Thursday, September 6
Eugene, OR
6:00 PM
University of Oregon
vs
Oregon XC Preview
Photo by: @EricEvansPhoto
West, Ejore Defend Home Turf at Oregon XC Preview
09/06/18 | Cross Country
EUGENE, Ore. – The Men of Oregon were supposed to run as a pack and finish in unison at Thursday's season-opening Oregon XC Preview.
But when Portland's Stuart McCallum made a break for the lead down the homestretch, Oregon's James West and Jackson Mestler had other plans. The two Ducks out-sprinted McCallum to the finish line for a 1-2 finish that led the Ducks to the team title, 19-36 over Portland.
"I was very pleased to be honest with the win obviously," said West, a senior from Kent, England. "The plan was to stay as a five, and finish the line as a five. But the Portland guy made it a little awkward. Wasn't sure if I should go for the win or sit back. Glad I went for the win, that's why we're here and what we're supposed to do."
Meanwhile, middle distance specialist Susan Ejore had a breakout race for the Women of Oregon, winning individual medalist honors by nearly :30.
How It Happened – Men: West covered the 7,000-meter Pre's Trail course in 21:49.25, with Mestler on his heels in 21:50.31. McCallum was third in 21:51.03.
Oregon had four scoring runners in the top six. In addition to West and Mestler, the Ducks had Blake Haney fourth in 21:59.88 and Levi Thomet sixth in 22:03.27. Oregon also counted Jack Yearian's ninth-place finish in 22:07.47 for a comfortable win.
How It Happened – Women: Ejore, a senior from Kenya who ran mainly at 800 meters on the track, was well ahead of the field by the midway point of the 5,000-meter race and won in 16:09.54. Junior Amanda Gehrich was also impressive in her Oregon debut with a second-place finish in 16:39.43.
Portland then grabbed the five of the next six spots to edge the Ducks by a point in the team standings, 28-29.
Three of Oregon's five scorers were freshmen. The Ducks counted Taylor Chiotti fifth in 17:13.76, Melissa Berry ninth in 17:32.97 and Caramia Mestler 12th in 17:42.41.
What It Means: With the 2018 season is officially underway, the teams will now head to Sunriver, Ore., for two weeks of training prior to the Bill Dellinger Invitational.
Quotable:
Head coach Robert Johnson
"Overall, this was a chance for us to see what our personnel is going to be like this year….But good run for everyone; a lot of newcomers and new faces, and just good overall hard effort considering the kids just got here on Monday."
Women's 5K winner Susan Ejore, Oregon
"I thought the first mile went really well. I felt really good about the second lap and just went for it. I was looking behind and was aware of the lead and how I was doing."
Notable: The Ducks had three runners competing unattached - Cooper Teare, Charlie Hunter and Reed Brown. Teare finished fifth in 21:59.89, Hunter was seventh in 22:04.04 and Brown was 11th in 22:14.79 … Siblings Jackson and Caramia Metzler ran for Oregon for the first time in the same meet. Jackson is a redshirt sophomore on the men's team, while Caramia is a freshman on the women's team. Both attended Eugene's Sheldon High School.
Up Next: Oregon will host the annual Bill Dellinger Invitational Sept. 21 at Springfield Country Club.
- www.GoDucks.com -
But when Portland's Stuart McCallum made a break for the lead down the homestretch, Oregon's James West and Jackson Mestler had other plans. The two Ducks out-sprinted McCallum to the finish line for a 1-2 finish that led the Ducks to the team title, 19-36 over Portland.
"I was very pleased to be honest with the win obviously," said West, a senior from Kent, England. "The plan was to stay as a five, and finish the line as a five. But the Portland guy made it a little awkward. Wasn't sure if I should go for the win or sit back. Glad I went for the win, that's why we're here and what we're supposed to do."
Meanwhile, middle distance specialist Susan Ejore had a breakout race for the Women of Oregon, winning individual medalist honors by nearly :30.
How It Happened – Men: West covered the 7,000-meter Pre's Trail course in 21:49.25, with Mestler on his heels in 21:50.31. McCallum was third in 21:51.03.
Oregon had four scoring runners in the top six. In addition to West and Mestler, the Ducks had Blake Haney fourth in 21:59.88 and Levi Thomet sixth in 22:03.27. Oregon also counted Jack Yearian's ninth-place finish in 22:07.47 for a comfortable win.
How It Happened – Women: Ejore, a senior from Kenya who ran mainly at 800 meters on the track, was well ahead of the field by the midway point of the 5,000-meter race and won in 16:09.54. Junior Amanda Gehrich was also impressive in her Oregon debut with a second-place finish in 16:39.43.
Portland then grabbed the five of the next six spots to edge the Ducks by a point in the team standings, 28-29.
Three of Oregon's five scorers were freshmen. The Ducks counted Taylor Chiotti fifth in 17:13.76, Melissa Berry ninth in 17:32.97 and Caramia Mestler 12th in 17:42.41.
What It Means: With the 2018 season is officially underway, the teams will now head to Sunriver, Ore., for two weeks of training prior to the Bill Dellinger Invitational.
Quotable:
Head coach Robert Johnson
"Overall, this was a chance for us to see what our personnel is going to be like this year….But good run for everyone; a lot of newcomers and new faces, and just good overall hard effort considering the kids just got here on Monday."
Women's 5K winner Susan Ejore, Oregon
"I thought the first mile went really well. I felt really good about the second lap and just went for it. I was looking behind and was aware of the lead and how I was doing."
Notable: The Ducks had three runners competing unattached - Cooper Teare, Charlie Hunter and Reed Brown. Teare finished fifth in 21:59.89, Hunter was seventh in 22:04.04 and Brown was 11th in 22:14.79 … Siblings Jackson and Caramia Metzler ran for Oregon for the first time in the same meet. Jackson is a redshirt sophomore on the men's team, while Caramia is a freshman on the women's team. Both attended Eugene's Sheldon High School.
Up Next: Oregon will host the annual Bill Dellinger Invitational Sept. 21 at Springfield Country Club.
- www.GoDucks.com -
Players Mentioned
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