No matter how the season unfolds for this year’s Oregon cross country squads, they will undoubtedly do something no Duck team has since 1998 – compete in Eugene.
The Bill Dellinger Invitational, to be held on Sept. 29 at Alton Baker Park, marks the first time in eight years that the Ducks will not have to travel to compete. Oregon coach Vin Lananna pointed to this event as one of the year’s probable high points.
“We have invited some of the top teams from around the country and the races will give us a good gauge for how we are progressing against those talented athletes,” Lananna said in an e-mail interview. “I know that our athletes are very excited to compete at home for the first time since 1998, and I expect that the Eugene community will be treated to two spectacular races that evening.”
The Men of Oregon will feature not one but two past All-Americans in Galen Rupp and Shadrack Kiptoo-Biwott. Rupp was an All-American for the second time last year due in part to top-four finishes at the Pacific-10 Conference Championships in both the 5,000-meter (third, 14:00.94) and
10,000 (30:42.10).
Kiptoo-Biwott, who transferred from the University of New Mexico to Oregon after the 2004 season, earned his All-American honors after his freshman year with the Lobos. The Eldoret, Kenya-native redshirted with Oregon last year and recorded a personal best in the 5,000 at the Stanford Invitational.
Another key for the men will be junior Chris Winter, who took fourth at the season-opening Pier Park Preview on Sept. 8. Winter, who achieved two personal bests last year and was a part of two Canadian World Junior Championship teams, has high hopes for himself and his teammates’ chances in 2006.
“We’re very excited and things are looking really good,” he said. “We’ve brought together a really good freshman class and our returnees are also really strong. We’re training everyone from last year and I think at the end of last year everything started to come together.”
The men’s freshmen class is dotted with veterans from the Foot Locker Championships circuit, including Isaac Stoutenburgh, Kenneth Klotz, Justin Harbor and twins Daniel and Diego Mercado.
On the women’s side of the track, this year will be about maintaining strong foundations within the comparatively smaller team. Boasting a roster only 15 runners deep, the women will count on leadership from veterans Sarah Pearson, Dana Buchanan and Zoe Nelson.
Nelson, a sophomore who led half of her races last year, took second at the Pier Park Preview. The native of Kalispell, Mont., is expecting a great year from her team and is very proud to have the chance to participate in front a home crowd in a race honoring one of Tracktown’s legends.
“It’s a huge honor,” Nelson said. “It’s great that everything is moving toward bring the track and distance running, and Oregon distance running, back to Eugene. It’s just a huge honor to have, especially because it’s in of honor Bill Dellinger. We all love him. He comes by the track sometimes and he’s a great guy so it’s fun to be able to honor him and all past Oregon runners that play a big part in supporting our team.”
Starting in 1998, Dellinger began what would be a three-decade long tenure as the Oregon’s head cross country coach. During that time, Dellinger and his Ducks amassed four NCAA team titles, 12 top-three NCAA finishes and 13 Pac-10 crowns. Individually, 45 All-American athletes were developed under the legendary coach’s watchful eye.
After the Dellinger, the Ducks will race three more times before beginning the championship portion of the season on Oct. 28 with the Pac-10 Championships in Stanford, Calif.