Friday, October 28
Tucson, AZ
9:30 a.m.
Oregon State
vs
Pac-12 Cross Country Championships
The Beavers will face an impressive field at the Pac-12 Championships.
Photo by: Indiana State University photo
Beavers head to Tucson for Pac-12 Championships
October 26, 2016 | Women's Cross Country
CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Oregon State cross country team hopes to parlay the momentum generated by impressive performances in its last two meets into another outstanding effort on Friday at the Pacific-12 Conference Cross Country Championships in Tucson.
The Beavers won their 25-team pool at the Indiana State Pre-Nationals Invitational on Oct. 15 and ran well at the Sept. 30 Notre Dame Invitational. They moved into No. 15 in the West Region in the United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association's (USTFCCA) regional poll after being unranked all fall.
And coach Kelly Sullivan is confident his season-long strategy of preparing his team to peak in October and November will result in another strong showing on Friday.
"We're healthy as we can be, we're excited, and I am really proud of this team, it has worked very hard," Sullivan said. "There is no question we are going to compete hard and give our best, and that's all we can ask.
"We are trying to create a model for not only for this year, but for next year and going forward. It has been great to see the pride this team has and how much ownership they are taking in preparing themselves."
OSU's lineup will feature seniors Emily Weber, Samantha Lewis and Morgan Anderson; juniors Kristiane Width and Kala Kopecek; redshirt sophomores Sam McKinnon and Nicole Goecke; sophomore Juliana Mount, and freshmen Lexi Reed and Sara Christianson.
Defending champion Colorado is No. 1 in the USTFCCCA's national poll. Washington (2), Oregon (5), Stanford (11), Utah (17), (CLA (23) and California (27) are also ranked.
Sullivan foresees the Beavers battling Arizona, Arizona State and Washington State for eighth place, the top spot behind the seven ranked squads.
 "We understand when you compete in this conference you compete against the best teams in the country," Sullivan said. "The Pac-12 has four teams [Colorado, Washington, Stanford and Oregon] that legitimately have a chance to win the NCAA title.
"That's rare to have four teams from the same conference with the talent to win a team championship. So it's a test of will fortitude and this group has been working consistently on getting physically and emotionally ready."
The race starts at 9:30 a.m. at the Randolph North Golf Course. The layout is all grass, with some golf cart path crossings and numerous small hills. It will be televised on tape-delay at 6 p.m. Monday by the Pac-12 Network, with Dwight Stones (analyst), Jim Watson (play-by-play) and Lewis Johnson (reporter) calling the action.
Inclement weather won't be a concern. The forecast for Friday is for partly cloudy skies, with a potential record-high of 94 and a low of 63.
"It's going to be hot," about 80 degrees at race time, Sullivan said. "But we know when you go to the Arizona schools it's going to be like that."
The Beavers placed 11th at the 2015 Pac-12 Championships in Colfax, Wash. The redshirting Holly Cavalluzzo (52) and Mount (59) were their top finishers; also figuring in the team score were the graduated Kira Kelly (67), Lewis (68) and Anderson (75).
OSU's best finish since the program's 2004 reinstatement from an 18-year suspension was sixth in 2008.
FANTASTIC FRESHMEN: Lexi Reed (Denver) was OSU's No. 3 runner in two meets and the No. 4 runner in her two other varsity races. Sara Christianson (Boise) was the No. 5 team scorer in her first varsity race, the Oct. 15 Indiana State Pre-Nationals Invitational.
Emily Bacon (Newport Harbor, Calif.) has also competed in three races, two as an unattached competitor and once as a uniformed runner in the Open race at Notre Dame.
OSU's other freshmen are Brooke Chuhlantseff (Salem); Emily Mackay (Endicott, N.Y.), and Mikayla Sodersten (Fresno). They will redshirt this fall.
