SOU, C of I Favored in CCC XC Championships
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PORTLAND, Ore. -- Automatic bids to this month’s NAIA Cross Country National Championships in Vancouver, Wash., await the winning teams in Saturday’s Cascade Collegiate Conference Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships. The Eugene Marathon is the presenting sponsor.
The meet will be held at Dorris Ranch in Springfield. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students, children and seniors.
Southern Oregon, which last week unseated Malone (Ohio) as the NAIA’s top-ranked team, is the favorite to defend its CCC team title. The Raiders have won all four invitationals they have participated in this year. Senior David Laney, a three-time CCC Runner of the Week, leads a deep and talented SOU squad.
The College of Idaho women’s team, ranked sixth nationally last week, is favored to win its second straight CCC title. The Yotes are led by two-time CCC individual champion Stephanie Helm.
Other championship notes:
• Click here for 2009 CCC men’s and women’s individual top times.
• Eight Cascade Collegiate Conference cross country programs – four men’s, four women’s – were ranked or receiving votes in the Oct. 28 NAIA Top 25 polls. A new poll will be released Wednesday, Nov. 4.
• In the Oct. 28 women’s Top 25, College of Idaho led the way in the No. 6 position, and was followed by 19th-ranked Eastern Oregon. Both Concordia and Southern Oregon were in the others receiving votes category.
• In the Oct. 28 men’s Top 25, Southern Oregon overtook Malone (Ohio) for the No. 1 spot, ending Malone’s streak of 29 consecutive polls in the top position. Other CCC teams receiving recognition include 11th-ranked College of Idaho, 21st-ranked Eastern Oregon, and Concordia (receiving votes).
• CCC teams have captured 12 invitational titles to date this season. On the women’s side, Corban (Corban Invitational, Sept. 5), College of Idaho (Roger Curran Invitational Sept. 12, Coyote Twilight Oct. 22), and Concordia (NCU Invitational, Sept. 19) have captured team titles; on the men’s side, Warner Pacific (Corban Invitational, Sept. 5, WPC Invitational Oct. 17), Eastern Oregon (NCU Invitational, Sept. 19), Southern Oregon (Humboldt State Invitational, Sept. 19, Charles Bowles Classic Oct. 3, Concordia/Puma Classic Oct. 17, OSU Beaver Classic, Oct. 24), and College of Idaho (Coyote Twilight, Oct. 22) have won team crowns.
• The entire field for the 2009 NAIA Cross Country National Championships will be released Monday, Nov. 9 at www.naia.org.