Oregon Tech Women 1st, Men 3rd at CCC Preview
Oregon Tech Athletics
September 20, 2019
Men Results |
Women Results
COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. - In arguably the best NAIA cross country conference in the nation, Oregon Tech made it clear the Hustlin' Owls want to be a factor in who wins league and national honors this season.
The defending national women's champions won the Cascade Collegiate Conference preview meet Friday, and had five of thetop 16 individuals in the 5,000-meter race at the Middlefield Golf Course.
Tech, which is ranked No. 14, won the meet with 47 points. Eastern Oregon, which had received points in this week's poll, was second and sixth-rated Southern Oregon third. Fourth-rated College of Idaho did not compete in the meet.
"This is the first time in school history the ladies have ever won the preview meet," OIT coach Jack Kegg said, and noted that Delani Dietrich's third-place finish in 18 minutes, 17.9 seconds is the eighth fastest all-time, and, by 34.1 seconds, fourth fastest every by a freshman.
In the men's competition, second-rated Southern Oregon won the meet with 42 points. No. 19 Eastern Oregon was second and unranked OIT third. Like the women, The College of Idaho, which is ranked fifth, did not run in the conference preview event.
Warner Pacific's Amelia Pullen won the women's race in 17:46.0 seconds. Tech's Mallory Ward seventh, Hannah Mason 11th, Faith Widman 14th and Mia Smith 16th. Ward had the 11th best time ever for the women, and sixth best by a senior.
In a league in which five or six teams could advance to the NAIA national meet in November, thanks to the Cascade Collegiate Conference serving as the host, the fact the top five teams Friday were within three minutes of each other (combined times), made a statement.
"The women ran a much improved race (Friday)," Kegg said."Delanie led a strong group effort with a huge personal best.
"The 48-second time spread is the best a Tech team has ever run. As this young group of Owls continue to gain confidence and poise, they will prove themselves against the best competition in the nation."
In the men's meet Friday, the top three teams all were within six minutes of each other, and another 3½ minutes behind.
Riley Sine of Northwest University won the men's 8,000-meter race in 25:42.9, with Alex Navarro of Eastern Oregon second.
Tech's first runner in the men's race was newcomer Jonas Hartline, who was eighth in 26:38.0. Nick McMillen was 12th and Dylan Woodward 16th.
The best news for the OIT men was the appearance of Tim McPherson and Mark French, each of whom ran a competitive race for the first time in more than a year.
French is an All-American, and the efforts of both, with continued improvement, should make the Hustlin' Owls a factor in both the conference and national championships.
"The men have improved from the first race and continue to search for their identity as a team and grow as individuals," Kegg said. "The Southern California freshmen (Hartline and Woodward), continue to amaze me with their gamesmanship and willingness to take on all challengers.
"This team will be very exciting to watch in November."
