Ducks will be visible this year.Byline: Curtis Anderson The Register-Guard SPRINGFIELD - Just follow the Oregon Trail Oregon Trail, overland emigrant route in the United States from the Missouri River to the Columbia River country (all of which was then called Oregon). The pioneers by wagon train did not, however, follow any single narrow route. . If UO cross country fans heed that advice this fall, not only will they witness the continued growth of one of the top programs in the country, they will also see three of the best meets in the nation. The first stop is the second annual Bill Dellinger Invitational at Springfield Country Club on Saturday. Don't worry. The women's 6,000-meter race is scheduled to begin at 9:15 a.m., followed by the men's 8,000-meter competition at 10 a.m. That leaves plenty of time to get to Autzen Stadium The stadium is tucked between the Willamette River and Coburg Hills. The uniquely shaped bowl blends in with the wooded Eugene landscape. The shape also allows for unique acoustics, making it one of the loudest stadiums in NCAA Football for its capacity. before the Duck football team's 12:30 p.m. kickoff against California. The Dellinger meet will be held on a flat, fast and spectator-friendly loop laid out over five holes on the back nine of the golf course. It features 30 collegiate men's and women's teams from coast to coast. The other two local cross country meets this fall are the Pac-10 Championships at Trysting Tree Origins of the name A 'Tryst' is a time and a place for a meeting, especially of lovers. In Old French the word meant an appointed station in hunting. A Trysting day, is an arranged day of meeting or assembling, as of soldiers, friends, lovers and the like. Golf Course in Corvallis on Oct. 27, followed by the NCAA NCAA abbr. National Collegiate Athletic Association West Regional at Springfield Country Club on Nov. 10. `One of the things on my to-do list when I first got to Oregon was to have major meets at home,' UO director of track and field Vin Lananna said. `What's the sense of having a good cross country team, if nobody ever gets to see them?' Good question. The Dellinger meet certainly fits the bill. In the men's 15-team field, the fourth-ranked Ducks are one of eight schools ranked in the preseason top 30, along with top-ranked Wisconsin, UTEP UTEP University of Texas at El Paso UTEP Urban, Technological & Environmental Planning (No. 7), Portland (No. 14), Alabama (No. 17), UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX (No. 22), Cal Poly Cal Poly may refer to:
The other teams are Colorado State, Duke, Georgia, Marquette, New Mexico New Mexico, state in the SW United States. At its northwestern corner are the so-called Four Corners, where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah meet at right angles; New Mexico is also bordered by Oklahoma (NE), Texas (E, S), and Mexico (S). , Ohio State and Utah State. `I feel good about where the men are,' Lananna said. `We have good balance, good leaders and good team chemistry. Are we an NCAA-contending team this year? I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. . It's too early to tell, but I like our chances to be on the trophy stand.' On the women's side, the 15 teams include defending meet champion Arkansas (No. 4), Georgia (No. 13), Colorado State (No. 18), Washington (No. 19), BYU BYU Brigham Young University BYU Bayou BYU Bob's Your Uncle BYU Bayreuth, Germany - Bindlacher Berg (Airport Code) BYU Beyond Your Understanding (No. 23) and the host Ducks (No. 24). Rounding out the field are Marquette, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon State, Portland, UCLA, Utah State, UTEP and Wake Forest. `For the women, our goal is to get to the NCAAs,' Lananna said. `And that will be a challenge, with two of the top teams in the country in our region (Stanford and Arizona State). But just like the men, I feel good about the athletes we have and their attitude, so I like our chances.' Last year's inaugural Dellinger meet was held on Pre's Trail at Alton Baker Park Alton Baker Park is located in Eugene, Oregon, United States, near Autzen Stadium. It features duck ponds, bicycle trails, and a dog park, and directly touches the Ferry Street Bridge. , but when Lananna decided to bid for the West Regionals, he knew the Ducks would have to find an alternative site that could accomodate more runners. `We couldn't hold the regional meet at Pre's Trail because the course was too narrow,' Lananna said. `It just wasn't wide enough. If you're going to host it, you need a course that will work, especially when you have teams trying to get to the NCAAs, you have to have a fair course.' Saturday's meet, of course, is named after Dellinger, who was a Springfield Country Club member for several years. The native of Springfield was a two-time NCAA champion for the Ducks, and a three-time Olympian in the 5,000, capturing the bronze medal at the 1964 Rome Olympics, before embarking on his legendary career as men's track and field and cross country coach at the University of Oregon The University of Oregon is a public university located in Eugene, Oregon. The university was founded in 1876, graduating its first class two years later. The University of Oregon is one of 60 members of the Association of American Universities. . Under Dellinger's guidance from 1968 to 1998, the UO men's cross country team collected four NCAA titles, a dozen top-three NCAA finishes, four regional crowns, and 13 conference championships. `When we told him (Dellinger) where the meet was going to be, his eyes lit up. He was really thrilled about that,' said Jim Eckman, who acted as a liaison between the Springfield Country Club and University of Oregon. `It's going to be a spectacular setting. Everything that we asked for, the club's board has given us.' There will be free parking at the Springfield Country Club for those planning to attend the meet. Just follow the signs and directions of on-site parking attendants as you exit Marcola Road onto Sunderman Road. Refreshments such as coffee, juice and rolls will be served from golf carts during the meet. |
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