P R IN T : Sports
Wednesday,0ct17,2012
Cougar men wash
down storm
Andrew Millbrooke
Sports Editor
The first rainy day of the fall
term didn’t put a damper on the
enthusiasm or the turnout as the
Clackamas men’s team swept
away the competition by convinc
ingly winning the men’s portion of
the Mike Hodges Cross Country
Invitational Friday afternoon on
CCC’s campus.
Ten teams and over 100 runners
came out on a grey, drizzly after
noon to compete on Clackamas’
brand new, flat and fast cross coun
try course. The meet is named after
a former Clackamas cross country
and track and field head coach who
built the Cougar programs into a
regional power in his time at CCC
from 1986 to 2002.
“This is the first time we’ve
run collegiately out here and we
got incredibly positive feedback
on how everything went,” said
CCC head coach Jarret Mantalas.
“Coach after coach was talking
about how nice it was and how fun
it is to have a cross country only
area.”
Although the rain came down
consistently throughout, the meet
ran smoothly and many spectators
showed up ready, in full rain gear.
“Despite the rain, it’s perfect,”
said Mantalas. “At least we didn’t
have to race in 80-degree weather
again.”
In two of the previous three
races this season they faced high
temperatures and hot sun.
The CCC men had the top five
runners in the team scoring contest,
as only three unattached entries
were able to break them up.
“As a whole, the major focus
today was to get out up front, be
aggressive and see what happens,”
said Mantalas. Clackamas did just
that, as they had six runners all
within striking distance of each
other early in die race.
“We are exactly where we need
to be as a team,” said Mantalas.
Freshman Badane Sultessa led
the men with a second place over
all finish in 21:14.25 for the four-
mile course.
“Badane finally had a breakout
as far as pushing it in the middle of
$ 7
Tony
Gil-Juarez
the race,” said Mantalas.
“I didn’t go all out early,” said
Sultessa. “I tried to catch up at the
end, but it didn’t happen.”
Unattached runner Anteneh
Woticha ran to a big early lead
and then held on for victory in
21:09.86. Sultessa and unattached
third place finisher Danny Mackey
closed the gap on Woticha during
the final mile, but were unable to
catch him.
Mantalas was very pleased with
all of the men’s performances.
“Tony Gil-Juarez had a fabulous
race, running hard from the begin
ning,” said Mantalas. Gil-Juarez
said he loved the new course and
that the rain helped the conditions.
“I put in a couple brand new
spikes, so I was able to claw
through with no slipping,” said
Gil-Juarez. “It couldn’t be more
perfect weather. The rain helped
keep it cool.”
“We were looking at it as a
workout, trying to pack it up top,”
said freshman Gil-Juarez, who was
CCC’s 2nd runner and 4th-overall
in 21:24.91.
“We came out successful and
couldn’t be happier with the way
things turned out.” Behind Gil-
Juarez, Clackamas had three run
ners fly through the line within 13
seconds of each other: Jon Obeso
(21:49.05), AustinPeila (21:58.66),
and Mark Medgin (22:02.35).
“That was the most fabulous
race I’ve seen out of Austin Peila,”
said Mantalas, adding, “Mark
Medgin moved his way through
this race incredibly.” Zach Hibbs
added some depth with a 13th
place finish in 22:27.11.
“Zach Hibbs ran incred
ibly well, a very smart race,” said
Mantalas. Chris Stash (23:26.16),
Jordan Grimes (23:34.12) and
Tyler Nizer (24:33.89) were the
final Clackamas runners across the
line.
Clackamas scored the mini
mum 15 points in winning, while
six other teams fielded complete
squads: Western Oregon (58),
Green River CC (83), Willamette
(113), SW Oregon CC (138), Mt.
H ood CC (140) and Highline CC
(164).
Oregon State University
brought its women’s team, while
Clark CC and Central Oregon CC
also brought runners.
X-Country women run
X-odus through rain
pearing around a comer o f trees
and bushes to continue along
the uneven course. The wom
Associate Sports Editor
en’s 5,000-meter race around
the cross country path began
Wet and wild was the name with some runners battling the
o f the game Friday afternoon, ' cold weather while keeping up
as Clackamas Community with the pack.
