Greg Larson

For the Review

It has been an exhilarating week for the cross country program. With the help of local coordinators from McMinnville Parks and Recreation staff and set-up aid from the Linfield’s women’s basketball squad, the Wildcats hosted a home meet against Western Oregon University on Sept. 26.

The event’s small numbers allowed the runners to develop an air of comfort on the course.  The ’Cats led the way, with the men sweeping the podium with junior Shawn Fisher, freshman Scott Gage, and junior Chris McIsaac.

Linfield was able to enter a healthy team of nine. After getting over some injuries, the team was coming together.

Juniors Marci Klimek and Frances Corcorran took the top two spots on the women’s side.

Fisher and Klimek earned the Northwest Conference Student Athlete of the Week awards. Fisher said though this was a small meet, he feels honored to receive the award.

Linfield had a strong showing in its home meet, winning both the men’s and women’s events.

The men’s team finished with an average time of 27 minutes, 51.81 seconds on the 8k course, and Fisher set the course record with a time of 26:39.44.

The women also sailed to victory, boasting an average time of 24:30.18. All in all, this small home event allowed the runners on both sides to taste victory and feel that they belong at the front of the pack.

The Wildcats look forward to the Willamette Open on Oct. 4. This is the biggest college cross country event west of the Mississippi River. Because of the event’s participation size, there will be high levels of competition.

“This course is very fast,”  head coach Garry Killgore said. “It will be a good mid-season gauge.”

The Willamette course is also the same course the team will race for regionals, so it will be an opportunity for the team to familiarize itself with the course.

These two back-to-back events, although polar opposites, bring a wide range of experience to the Wildcats and help prepare them for the big races such as the NWC Championships on Nov. 1.