Club coach to speak at event.

Byline: The Register-Guard

REGIONAL ROUNDUP

Veteran running coach Frank Gagliano and a few members of Eugene's new post-collegiate club of middle distance and distance runners will appear at the Eugene Running Company at 7 p.m. Monday. The event is free to the public.

The 69-year-old Gagliano spent the past six years as coach of the Nike Farm Team based in Palo Alto, Calif. He previously served as head track and field coach at Georgetown University for 18 seasons.

The Nike-sponsored Eugene running club is affiliated with the Oregon Track Club. Gagliano was asked to assume the reins of the team this past summer by UO director of track and field Vin Lananna.

In 2004, 32 athletes from the Nike Farm Team qualified for the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials under the guidance of Gagliano, who has twice been named NCAA coach of the year and has coached nine Olympic athletes.

`I'm thrilled to embark on this exciting opportunity to continue working with some of the sport's top athletes,' Gagliano said. `Eugene is an ideal location for high-level training, and I look forward to seeing the benefits of this new team for our athletes and the sport of track and field.'

UO men's track and field class gets acclaim

The Oregon men's track and field recruiting class for the 2006-07 season was ranked third in the nation, according to the December issue of Track and Field News magazine.

Most of the top recruits were distance runners, led by A.J. Acosta (Oceanside, Calif.), the Foot Locker national cross country champion and U.S. junior champion in the 1,500 meters.

A few of the other talented newcomers include twin brothers Diego and Daniel Mercado (West Covina, Calif.); Kenny Klotz (Portland's Central Catholic); Isaac Stoutenburgh (Crater High in Central Point); Ryan Waite (St. Helens) and Justin Harbor (Bunnell, Fla.).

The UO women's recruiting class was ranked eighth. The top recruits include distance runners Nicole Blood (Simi Valley, Calif.), Bria Wetsch (Chaska, Minn.) and Keara Sammons (Centennial, Colo.).

Masterson, Sherman will run at regional meet

Sheldon's Casey Masterson and McKenzie's David Sherman are both scheduled to compete in the Foot Locker West Regional cross country championships in Walnut, Calif., on Saturday.

Masterson recently won the OSAA Class 6A girls cross country title with a time of 18 minutes, 25 seconds at Lane Community College. Sherman was the 3A/2A/1A boys state champion at 16:26 despite falling less than 10 meters from the finish line.

The top eight finishers in the boys and girls 5,000-meter races at the West Regional meet qualify for the Foot Locker national championships to be held Dec. 9 at Balboa Park in San Diego.

There are 154 girls and 219 boys entered at regionals.

NCC's Gray earns player

of the week accolade

Northwest Christian sophomore Emily Gray was named U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association basketball player of the week after guiding the Beacons to two victories.

Gray, a 6-foot center from Willamette High, averaged 11.5 points and five rebounds in victories over Warner Pacific and William Jessup last week. NCC (7-4) has won three straight.

Beavers add fresh arms

to baseball roster

CORVALLIS - Oregon State has completed this fall's baseball recruiting class with the addition of two right-handed pitchers.

Kevin Hammon, of Rocklin, Calif., and Isaac Oakley, of Cambridge, Mass., bring to 16 the number of players signed by the defending NCAA champion Beavers.

Hammon was an all-conference choice at Sierra Junior College with a 12-4 record last year and a 3.41 earned-run average. Oakley was an All-Greater Boston first-team pick the past two prep seasons.