College hosted the Mike Hodges
As the race wore on, many
Invitational. Chains of runners who had been chilly, started to
strewn about the trail, appeared warm up and enjoy the run in the
to advance effortlessly through rain. “I like running in the rain,”
the deluge of mist and rain.
Said Clackamas’ Randi Chance
Onlookers and passersby as she smiled and looked up
adorned rain gear and umbrellas. toward the misty sky.
There was a playful mood in the
“I run better in the rain,” said
air, with excitement for the first Grace Viuhkola, Clackamas’ top
rain of fall and the opportunity runner. “I don’t sweat, so it’s
to run in the rain: The country- nice, the rain cools me down.”
crossers stormed the trail, taking
This year, the ladies of
on the elements and traversing Clackamas have a strong team
the terrain, in a dazzling display bond. “We had a team camp at
o f skill, willpower and stamina.
the beginning of the season that
“Runners set!” the orders really broke the ice and helped
from the megaphone declared, the team feel more like a fam
and the race literally began with ily,” said Chance.
a bang as the starter pistol was
“We have a really close-knit
fired. A stampede of athletes team this year,” said Viuhkola.
sped down the open field, disap “Everyone cheers each other
David Beasley
Grace
Viuhkola
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WEDNESDAY-W/17
• Soccer; CCC at
lane Eugene 1 pm
• NBA: Denver at
Portland, 7 p.m.
THURSDAY-W/18
• intramural
Soccer: '2 2 p m
,n
Ifte field next to Hwy. 213.
• College FB:
H tDAY -10/19 |
SATURDAY-10/20
SUNDAY-10/21
• Volleyball:
Oregon at CCC, 7
p m in Randall Gym
(Sponsor Night}
• MLS: Portland Timbers
Umpqua at CCC, 1p.m. in '
Randall Gym. (Diggih" Pink)“
at Vancouver, 4 p.m.
• Soccer: cccat
: 1 p.m. at Portland Meadows
• Flag Football
Fridays: 11:30-
Chemeketa, Salem, Noon
• NFL:
1:30p.m. in the field
next to Hwy. 213
at Oregon State, 7:30 p.m.
• College FB: Utah
yesterday and ran it faster.”
Mantalas seemed pleased with
her progress. “Randi ran almost
the same time here on a signifi
cantly harder course as she did
at the Willamette Invite,” said
Mantalas.
Joanna Feeney was CCC’s
next finisher in 28th with a time
of 22:28. Zaira Sanchez ran the
first cross country race of her
life, finishing 38th in 24:20.
“It was a little bit of a shock
er for her,” said Mantalas. “But,
she battled and fought tough.
She’s a hurdler at heart, not real
ly a true cross country runner,
but she’s starting to show it.”
Running long.distances, non
stop, for extended periods of
time, is- no small feat. Friday
was a stunning display of will
power. With excitement build
ing for this season’s upcom
ing NWAACC championships
on Nov. 10,' there’s no better
time to be paying attention to
the fantastic runners of team
Clackamas.
MONDAY-10/22
• Volleyball: SW
Oregon Ducks at ASU. in
Tempe, Arizona at 6 p.m.
Seattle at San
Francisco, 5:20 p.m.
on and it makes us a stronger
team.”
The women had to overcome
the obstacle o f having their most
successful runner, Cia Bywater,
sitting out due to a foot injury.
The girls shined in true Cougar
cross country fashion. Viuhkola
finished 12th overall with a time
of 20:58, despite battling a chest
cold.
“It was hard for us as a
team without Cia running,” said
Viuhkola. “We are looking at
this race and the next at Lane, as
good preparation for NWAACC
Championships in a month.”
“Grace has really stepped
up in the last couple weeks
and shown she can be a leader
on this team,” said head coach
Jarret Mantalas. “She battled
really hard and fought during
the race.”
Chance finished second for
Clackamas with a great time of
22 minutes even. “I thought I ,
could have run faster,” Chance
admitted. “I ran the course
'
• Horse Racing:
• NBA: Portland Trail
Blazers Fan Fest, 5 p.m.
Rose Garden
• CCC W eight
Room Hours:
downstairs in
Randall, 8:30-10
a m. and 1-6 p.m:
J TUES0AY-10/23
• CCC Weight
Room Hours:
downstairs in
Randall, f 2-8 p.m.