Oregon's Klotz Finishes Second in USA Jr. XC Finale

Photo: goducks.com

BOULDER, Colo. - University of Oregon freshman Kenny Klotz claimed runner-up honors Saturday in the USA Cross Country Championships junior race, and earned a spot on the U.S. team for the upcoming 35th World Cross Country Championships, in Mobasa, Kenya (3/24).

The Portland, Ore., native ran 26:18 in the 8,000m race held Saturday at the Flatirons Golf Course, and was only 11 seconds behind event champion Elliot Heath (26:07).

Fellow Duck freshman Isaac Stoutenburgh also finished top-15 Saturday in the junior men’s race (14th, 26:51).

Both harriers also appeared in the U.S. junior finale last season and finished 15th and eighth, respectively.

Last fall for UO, the duo competed in various postseason events and combined for six, top-eight finishes for the Pac-10 and West Regional champion squad that also tied for fifth in the NCAA Championships.

Fellow freshman A.J. Acosta also raced Saturday but did not finish the junior men’s race.

On the women’s side, freshman Bria Wetsch claimed 18th in the 6,000m junior race (23:19), while prep runner Jordan Hasay won (21:44) by 14 seconds over Bona Jones of N.C. State (second, 21:58).

The Chaska, Minn., native Wetsch made her third appearance in the race after she finished top-10 in 2006 (eighth) and ’05 (10th).

In Saturday’s men’s senior race, Alan Culpepper of Nike won the 12,000m contest (37:09) by 26 seconds over Nike’s Adam Goucher (second, 37:35) and Dathan Ritzenhein (37:47) and Reebok’s Jorge Torres (fourth, 38:07).

Former Duck Jason Hartmann also competed Saturday and finished 15th (38:46).

On the women’s side in the senior race, Olympian and Asics runner Deena Kastor edged the field in the 8,000m event (26:47) by over a minute, and was followed by Shalane Flanagan of Nike (second, 27:48), Kara Goucher of Nike (third, 28:01) and Lauren Fleshman (fourth, 28:26).

Complete meet results are located at www.usatf.org.

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