The Oregon men’s club running team could not withstand a strong performance from Wisconsin’s club runners, as the Badgers took the men’s team title, with the Ducks taking second, at the National Intercollegiate Running Club Association Championships on Saturday at State College, Pa.
The Oregon women were paced by junior Kristen Mohror, who finished sixth overall (fifth in scoring) in the women’s six-kilometer race. The Ducks took third in the team standings with 137 points, behind host Penn State (65) and champion Michigan (51).
On the men’s side, the Ducks’ 89 points were trumped by the Badgers’ 35.
Saturday’s outcome may seem unfavorable to the Duck runners, who entered the meet as the 2007 club national champions (both the men and women won team titles). Oregon senior Keith Laverty, a native of Woodinville, Wash., captured last year’s individual title at the meet, held at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind.
“All times were slower all around,” Laverty said. “That wasn’t a good day for me to race, I guess.”
Laverty was the Ducks’ top finisher Saturday, crossing the line in 27:48 for eighth place overall (seventh in scoring) on a 5.25-mile-long course, a departure from the usual distance of eight kilometers. (The difference in distance is about half a kilometer.)
“The last mile and a half was all uphill,” Laverty said. “It was a little bit harder than we thought it was gonna be.”
Indiana graduate student Matt Flaherty won the race in 26:54, a 5:11-mile pace. Following him were Penn State graduate student Kelly Fermolye, Miami (OH) graduate student Ryan Wilson and four Wisconsin runners, paced by sophomores Ben Garbe (27:16) and Nick Limoni (27:17).
Senior Matt Barnhart was the second Duck across the line, completing the course in 28:07, and junior Brad Russell was the third Oregon finisher in 28:20 for 16th place (15th in scoring).
Senior David Reid (28th overall, 28:49) and junior Calvin Brawner (31st, 28:54) were Oregon’s other scorers. Sophomore Chris Smith and graduate student Conor O’Brien also ran for the Ducks, placing 36th and 37th (29:00 and 29:01, respectively).
For the Duck women, freshman Kelsey Stilson was the top finisher behind Mohror, clocking in at 24:11 for 12th overall. Fellow freshmen Chelsea Oda (39th overall, 25:13), Kalin Sommer (46th, 25:31), and Jordi Hurd (51st, 25:44) rounded out the Duck scorers.
Also participating for the women were graduate student Amanda Husted (52nd overall, 25:47), sophomore Lauren Fox (61st, 26:00), freshman Anne Hagy (65th, 26:04) and sophomore Alex Kirsininkas (67th, 26:08).
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