Cheserek Chasing History At NCAA Meet Saturday
11/15/16 | Cross Country
UO senior Edward Cheserek will attempt to become the first runner with four career NCAA cross country championships.
EUGENE, Ore. – A remarkable feat is within sight for Edward Cheserek.
On Saturday, the Oregon senior will attempt to become the first man in NCAA history to take home four NCAA cross country titles.
Cheserek and the rest of the UO men's and women's cross country teams will run in the national championship meet Saturday morning in Terre Haute, Ind. at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course. With a first-place finish, Cheserek also would become the winningest runner in NCAA history; currently, Cheserek is tied with Suleiman Nyambui of Texas-El Paso for total individual track and cross country titles, at 15. With a win at the national championship, Cheserek would grab his 16th title.
Last year, Cheserek won his third straight individual cross country title, becoming the first to do so consecutively. He joined the legendary ranks of Oregon's Steve Prefontaine and Washington State's Gerry Lindgren and Henry Rono, who also won three in their cross country careers.
 "I don't think we, as a community, will ever really realize how special that guy is until he's gone." Oregon head track and field and cross country coach Robert Johnson said. "Ten years from now, we'll start to realize, hey, he was pretty good. When you start talking about distance running, his name will be in there. …
"He's definitely a special athlete, and more importantly, a special person as well."
Despite a long list of accomplishments and the praise he's garnered, Cheserek still maintains a characteristic humility, choosing to concentrate on the team's accomplishments rather than his own as he goes into his final cross country race.
"I've been training hard these last couple days; the team has been training well," Cheserek said. "We put the individual aside and focus on the team."
Women in Action: The Oregon women will be making their school-record 10th straight championship appearance. They look to grab yet another top-10 finish, after placing third last year and securing a win in 2012.
Junior Alli Cash is the only returning All-American. She placed 31st in the NCAA championships last year. The Ducks have the weapons to score points in this year's championships; Oregon has experienced seniors Ashley Maton and Maggie Schmaedick, who ran in all three championship races over the last three years.
Hungry for more: After struggles with the heat in Tucson, Ariz. at the Pac-12 championships, the Oregon Ducks came back swinging in the NCAA cross country Western Regionals. Both the men and women secured at-large bids to advance to the NCAA championships. The Oregon men went 1-2 at Regionals, with Cheserek claiming his third NCAA West title, and sophomore Matthew Maton finishing right behind him in second place, posting a career-best time in the 10,000 meters. Cheserek was also named Western Region Athlete of the Year by USTFCCCA.
In the West Regional women's race, Oregon's Alli Cash, Katie Rainsberger and Sam Nadel all placed in the top 15 in a field of 238 competitors. Cash led the way with a fifth-place finish, and freshman Rainsberger finished 11th, the top in her class. Nadel, a junior, was right behind her in 15th. Fifth-year senior Ashley Maton also finished a career-best 41st in 20:32.5. They led the Ducks to a fourth-place finish overall
How to watch: The women's 6,000 meters will be at 8:00 a.m. PT, and the men's 10,000 meters will take place at 9:00 a.m. Both can be streamed live on NCAA.com.
