After suffering injuries on both the men’s and women’s side, the Wildcats are seeking redemption at the Northwest Conference Championship meet.

The captains on the men’s side are senior Alex Mangan and junior Tyler Griffin. On the women’s side, senior Sarah Rasmussen-Rehkopf and sophomore Kaelia Neal lead the team.

The captains agree that the season has had a positive start.

“The season has been going really well so far in terms of training and our outlook,” Mangan said. “I’m really excited [to see] what the team can bring to the table when the championship season rolls around.”

“The season has had an encouraging start, it’s a new and productive team dynamic this year,” Griffin said.

The ‘Cats hosted Wartburg College and Concordia University (Ore.) at their home meet, Linfield Harrier Classic, Sept. 4 at Joe Dancer Park. The men and women’s team both fell short to Wartburg and Concordia in scoring.

Linfield then raced at the WOU Ash Creek Invitational, where the men’s team placed 10th out of 13 teams and the women placed 11th out of 12 teams.

“Although we haven’t been very satisfied with our team’s placement at either competition, the individual performances and efforts were solid,” Griffin said.

“The first two meets were hard but we learned a lot. We got to race some different distances and compete against new teams, which is nice to mix it up,” Rasmussen-Rehkopf said.

“We’re only three weeks and two races in so this is just the beginning,” she said.

The cross country team is working toward finishing higher at the Northwest Conference championship than the previous year and earning tickets to regionals down in California.

“After placing sixth on both sides last year, our goal this year is to be in the top three at our conference championships. I certainly feel we have the talent to be a top three team, we just need to stay healthy and expect to be in that position at the end of the season,” Head Coach Travis Olson said.

“This team is fully capable of competing with and topping most of the teams in the NWC,” Griffin said. “We have the elite guys needed to mix it up with the rest of the conference and also a core of eight to 10 guys that provide depth for the other scoring positions. It’s a great combination of veteran experience and young talent. All we need to do is make sure that we’re clicking on all cylinders on the day of the conference meet.”

On the women’s side, the team mainly consists of sophomores and freshmen. Lone senior Rasmussen-Rehkopf said the team already has strong runners, but needs the freshmen to add more to the team.

The biggest setback the Wildcats have faced and are still continuing to see is a number of injuries. From minor shin splints to stress fractures, the team has had its fair share of issues on both the men and women’s side last season.

“Injuries are always a setback for distance running athletes. This team is made up of guys that are extremely eager to work their butts off and improve. Sometimes we push ourselves a little too hard and pay the price,” Griffin said.

“We have to balance our training and our health as a team,” Mangan said. “It doesn’t do any good to have a super fit team in September but by November none of them can run due to injury.”

Mangan says this is the strongest team he has been a part of during his running career at Linfield.

“Our team is really focused on November and the championship season and can definitely do something special,” he said.

“The cross country team has high quality guidance and leadership from our coaching staff Travis Olson and Greg Mitchell. Under their tutelage, we are bound for great things,” Griffin said.

“Keep your eye on this team in the coming months and this spring. We’ll show you something impressive,” he said.

Next up, the Wildcats race at the Willamette Open at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3 at Bush’s Pasture Park in Salem, Ore.