Raiders, Yotes seek to extend run at CCC Cross Country Championships
|
NAIA Men's Cross Country Coaches' Poll (Oct. 29) |
|
Rank |
School |
Points |
|
2. |
Southern Oregon |
571 |
|
9. |
Eastern Oregon |
431 |
|
16. |
College of Idaho |
305 |
|
20. |
Northwest Christian |
200 |
|
RV |
Oregon Tech |
133 |
|
RV |
Concordia |
19 |
|
|
|
NAIA Women's Cross Country Coaches' Poll (Oct. 29) |
|
Rank |
School |
Points |
|
4. |
Northwest Christian |
543 |
|
14. |
College of Idaho |
359 |
|
20. |
Oregon Tech |
224 |
|
23. |
Southern Oregon |
166 |
|
RV |
Concordia |
28 |
|
CCC Championships I Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014
Fernhill Park I Portland, Ore. I Google Map
11 a.m. – Men's 8k (
Course Map)
12 p.m. – Women's 5k (
Course Map)
CCC Archives: Past Champions I
Meet Results
PORTLAND, Ore.—With more than half the teams competing either ranked in the top 25 or receiving votes in the latest NAIA national poll, the preseason favorites will be challenged at every turn at the CCC Cross Country Championships presented by U.S.Bank, held at Fernhill Park on Nov. 8.
Men's Preview
In the men's race, No. 2-ranked Southern Oregon University will be seeking its seventh straight CCC crown, but will have to stave off three other top-20 teams in the field. The Raiders return five of its top seven runners from a year ago, including three top-10 finishers in Eric Ghelfi (5th), Jared Hixon (7th) and Cary Dunagan (10th).
Going on to place 20th at the national meet, Ghelfi is the only returning NAIA All-American that will be in the field.
Looking to break SOU's dominance will be No. 9-ranked Eastern Oregon, No. 16-ranked College of Idaho and No. 20-ranked Northwest Christian.
EOU will be paced by a recent NAIA National Runner of the Week winner in D.J. Flores but also bring back All-CCC performers Kody Schriver and Hans Roele. Like the Raiders, College of Idaho will bring back five of its top seven finishers from the 2013 championships.
Oregon Tech, another team that has carried a top-20 ranking at various times throughout the season, will be led by Paul Adams, the top non-SOU finisher with a sixth-place result last year.
Looking to become the third Cavalier to cross the line first, Concordia's
Matthew Clowes (Stoke-on-Trent, England/Westwood College) will be the likely favorite in the individual race after picking up three NAIA National Runner of the Week honors this season. Clowes is undefeated in four races this season.
Since 1994, only three teams have won a CCC Men's Cross Country title. Eastern Oregon has captured 11 titles while SOU's recent run puts the Raiders at eight total championships. Winning it all in 2006, Concordia is the only other program to claim a team victory.
Women's Preview
Having lost five of its top seven harriers from its 2013 championship squad, No. 14-ranked Coyotes of College of Idaho will have their work cut out for them if they intend to keep their run of titles alive.
Winners of three straight, and five of the last six, C of I's primary challenger will be No. 4-ranked Northwest Christian University. The Beacons, who will be chasing their first conference title, bring back nearly its entire squad as six runners return from last year's runner-up lineup, including All-CCC performers Alyssa Harmon (7th), Allison Duvenez (8th) and Sierra Brown (11th).
Six of the 12 All-CCC racers from 2013 return to the field this Saturday with C of I's Lila Klopfenstein the top individual returner from last year's meet in Idaho after taking third place with a time of 18:49.
In addition to Klopfenstein and the NCU trio, College of Idaho's Ruth Lewinski (9th) and Southern Oregon's Summer Cano (12th) will be seeking a return appearance to the podium.
Klopfenstein and Duvenez went on to garner All-American honors last season with Klopfenstein taking seventh place at nationals and Duvenez 25th.
With its last title occurring in 2007, Eastern Oregon leads all CCC teams with seven conference championships while College of Idaho and Northwest have five titles each. George Fox (1994), Corban (2006) and Concordia (2010), meanwhile, have one championship each.