OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Alauna Carstens (Sr. ) of The Evergreen State College has been chosen as the Cascade Collegiate Conference Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week as announced by the CCC on Monday, Sept. 21. Carstens received the honor after winning the women's 6-kilometer race at the PLU Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 19.

Carstens won the women's race with a time of 20:50.9. She broke by 29 seconds the course record of 21:19.9 that Carstens set in 2025. Second place went to Breanna Schmitt of George Fox University at 21:10.4, as she completed the race 19.5 seconds behind Carstens.

While winning the race, Carstens, who is ranked #2 in the NAIA, finished about 56 seconds in front of Cascade Collegiate Conference rival Alyssa Johnson from Southern Oregon University, ranked #5 in the NAIA. Johnson placed third at 21:46.6.

"Alauna ran fantastic! What a great opener!" said Evergreen Head Cross Country and Track and Field Coach Joel Pearson. "We have a long journey ahead of us leading into NAIA XC and NAIA Marathon, and this was the start we wanted and needed!"

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 Evergreen women's cross country team took eighth place out of 19 teams at the PLU Invitational. The meet was held at the PLU Meadows XC Course.

Runners for the Geoducks will be back in action on Saturday, Oct. 3 at the 51st Annual Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational at Bush's Pasture Park in Salem, Oregon. Action will begin with the men's race at 8:30 a.m. PDT, followed by the women's race at 9:15 a.m.