Cottage Grove, Ore. – The Oregon Tech women's cross country team won the first meet of the season on Friday, taking the title at the Bushnell Open at Middlefield Golf Course. Meanwhile, Corban University senior Sydney Nichol took home the individual crown by three seconds.
Oregon Tech won the race, featuring six Cascade Collegiate Conference schools, with a team score of 33. The Owls easily out-paced Corban University which took second-place at 68. The Beacons followed in third place with 76 points while Northwest University took fourth at 80. Warner Pacific University rounded out the scoring in fifth-place (100) while Multnomah University had four individuals compete.
Bushnell University senior Tea Chatelain opened up the season with a second-place finish. Chatelain ran the event in 14 minutes and 52.5 seconds and trailed individual champion Sydney Nichol (14:49.5) from Corban by just three seconds, while edging out Shiloh Najjar (14:53.1) from Multnomah by six tenths of a second.
Oregon Tech rounded out the top-five with Mia Smith (14:55.6) and Delani Dietrich (14:58.2).
This was the one and only fall event for the Beacons, who will return to competition in late January.