REDSHIRTING RETURNEES: Senior Holly Cavalluzzo underwent off-season ankle surgery and will redshirt. A three-year letterwinner, she was OSU's No. 1 runner in every meet in 2015 and placed 52nd at Pac-12s and 67th at the NCAA West Regional. Cavalluzzo ranks No. 1 on the career 6,000-meter list (20:30) and is No. 2 over 5,000 (16:55).
Charlotte Corless, a junior from Beaverton who ran at Boise State the past two seasons before transferring to OSU for winter term of 2015-16, will also redshirt. She was 20th at the Mountain West meet, 36th at the NCAA West Regional and 207th at NCAAs in 2015.
LOSSES FROM 2015:Â OSU lost Maureen Tremblay, Kira Kelly, Macaulay Wilson, Adrienne Demaree and Dakota Steen from the 2015 team. Kelly was OSU's No. 3 finisher at Pac-12s and No. 4 at regionals. Demaree was No. 5 at both meets, Tremblay No. 7. Wilson ran at Pac-12s but was not in the regional lineup. Steen ran in the season-opener only.
WEEKLY RANKINGS:Â The Beavers cracked the USTFCCCA regional rankings for the first time on Oct. 18 when they were ranked 15th in the West Region. They are determined subjectively by a single member coach in each respective region.Â
Eight Pac-12 teams were ranked in the West Region: Washington (1), Oregon (2), Stanford (5), UCLA (6), California (8), Arizona (10), Arizona State (12) and Oregon State (15). Colorado (1) and Utah (3) were ranked in the Mountain Region.
Colorado is No. 1 in the USTFCCCA's national poll. Washington is No. 2, Oregon is No. 5, Stanford is No. 11, Utah is No. 17, UCLA is No. 23 and California is No. 25.
POSTSEASON PLANS:Â Sacramento State hosts the NCAA West Regional in Sacramento on Nov. 11. Indiana State hosts the NCAA Championships, set for Nov. 19 at Terra Haute, Ind.
For more information on the Oregon State track and field program, follow the Beavers on Facebook at Facebook.com/OSUTrackCrossCountry, or on Twitter at twitter.com/@BeaverTrackXC
OREGON STATE ATHLETICS' EVERYDAY CHAMPIONS CULTURE
Through the power of sport, we help people discover and pursue their passions, talents and purpose in order to live a life of balance and positive contribution.
Â
The Beavers won their 25-team pool at the Indiana State Pre-Nationals Invitational on Oct. 15 and ran well at the Sept. 30 Notre Dame Invitational. They moved into No. 15 in the West Region in the United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association's (USTFCCA) regional poll after being unranked all fall.
And coach Kelly Sullivan is confident his season-long strategy of preparing his team to peak in October and November will result in another strong showing on Friday.
"We're healthy as we can be, we're excited, and I am really proud of this team, it has worked very hard," Sullivan said. "There is no question we are going to compete hard and give our best, and that's all we can ask.
"We are trying to create a model for not only for this year, but for next year and going forward. It has been great to see the pride this team has and how much ownership they are taking in preparing themselves."
OSU's lineup will feature seniors Emily Weber, Samantha Lewis and Morgan Anderson; juniors Kristiane Width and Kala Kopecek; redshirt sophomores Sam McKinnon and Nicole Goecke; sophomore Juliana Mount, and freshmen Lexi Reed and Sara Christianson.
Defending champion Colorado is No. 1 in the USTFCCCA's national poll. Washington (2), Oregon (5), Stanford (11), Utah (17), (CLA (23) and California (27) are also ranked.
Sullivan foresees the Beavers battling Arizona, Arizona State and Washington State for eighth place, the top spot behind the seven ranked squads.
 "We understand when you compete in this conference you compete against the best teams in the country," Sullivan said. "The Pac-12 has four teams [Colorado, Washington, Stanford and Oregon] that legitimately have a chance to win the NCAA title.
"That's rare to have four teams from the same conference with the talent to win a team championship. So it's a test of will fortitude and this group has been working consistently on getting physically and emotionally ready."
