Oregon’s renowned running program is slowly moving itself back into the spotlight.
A new coaching staff and fresh crop of runners have added a positive edge to the already established men and women’s cross country teams.
Willamette University’s 31st annual Charles Bowles Invitational at Bush Park in Salem will be the Ducks’ second event competing under head coach Vin Lananna. The men’s 8k begins at 9:30 a.m., and the women’s 5k begins at 10:10 a.m.
Other schools competing Saturday include Portland, Air Force and Washington. Division II, Division III, junior college and club teams will also have a chance to compete at Bush Park starting at 10:40 a.m.
Approximately 10 runners will race on both the men and women’s sides for Oregon, and the top seven will score for the Ducks.
Patrick Werhane, a junior for Oregon and one of the top-25 Pacific-10 Conference cross country placers from the 2004 league clash, will be one of the top runners for the Ducks in Saturday’s meet. Werhane took third in the 8k on Sept. 9 at the Pier Park meet with a time of 20:41.
“This weekend we really want to run well and not really focus too much on points,” Werhane said. “Our goal is to keep a 45-second gap between the first guy and the seventh guy.”
Werhane explained that the men, who are currently ranked 28th in the regular season polls, have been doing a lot of pack running drills to simulate a race. This tactic allows each runner to know who to run next to during competition.
“The Pier Park meet was the first time racing for a lot of the guys,” Werhane said. “From that race we learned who can run with who, who the top runners in the group are and who to pack together with. We have really focused on running as a pack to be successful in future races.”
Besides Werhane, other potential scorers on the men’s team include J.K. Withers, Chris Winter, Galen Rupp, Jon Thomas and Carlos Trujillo. All the men are continuing to make progress throughout the season.
On the women’s side, true freshman Zoe Nelson from Kalispell, Mont., has proven herself to be one of the top female contenders. Nelson took first place in the 5k on the meet in Pier Park with a time of 18:30.9.
“I think at Pier Park we ran really well as a team, packing together,” Nelson said. “It really helps to have a team to run with for the first part of it. Then I can feel it out for myself on how I want to finish.”
Similar to the men, the women have been focusing their practices on working as a pack in everything from speed workouts to long runs.
“This season I want the team to do well and hopefully qualify for the NCAA meet as a team,” Nelson said. “I think we work really well together, so I think it’s something we can work toward.”
While both teams are not lacking in the talent department, rebuilding a program from the ground up is never an easy task.
“Not knowing what to expect or where we are going to end up has been the challenge to overcome this season,” Nelson said. “Also, being unsure of where everyone else is right now has been difficult, but we’ve done a good job of focusing on our team and staying healthy.”