OLYMPIA, Wash. --
Alauna Carstens (Sr. ) from The Evergreen State College has been chosen as the Cascade Collegiate Conference Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week for the second time this season, the CCC Office announced on Monday, Oct. 5. Carstens received the current award after placing third in the women's 5-kilometer race at the 51st Annual Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 3.
The Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational was held at Bush's Pasture Park in Salem, Oregon. Carstens earned third place with a time of 17:08.3. It was the fastest time this season by an NAIA runner in a women's 5-kilometer race.
"Alauna does it once again!" said Evergreen Assistant Cross Country and Track and Field Coach
Katie Burnett. "She has had such consistent races and continues to elevate Evergreen amongst major programs in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. We continue to be proud and look forward to supporting her in what's to come."
On Saturday, Carstens trailed only Latham West from the University of Portland (NCAA DI) and Isabel Perez-Zoghbi from Cal Poly Humboldt (NCAA DII). Evergreen competes in the NAIA. West took first place in 16:35.1 and Perez-Zoghbi was second in 16:59.3. A total of 236 runners finished the women's race. The Geoducks claimed 13th place out of 25 teams in the women's competition.
Earlier this year, Carstens was the CCC Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week after winning the women's 6-kilometer race at the PLU Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 19.
Carstens is the defending CCC Champion in women's cross country. She placed fourth at the 2025 NAIA Cross Country Championships to earn NAIA All-American status for the second time in cross country. She has achieved NAIA All-American honors a total of eight times in cross country, marathon, indoor track, and outdoor track.
The Geoducks will return to action on Saturday, Oct. at the George Oja Invitational. The meet, hosted by Linfield University, will be held at the Oak Knoll Golf Course near Salem and will start at 10 a.m. PDT.
