CORVALLIS, Ore. – Teams will finally hit the ground running for the 2020 Cascade Collegiate Conference Cross Country Championship, presented by U.S. Bank, on Friday in Lewiston, Idaho, at the Lewis-Clark State Cross Country Trail.
The women get things going first, with the 5K starting at 10:30 a.m. Pacific. The men's 8K race follows at 11:30 a.m.
Team winners from each race an automatic berth to the NAIA National Championship Meet – April 9, 2021 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa – with at-large berths being decided by a selection committee this year. The committee is made up of raters and regional representatives and the teams selected for at-large spots will learn on March 30 at 3 p.m. Pacific.
Following the races, the CCC trophies will be presented (team and individual champions), along with Coaches of the Year and the 15 all-conference honorees – awarded to the top-15 finishers from each gender.
Women's Race Breakdown
Three CCC teams head into the competition ranked, with another receiving votes in the latest NAIA Women's Cross Country Coaches' Poll.
No. 4-ranked College of Idaho looks to repeat after taking the 2019 trophy home. The Coyotes looks to be the team to beat as they have yet to finish behind an opponent this year. Senior Erin Moyer has three top-three finishes, with other Coyotes coasting solid performances this year like Ellyse Tingelstad, who course led all CCC runners with a time of 17 minutes, 46 seconds the last time the Coyotes competed at the LC State. Four Coyotes followed right on her tail to secure the win for C of I.
No. 12-ranked Oregon Tech also has yet to finish behind a team, looking to reclaim its thrown from when the Owls won the championship in 2018. Faith Widman leads the Owls and has picked up the conference runner of the week honor multiple times this year.
Conference newcomer, No. 16-ranked Lewis-Clark State College looks to make a solid debut after competing at the NAIA Championship Meet in 2019. Northwest University is also likely to be in the mix after receiving votes in the latest top-25 poll.
Competing: Bushnell, College of Idaho, Corban, Eastern Oregon, Multnomah, Northwest, Oregon Tech and Warner Pacific (individuals only). Southern Oregon and Walla Walla opted out of competition this season due to COVID-19.
Men's Race Breakdown
Four of the men's teams competing in the championship race come into the event ranked in the latest NAIA Men's Cross Country Poll.
The Coyote men are the two-time defending champions and despite the newcomers (LC State) being predicted to win the championship, C of I looks to three-peat. College of Idaho jumped eight spots to a No. 8 ranking, with Logan Hunt looking to help the Coyotes keep building momentum into the postseason. The freshman has three top-three finishes and has been named the CCC Runner of the Week twice this year.
No. 11-ranked LC State carries a lot of momentum into the conference championships, however, with Cole Olsen and Clayton VanDyke leading the way. Olsen has won the individual titles at all three races this season, and VanDyke is never far behind. The last time the duo raced at their home course, Olsen just edged out VanDyke by seven seconds as the pair came in No. 1 and No. 2.
No. 17-ranked Oregon Tech and No. 20-ranked Northwest University also look to push tempo in the 8K. Mark French – who was named the CCC Runner of the Week twice this year – looks to lead the Owls, while the Eagles have a pack of runners, including Dawson Andrews, who led the Eagles last time they raced at the LC State course.
Competing: Bushnell, College of Idaho, Corban, Eastern Oregon, Multnomah, Northwest, Oregon Tech and Warner Pacific (individuals only). Southern Oregon and Walla Walla opted out of competition this season due to COVID-19.