Oregon State
John Frank Oregon State Invitational
Beavers host John Frank Invitational on Saturday
August 31, 2016 | Women's Cross Country
CORVALLIS, Ore. – A veteran-laden Oregon State cross country team opens the 2016 season on Saturday at the John Frank OSU Invitational at Avery Park.
"It's always fun to get that first race under your belt," OSU coach Kelly Sullivan said. It's fun to have it at home, and of course to recognize John Frank," an OSU track & field/cross country letterman (1981-85) from Summit City, Calif., who died in a work-related accident in Oct., 1986, at 24 years of age.
The Beavers will field a seven-woman contingent; the top five finishers will count toward the team score. Several others will run unattached and the rest of the team will continue training.
OSU's projected counting runners are seniors Morgan Anderson and Samantha Lewis; juniors Kristiane Width and Kala Kopecek; redshirt sophomores Nicole Goecke and Sam McKinnon, and freshman Lexi Reed.
"Nicole and Sam are really eager to get started," Sullivan said, as they redshirted in 2015 and did not race competitively. "I may put Lexi in uniform, she looks tremendous."
Sophomore Kaely Gordon and freshmen Emily Bacon and Brooke Chuhlantseff will run unattached.
The 5,000-meter women's race starts at 10:45 a.m.; the 6,000-meter men's race begins at 11:45. The course is flat and spectator-friendly.Â
The field includes the Beavers, Portland, Portland State, Western Oregon and Concordia College; members of the OSU and University of Oregon running clubs; collegians who will run unattached, and several open competitors. It will be scored as two duals for OSU, UP and PSU. There will be separate scoring for WOU and Concordia.
Portland is ranked No. 6 in the West Region in the USTFCCCA's first regional poll, which was released on Monday. The Beavers and Vikings were not ranked.
"Cross country and the distance/middle distances are the main focus of Portland's program," Sullivan said. "Their program has exceled at a very high level.
"It will be a good regional, local, in-state meet."
WELCOME BACK: Sophomore Sam McKinnon returns after redshirting in 2015. She was OSU's No. 2 finisher at the 2014 Pac-12 meet as a freshman, and in two other meets as well, and then took fourth place in the steeplechase at the 2015 Pac-12 track meet. McKinnon is fourth all-time over 6,000 meters (20:52) and fifth over 5,000 (17:06) in cross country.
Sophomore Gwyneth McMorris, a Portland State transfer, and redshirt sophomore Nicole Goecke also return after redshirting in 2015. McMorris had a PR of 4:42.07 in the 1500 in the 2016 track season.
FANTASTIC FROSH: Incoming freshmen Brooke Chuhlantseff (Salem); Sara Christianson (Boise); Emily Mackay (Endicott, N.Y.); Lexi Reed (Denver); Mikayla Sodersten (Fresno) and Emily Bacon (Newport Harbor, Calif.) could all contribute immediately.
"This freshman class has the best depth we have ever recruited," Sullivan said. "All six have no intention of redshirting. They are all talented. I am excited to see how they all develop."
REDSHIRTING BEAVERS: 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).th at Pac-12s and 67nd 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 52
at NCAAs in 2015.th at the NCAA West Regional and 207th at the Mountain West meet, 36thCharlotte 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 20
LOSSES FROM 2015: 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.
REGIONAL RANKINGS: The Beavers were not ranked in the West Region in the first regional rankings released on Aug. 29 by the USTFCCCA. Regional rankings are determined subjectively by a single member coach in each respective region.
Eight Pac-12 teams were ranked in the West Region: Oregon (1), Stanford (3), Washington (4), California (7), Arizona State (10), UCLA (11), Washington State (12) and Arizona (13). Colorado (2) and Utah (5) were ranked in the Mountain Region.
UP NEXT: The Beavers are idle until the Bill Dellinger Invitational, set for Friday, Sept. 16. Hosted by the University of Oregon, it will be contested at the Springfield Golf Club.
POSTSEASON PLANS: The Pac-12 Championships are Oct. 28 at Tucson, hosted by Arizona. 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
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