Dellinger Invitational Set for Friday at Springfield GC

EUGENE, Ore. – The Oregon cross country teams will be back in action this Friday in the annual Bill Dellinger Invitational at Springfield Golf Club. After busting off the rust at the Oregon XC Preview on Sept. 6 and going through two weeks of training since in Sunriver, Ore., the Ducks will run at home for the final time this season as they continue gear up towards postseason competition. The women's 6,000 meter race will start at 10:30 a.m. and the men's 8,000 meter run will go off at 11:15 a.m.

Competing Teams: The 2018 Bill Dellinger Invitational will feature Oregon, Portland, UC Davis, Seattle U., and Nevada (women only).

Tickets and Parking: The Bill Dellinger Invitational is free to the public. Fans are asked to park at the Willamette Leadership Academy (Mohwawk School) and take a shuttle bus to the main clubhouse at the Springfield Golf Club, where spectators can then walk to the start/finish line area. Shuttles will run continuously starting at 9 a.m. PT.

How to Follow: Live results will be posted on rtspt.com. Updates will also be provided during the meet on Twitter via @OregonTF and @Run4Ducks. Results will be available on GoDucks.com following the meet.

Entries - Women of Oregon: Melissa Berry, Phily Bowden, Isabelle Brauer, Carmela Cardama Baez, Taylor Chiotti, Susan Ejore, Amanda Gehrich, Jessica Hull, Rennie Kendrick, Caramia Mestler, Weronika Pyzik.

Entries - Men of Oregon: Seth Berdahl, Blake Haney, Jackson Mestler, Levi Thomet, James West, Jack Yearian.

Entries - Women's Unattached: Claudia Burgess.

Entries - Men's Unattached: Reed Brown, Charlie Hunter, Austin Tamagno, Cooper Teare.

Bill Dellinger: The Bill Dellinger Invitational is named for legendary University of Oregon men's track and field coach Bill Dellinger. The Springfield, Ore., native and two-time NCAA champion for the Ducks was a three-time Olympian, the 1964 Olympic bronze medalist at 5,000 meters, and holder of two world indoor and six American records. In cross country, he took pride in the fact that he never lost a race as a high school, college or post-collegiate athlete. As the Oregon men's cross country head coach from 1968-1998, Dellinger guided the Ducks to four NCAA team titles and 12 top-three NCAA finishes. Athletes under his mentorship received 45 cross country All-America honors. His squads also stockpiled 13 conference and four district team victories, and Duck individuals scored eight Pac-8/10 championships and six regional crowns.

West, Ejore Claim Wins in Opener: The Men and Women of Oregon busted off the rust on Sept. 6 in the Oregon XC Preview on Pre's Trail, with seniors James West and Susan Ejore defending their home turf with victories. West won the men's 7K and led a 1-2 UO finish with Jackson Mestler in 21:49.25, and Ejore dominated the women's 5K race in 16:09.54. Amanda Gehrich was second in 16:39.43 for another 1-2 Duck finish. Ejore was named the NCAA DI women's cross country athlete of the week by the USTFCCCA after her win, becoming the first UO woman ever to claim national athlete of the week honors for cross country.

Rankings: Oregon is ranked fourth in the latest USTFCCCA women's poll and eighth in the men's poll. Portland is No. 3 in the men's poll.

Meet the New Coaches: The Oregon cross country and distance program is under new leadership in 2018-19 after head coach Robert Johnson hired associate head coaches Helen Lehman-Winters and Ben Thomas over the summer. Lehman-Winters comes to Oregon after spending the last 15 seasons as the head coach at San Francisco. Thomas joined the Oregon staff after spending the last 17 seasons as head cross country and distance coach at Virginia Tech.

Up Next: The Men and Women of Oregon will get a look at the NCAA Championships course on October 13 at the Pre-Nationals Invitational in Madison, Wisc.