The University running club travels to Estacada Saturday to participate in the Lewis and Clark Pioneer Open, its second cross country event of the season. The Ducks will enter ten runners in the event this weekend, but competition is only one of the team’s goals.
Club involvement remains strong this season with 42 people signed up to run. Oregon’s runners come in all shapes and sizes, and they can all find a home in the club’s relaxed atmosphere. Members train to achieve all degrees of goals, from basic personal fitness to training for collegiate meets and marathons. Team coordinator Allie Gruner, who is training to run the Seattle Marathon in November, enjoys what running provides beyond a good workout.
“It’s just a fun thing to do to meet people,” she said. “You get inspired and get caught up in it.”
On Saturday, the Ducks will run against five NCAA Division III squads, including Linfield College and Pacific University (Oregon). The club’s freshman runners will continue the process of adapting to the length of the collegiate course, which is eight kilometers for men and six for women. One of those freshmen, Scott Ward, finished 36th in the Oregon 4A state cross-country meet last year.
New faces including Conor O’Brien and Caitlin Grimwood will complement veteran runners like Josh Hulst, giving the team balance.
Although his runners will be competing against the clock this weekend, coach Tom Heinonen knows why his runners come out to race.
“They run the meet because they enjoy the sport,” he said.
The idea of enjoyment first is a part of all the club’s activities, and it starts from the top.
“I can’t wait to get there every day,” Heinonen said.
Some club members will travel to Corvallis Oct. 21 to take part in the Oregon State Beaver Classic before Oregon hosts the Pre’s Trail Open on Nov. 5.
Women’s soccer
After starting its season with a home victory against the University of Portland, Oregon remains in Eugene to battle Central Washington University Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Team coordinator and goalkeeper Megan Clark said the Eagles should be a worthy opponent.
“It is pretty important for us because we want to keep going at a steady pace and work our way up,” Clark said. “We want to come into regionals strong so this game is important.”
Before regionals, the Ducks will battle Oregon State in Corvallis Oct. 15.
The squad will attend a regional tournament hosted by UC-Davis Oct. 27.
Men’s soccer
The Oregon men’s club soccer team busses down to Bend, Ore., to play Central Oregon Community College on Sunday. There, the squad will try to defend its 3-0 season record and 25-game winning streak. Co-coach and co-coordinator Jason Modahl said he expects his team to continue that streak.
Ultimate
The men’s and women’s ultimate teams travel to Chico, Calif., today to participate in the Chico Tournament, which runs through Sunday.
Oregon’s men’s teams will be ranked second for the tournament, coordinator Kevin Minderhout said. The trip marks Oregon’s first competition of the year, and Minderhout said the squad has made a tradition of playing in the tournament for at least the last five years.
With only four practices under its belt, a group of about 40 Oregon ultimate players have been split up between Oregon-X and Oregon-Y squads to play in seven games each, Minderhout said. There are 14 other club teams competing this year.
Oregon is an official member of the Ultimate Players Association and competes in the Open Division. In June, the men were ranked fifth on the Ultimate Players Association Web site with a 30-11 record.
The Ducks roster is full of talented athletes, some of whom Minderhout said will be competing with another local team, Rhino, at the UPA National Championship in Sarasota, Fla., later this month.
On the women’s side, senior coordinator Kristin Benda said 24 women will travel to Chico. The team, named Sugue, likely will compete in three or four games each day, Benda said.
The current roster features both young and old talent with 15 members returning from the 2005 squad and an additional nine new players this season.
The Oregon men’s and women’s teams may participate in the Sean Ryan Memorial Tournament in Santa Cruz, Calif., from Nov. 11-13. In addition, Oregon Fall Ultimate Disc Games (OFUDG) will begin around campus soon and last throughout the fall once field space becomes available, Benda said.