Pio Sports

Cross Country, Volleyball, and Women’s Soccer updates.

Cross Country

It was another good season for the Lewis & Clark men’s and women’s cross country teams, which were both ranked in the top 10 of the West Region on several occasions. The women’s team also remained one of the top 25 teams in the nation all season, ranking as high as 17th.

For the second consecutive season, the women’s team won the Northwest Conference Championship, while Illana Livstrom CAS ’13 became just the second-ever Conference Champion in program history. The win also earned Livstrom her second consecutive NWC First-Team honor, along with teammate Emily Thomas CAS ’13. Corrine Innes CAS ’12 finished the NWC Championship with a spot on the second team.

On the men’s team, Sam Smith CAS ’13 and Cleb Strugill CAS ’12 earned NWC Second-Team honors at the conference championship, which was hosted by Linfield.

Both the women’s and men’s teams then headed to the West Regional Championship, where Livstrom and Thomas once again set the pace for the women’s team. Both runners put in the two fastest regional performances in Lewis & Clark’s history en route to All-Region First-Team honors. For the men, Sturgill put in the fastest time for the Pioneers, while also delivering the seventh-fastest regional performance in school history.

Following the West Regional Championship, both Thomas and Livstrom earned spots in the NCAA Division III National Cross Country Championship for the second consecutive season. Thomas finished 85th out of 277 runners, bettering her performance from last season.

Volleyball 

Playing in a tough volleyball conference, the Pioneers finished the Northwest Conference season in fourth place with a 13-13 overall record and 9-7 conference standing. During the course of the season, the Pioneers defeated three nationally ranked conference foes: Puget Sound, Pacific Lutheran, and Whitworth. The Pioneers also achieved their first seven-game winning streak since the 1990 season. Upon the end of the season, Margaret Dowling CAS ’12, who is now Lewis & Clark’s all-time leader in aces and kills, was named to the NWC All-Conference Second-Team. Leia Matsunaga CAS ’13 was named to the honorable mention team.

Women’s Soccer 

It was another tough season for the women’s soccer team, which ended the year 3-15-2 overall and 2-13-1 in Northwest Conference play. The Pioneers placed four players on the NWC All-Conference honorable mention team following the close of the season.