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Bulldogs Preparing For WCC Cross Country Championship
Oct. 31, 2008
SPOKANE, Wash. - Gonzaga University first-year head cross country coach Pat Tyson might have a little different definition of what defines victory. "If we finish fifth we win," Tyson said as his Bulldogs put final preparations on training for Saturday's West Coast Conference Cross Country Championships at Crystal Springs Cross Country Course in Belmont, Calif. The prognosticators, i.e. coaches, picked the Bulldogs to finish sixth in both the men's and women's races. But Tyson said if his teams beat the prognostications they, in a sense, are the winners. "Our chances of beating the odds are good," Tyson said. "The men's race is for second behind Portland, and Portland should also be favored on the women's side although not by such a great margin." The University of Portland men have won every WCC Cross Country Championship since 1979, a string of 29 straight. The Pilots finished second each of the two seasons prior to their current streak. Gonzaga, which has been runner-up to the Pilots 11 times, last finished second in 2004. The Pilot women have won six straight, 11 of 12 and 15 of the last 17. Gonzaga broke through in 1995 with its lone team title and Santa Clara University interrupted the streak in 2001. Portland has won 18 women's titles since the championship was instituted in 1985. The Bulldog men enter the weekend a little banged up. Colby Litzenberger, Brett Withers, Matt Mach and Chris Boyle aren't at full strength, according to Tyson. Matt Bejar, Ian Berge and Tony Karafiat round out the Bulldog lineup.
Litzenberger, the lone senior, the junior Withers and sophomores Bejar, Berge and Karafiat all ran in this meet a year ago as the Bulldogs finished seventh. "We have some good experience and two rookies. Mach has great talent and Boyle just floats and glides," Tyson said of his two WCC first-timers. "Although we are a little banged up I still think we'll be strong enough to beat the predictions." Boyle is a freshman, Mach a junior in his first Gonzaga season of cross country after transferring from Regis University in Denver. Tyson takes an extremely young, and somewhat inexperienced, women's team into battle. Junior Molly Funk and sophomores Laura Volcheff and Brittany O'Regan - all three WCC veterans from a year ago - are the experience factor. They'll be joined by sophomores Jenne Dilts, Corrina O'Brien and Madeleine Ginaotti, the latter a late addition after freshman Elizabeth Slamkowski was scratched Thursday with a leg injury that could be the pre-cursor to a stress fracture. Freshman Lindsey Drake rounds out the squad. Lili Hansen, the most experienced Bulldog on the women's side, is sidelined with a stress fracture and her Gonzaga career is likely over. The redshirt junior will graduate in May and probably will not return for her final year of eligibility. Tyson said Volcheff is "getting better all the time" and O'Brien has "shown steady improvement this season." Dilts, who took last season off while participating in Gonzaga's study abroad program, "has that lingering, not give up attitude," Tyson said. "Drake came into camp injured out of high school and has worked her way into shape and has the look of a good Division I runner." Tyson said one of his main recruiting priorities will be depth. "We've taken our seven best runners on both sides. We're limping a little and we don't yet have the depth," Tyson said. "We'll give it our best based on our talent." Gonzaga is vying for a spot in the NCAA West Regional in two weeks hosted by Stanford University. Any Bulldogs to finish in the top 10 of the WCC Championship will compete in the regional. If the Bulldogs finish in the top two as a team in the WCC Championship the team will be entered in the regional field. GETTING TO CRYSTAL SPRINGS CROSS COUNTRY COURSE: The Crystal Springs course is not to be confused with Crystal Springs Golf Course as they are two different venues. From Highway 101 From Highway 280 |