The race starts at 9:30 a.m. at the Randolph North Golf Course. The layout is all grass, with some golf cart path crossings and numerous small hills. It will be televised on tape-delay at 6 p.m. Monday by the Pac-12 Network, with Dwight Stones (analyst), Jim Watson (play-by-play) and Lewis Johnson (reporter) calling the action.
Inclement weather won't be a concern. The forecast for Friday is for partly cloudy skies, with a potential record-high of 94 and a low of 63.
"It's going to be hot," about 80 degrees at race time, Sullivan said. "But we know when you go to the Arizona schools it's going to be like that."
The Beavers placed 11th at the 2015 Pac-12 Championships in Colfax, Wash. The redshirting Holly Cavalluzzo (52) and Mount (59) were their top finishers; also figuring in the team score were the graduated Kira Kelly (67), Lewis (68) and Anderson (75).
OSU's best finish since the program's 2004 reinstatement from an 18-year suspension was sixth in 2008.
FANTASTIC FRESHMEN: Lexi Reed (Denver) was OSU's No. 3 runner in two meets and the No. 4 runner in her two other varsity races. Sara Christianson (Boise) was the No. 5 team scorer in her first varsity race, the Oct. 15 Indiana State Pre-Nationals Invitational.
Emily Bacon (Newport Harbor, Calif.) has also competed in three races, two as an unattached competitor and once as a uniformed runner in the Open race at Notre Dame.
OSU's other freshmen are Brooke Chuhlantseff (Salem); Emily Mackay (Endicott, N.Y.), and Mikayla Sodersten (Fresno). They will redshirt this fall.
REDSHIRTING RETURNEES: Senior Holly Cavalluzzo underwent off-season ankle surgery and will redshirt. A three-year letterwinner, she was OSU's No. 1 runner in every meet in 2015 and placed 52nd at Pac-12s and 67th at the NCAA West Regional. Cavalluzzo ranks No. 1 on the career 6,000-meter list (20:30) and is No. 2 over 5,000 (16:55).
Charlotte Corless, a junior from Beaverton who ran at Boise State the past two seasons before transferring to OSU for winter term of 2015-16, will also redshirt. She was 20th at the Mountain West meet, 36th at the NCAA West Regional and 207th at NCAAs in 2015.
LOSSES FROM 2015:Â OSU lost Maureen Tremblay, Kira Kelly, Macaulay Wilson, Adrienne Demaree and Dakota Steen from the 2015 team. Kelly was OSU's No. 3 finisher at Pac-12s and No. 4 at regionals. Demaree was No. 5 at both meets, Tremblay No. 7. Wilson ran at Pac-12s but was not in the regional lineup. Steen ran in the season-opener only.
WEEKLY RANKINGS:Â The Beavers cracked the USTFCCCA regional rankings for the first time on Oct. 18 when they were ranked 15th in the West Region. They are determined subjectively by a single member coach in each respective region.Â
Eight Pac-12 teams were ranked in the West Region: Washington (1), Oregon (2), Stanford (5), UCLA (6), California (8), Arizona (10), Arizona State (12) and Oregon State (15). Colorado (1) and Utah (3) were ranked in the Mountain Region.
Colorado is No. 1 in the USTFCCCA's national poll. Washington is No. 2, Oregon is No. 5, Stanford is No. 11, Utah is No. 17, UCLA is No. 23 and California is No. 25.
POSTSEASON PLANS:Â Sacramento State hosts the NCAA West Regional in Sacramento on Nov. 11. Indiana State hosts the NCAA Championships, set for Nov. 19 at Terra Haute, Ind.
For more information on the Oregon State track and field program, follow the Beavers on Facebook at Facebook.com/OSUTrackCrossCountry, or on Twitter at twitter.com/@BeaverTrackXC
OREGON STATE ATHLETICS' EVERYDAY CHAMPIONS CULTURE
Through the power of sport, we help people discover and pursue their passions, talents and purpose in order to live a life of balance and positive contribution.
Â
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