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September 22, 2009

Tradition-Rich Teams to be Featured at Dellinger Invitational

Villanova, Oregon, UTEP have 27 combined NCAA Championships.

          EUGENE, Ore. – More than half of the men’s field for the Bill Dellinger Invitational will be ranked among the nation’s top 30, while the women will have three of the country’s top 13 teams as the squads for the fourth annual cross country race were announced on Tuesday. The Bill Dellinger Invitational will be held on Oct. 2 at Springfield Country Club. The women’s race begins at 3:30 p.m., with the men going off at 4:15 p.m.

          No. 1 Oregon leads a men’s field that also includes No. 8 Portland, No. 10 Alabama, No. 12 Brigham Young, No. 21 Cal Poly and No. 30 Villanova. The rest of the men’s field includes Colorado State, San Francisco, Texas-El Paso and Weber State.

          On the women’s side, the race has No. 2 Oregon, No. 5 Villanova and No. 13 Baylor as the headliners. Colorado State, Hawaii, Oregon State, Portland, San Francisco, Texas-El Paso and Weber State round out the women’s teams.

          “It’s a testament to Bill Dellinger that we are able to attract so many of the nation’s top-ranked teams each year,” said Associate Athletic Director Vin Lananna. “The beauty of the Springfield Country Club, the enthusiasm of the fans in Track Town, USA, and the talented runners from around the country create a perfect setting for the races.

          “It has been a long time since this community has been able to see Villanova race, and we are thrilled that they accepted our invitation. The Dellinger Invitational will be an exciting fall afternoon in Oregon.“

          Between them, Oregon, Villanova and UTEP have combined for 27 NCAA cross country championships, 18 men’s and nine women’s. From 1966 to 1981, Oregon, Villanova and UTEP accounted for 15 men’s titles over the course of 16 NCAA Championships.

          The two-time defending NCAA champion Men of Oregon could have as many as seven All-Americans entered in the Dellinger Invitational. The Ducks’ roster includes sophomore Luke Puskedra, who finished fifth overall as a freshman at the NCAA Championships, in addition to fellow All-Americans Matthew Centrowitz, Kenny Klotz, Danny Mercado, Diego Mercado, A.J. Acosta and Andrew Wheating.

          The men’s field returns nine of the top 20 runners from the 2008 Dellinger, including Puskedra (third), Centrowitz (ninth) and Danny Mercado (15th) of Oregon, Alfred Kipchumba (runner-up), Tommy Betterbed (eighth) and Matt Frerker (18th) of Portland, Tyson David (seventh) and Emmanuel Bor (11th) of Alabama and Nicodemus Ng’etich (14th) of UTEP. Puskedra, Kipchumba and Ng’etich were all All-Americans at the NCAA Championships last season.

          Portland finished seventh at the 2008 NCAA Championships, while BYU was ninth, Alabama tied for 10th, Cal Poly was 23rd and Villanova was 31st.

          The Oregon women will be led by defending Dellinger champion Alexandra Kosinski and senior Nicole Blood, who were both All-Americans at the NCAA Championships last fall when the Ducks posted their second-straight NCAA runner-up finish. Blood ran fourth at the Dellinger in 2008 and won the meet as a sophomore in 2007. All-American Zoe Buckman was 16th for Oregon last year and the Ducks also have national prep runner of the year Jordan Hasay in the fold.

          Among the visiting teams, 2008 All-Americans Amanda Marino of Villanova and Erin Bedell of Baylor are two to watch. Marino lead the Wildcats to a sixth-place finish at last year’s NCAA Championships, while Bedell was part of a Baylor squad that placed 19th.

          Oregon swept the Dellinger Invitational last fall. The men won by seven points over Portland in a very close race, with Alabama third, UCLA fourth and Cal Poly fifth. The women had a more comfortable competition, scoring 23 points to defeat Arkansas by 37. Penn State, Wake Forest and BYU rounded out the top five.

Kids’ Fun Run and Youth Activities

          The University of Oregon track and field program and the City of Eugene Recreation Department have partnered to provide a Kids’ Fun Run for children 12 and under at 4:30 p.m. The Dellinger Invitational will also feature opportunities for youth to join with members of Oregon’s track and field teams as they cheer on the Ducks. Youth are encouraged to meet the team at 3:15 p.m. at the marketing tent located near the starting line.

Spectator Parking

          Spectator parking will be at the Mohawk Elementary School on Sunderman Road. Shuttle buses will then transport spectators to the course at the Springfield Country Club. The shuttles will run continuously from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Please allow sufficient time to use the park-and-ride shuttle.

To reach the Mohawk Elementary School:

•         Take 105E/126E and stay on 126E for 7 miles.

•         Take the 42nd Street/Marcola exit and make a left on 42nd street for 0.4 miles.

•         Make a right on Marcola for 5.5 miles, going 1 mile past the Springfield Country Club.

•         Turn right on Sunderman Road.

•         The Mohawk Elementary School will be on your right after ¼ mile.

Signs will be posted on the roads directing traffic to the park-and-ride lot at Mohawk Elementary School.

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