's race since we returned to campus from the California International Marathon (which included the NAIA Marathon Classic)  last December.

"Training has gone as close to perfect for Alauna and Max as I would have wanted," Pearson continued. "Alauna is ready to defend her title while Max is ready for another top spot.

"I believe we assembled a very talented, driven, and hungry team heading into the marathon," Pearson said. "I'm very excited about adding Sherlyn, Soleil, Jaydon, and Jackson as we will compete in the team races for both men and women. Our training has gone well, and the team seems poised and ready."

"As someone who has done long distance racing like the marathon, I am so excited to see us have whole teams competing at the NAIA Marathon," said Evergreen Assistant Cross Country and Track and Field Coach Katie Burnett. "I am most excited to see Alauna racing again to defend her title from 2024."