The Eastern Oregon Cross Country teams kick started their season with strong performances in the CCC Preview and Cougar Classic meets on Friday. From outstanding individual efforts to cohesive team performances, the Mountaineers have certainly set the tone for what promises to be an exciting season.
CCC Preview
The conference’s first race of the season saw the Eastern Oregon Cross Country teams make a solid statement with commendable performances from both their men’s and women’s squads. Leading the men in the 6k was James Thatcher, who clocked in 6:28.7 at the 2k mark, eventually finishing 21st with a time of 19:40.4. Taylor Fox had a strong showing in the second half, climbing from 54th place at the 2k checkpoint to finish 34th overall. Luke Davis and Pedro Pacheco-Alvarado ran close races, finishing 40th and 41st respectively.
The women’s team started the 4k race off on a high note. EOU secured the 4th place position and held until the finish, with key runners such as Riley Morris clocking 7:21.8, and Kaleah Hines and Lauryn Mitchell both marking 7:55.6. Morris finished an impressive 9th, while other notable finishes included Lauryn Mitchell at 30th and Kaleah Hines at 32nd. Jessica McDonald (45th, 17:43.0), Kendall Bonzani (40th, 17:00.1), Mattie Woodbury (31st, 16:25.8), Jaiden Cochran (24th, 15:42.0), Madelyn Nichols (27th, 15:54.7), Ashley Treadwell (37th, 16:40.1), and Macey Reed (41st, 17:07.8) also represented the Mountaineers in the race.
Cougar Classic
From the 1k mark to the finish, Eastern Oregon held on to 4th place position and crossed the finish line with 117 points. Justin Ash led the pack for the Mountaineers, finishing 17th and clocking in at 25:04.4. Hunter Nichols trailed closely, wrapping up at 24th with a time of 25:22.3. George Showers made an impressive progression from the 43rd spot at the 1k, to finish 31st and register a time of 25:38.2. Thomas Ogden followed, finishing 34th with a time of 25:46.1. Winston Telford (41st, 26:03.3), Jonny Wind (48th, 26:18.7), Trevor Nichols (56th, 26:41.4), Cristian Mendoza (57th, 26:43.4), Caleb Brown (63rd, 26:55.6), Bennett Welch (65th, 27:03.7), and Skyler Perkins (67th, 27:33.2) all raced commendably for the team additionally.
Both Men and Women’s Cross Country will return to competition at the 48th Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational in Salem, Oregon on September 30th.
EOU Cross Country Opens Season in Caldwell and Colfax
