THE C L A C K A M A S P R IN T
|
OCT. 22, 2014
| V O L . 48 ISSU E 2
Cougaishuntforacha^
by Blake Thomason
t’s not quite midterms yet, but the Clack
amas Cougars cross country team is al
ready getting its first real test of the sea
son.
This Saturday, O ct 25, the Cougars will
be hosting the NWAC Southern Region
Championships on campus. The women’s
team starts at 11 a.m. and the men start
at noon. The women’s team has been trending upwards
and coach Drew Wausmund expects the development
to continue.
“Our females have done a tremendous job from the
start to where we are now,” Wausmund said. “My guess
is if we were to run Southern regionals week one, we’d
be last. It’s not even close. But I expect us to surprise
some people. I don’t think there’s any reason we can’t
be top three.”
Freshman Jocelyn Barber has been the No. 1 runner for
the women’s team this year, but sophomore Kennedy
Rufener is a wildcard for the team. Rufener ran track
It’s kind of the time of year I’m expecting them to get
after it.”
last year but decided to try cross country.
“Kennedy, who missed the first few races of the year
coming off an injury in the summer, has shown some
serious grit,” Wausmund said. “There’s really no telling
what she’s going to be able to do these last couple of
races.”
Rufener made a modest prediction of placing some
where in the 20s. However, she expected more from the
team as a whole.
“We’re finally going to have everyone,” Rufener said. “I
think being in the Southern Regional Championships
will help push everyone and we’ll have a good out
come.”
On the men’s side, Wausmund and sophomore cap
tain Pake Benthin expect the team to pick it up in the
Southern Region Championships.
“Alan [Ekanger] and Pake Benthin have been solid,”
Wausmund said. “But I’m still sort of waiting for them.
Benthin shared his coach’s sentiments.
“We’ve done good; we’re expecting to do really good,”
Benthin said. “I’d really like to be top five.”
Wausmund admitted winning the event won’t be easy,
but it’s possible.
“I think on the men’s side it’s going to be a five or six
point difference between us and Lane Community Col
lege,” Wausmund said. “I think the guys can win but it’s
going to come down to them making a conscious deci
sion to really start hurting with 3-4 [kilometers] to go.”
According to Benthin, the men’s team will make that
conscious decision.
“We really want to win the Southern Region Champi
onships and then carry the momentum forward,” Ben
thin said.
SIE h KBI
Photo by Liz Gomes
The womens cross country team practices fo r Saturdays regional championships.
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