BYU-Hawaii captures 3rd straight PacWest title; HPU’s Frida Aspnaes wins individual title

TURTLE BAY, HI – BYU-Hawaii claimed five of the first seven individual slots in racing to its third consecutive Hawaiian Airlines Pacific West Conference Women’s Cross Country Championship.

The Seasiders claimed the PacWest title on Saturday, Nov. 6, at the Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore of Oahu by recording a league-best 24 points. Runner-up Hawai‘i Pacific finished second with 56 points, followed by Academy of Art with 108.

HPU junior Frida Aspnaes (Norrkoping, Sweden) captured the individual title after completing the 6K course in a time of 22:18.1. She earned All-PacWest First Team honors for finishing in the Top 7 of the PacWest Championship race.

Aspnaes’ sophomore teammate Kim Kuhnert (Leverkusen, Germany/Landrat-Lucas Gym) finished third overall with a time of 23:27.2 to also claim First Team honors.

BYU-Hawaii junior Lacey (Johnson) Krout (Preston, ID/Preston) finished second overall and first among the Seasiders with a time of 23:00.3. She led a parade of Seasiders claiming All-PacWest First Team honors.

Junior Katherine Buxton (Gettysburg, PA/Gettysburg) finished fourth overall with a time of 23:36.4, while freshman Chanda Romney (Forks, WA/Port Angeles) took fifth for the Seasiders with a 23:38.7. Sophomore Amanda Wilson (Clayton, WA/Riverside) placed sixth (23:59.2) and sophomore Lacee Kurtz (Milford, OH/Milford) finished seventh with a mark of 24:06.2.

Academy of Art junior Cassandra Schumacher (Sweet Home, OR/Sweet Home) finished eighth overall and earned All-PacWest Second Team honors for her time of 24:12.5. Runners finishing 8-14 are named All-PacWest Second Team.

BYU-Hawaii sophomore Heather Brown (Provo, UT/Timpview) recorded a time of 24:16.7 to finish ninth, while sophomore teammate Kelsey Elder (Lancaster, CA/Quartz Hill) posted a mark of 24:48.9 to finish 13th. Both athletes were named Second Team.

Hawai‘i Hilo junior Kirsten Andrew (Garden Grove, CA/Lutheran) was the top Vulcan runner and earned All-PacWest Second Team honors for taking 10th at the conference championship. She posted a time of 24:20.5.

Graduate student Kaylene Peric (Midland, MI/Dow) earned Second Team honors for the Vulcans as well after finishing 12th in 24:39.8.

Chaminade senior Ashlie Salas-Selem (Kapolei, HI/Kapolei) took 11th (24:31.8) and freshman Shannon Whener (Maui, HI/Maui) placed 14th (24:53.1) to earn Second Team accolades.