Former Loyola Marymount University Lions teammates Grace Graham-Zamudio (class of 2015) and Danielle Shanahan (class of 2018) placed fifth and sixth, respectively at the USA Track and Field Cross Country Championships on Jan 18th. Both Lions will represent Team USA at the Pan American Cross Country Championships in Victoria, B.C., on February 29, 2020. 
 
During her time at LMU, Graham-Zamudio set top-5 all-time LMU marks in the 10,000m, 5,000m, 3,000m, and 6,000m Cross Country. As a senior in 2014, she led the Lion women to their highest ever Regional Cross Country team finish (9th) with her 17th place, All-Region performance. Sophomore, Shanahan was only two places behind in that race. The Pan American Championships will be Graham-Zamudio's first opportunity to represent the USA.
 
"Entering race weekend I had set the goal of finishing top 10 but knew what could be accomplished by finishing top six. During the first mile of the race I was just outside of my goal, but exercised patience and tried not to panic," said Graham-Zamudio. "I plugged away and around midway found myself ranked within the top 10. With nothing to lose, I dug deep and pushed myself further knowing that each effort forward would put me closer to being in contention for the team. I'm proud of my efforts during the last half of the race and honored by this opportunity to do what I love while representing USA! Qualifying for this team with Danielle, a brilliant athlete and dear friend, has made this experience even more special."
 
All-American Danielle Shanahan is in her second year running professionally for HOKA ONE ONE out of running mecca Flagstaff, Arizona. In 2019 she placed top-15 in both the 5,000 and 10,000 at the USATF Championships on the Track. During her time at LMU, Shanahan set school records at 1500m, 3000m, and 10,000m on the track, as well as the 6,000m distance in Cross Country. She now holds PRs of 15:26 (5k) and 32:22 (10k).
 
"Representing the US at the PanAmerican XC Cup is an amazing opportunity, and I'm so happy that I get to share this moment with Grace. There's such a sense of familiarity because we have trained and raced together so many times throughout the years, even after college. We bring out the best in each other, and I'm excited to let that show on such a big stage," said Shanahan.