George Fox University Cross Country Update

Bruins Begin Building Back toward National Prominence Under New Coaches.

Photo courtesy: bc.cc.ca.us

NEWBERG - In the decade of the 1990’s and as members of the NAIA, the George Fox University men’s and women’s cross country teams developed a reputation as one of the best programs in the country.

New head coach John Smith and associate head coach Mike Hickey have made a goal of returning the Bruins to a place of renown as one of the top teams in the nation.

Smith, a former All-American decathlete at George Fox and an assistant coach at his alma mater for the last eight years, was named in the spring to replace outgoing coach Wes Cook, who retired after 19 years at the school.

One of his first moves was to hire Mike Hickey, an assistant coach at Portland State University, to guide the cross country program.

“I am grateful to Coach Smith for this opportunity, and for his trust in me to run the cross country program,” says Hickey, who will handle the day-to-day operations and coaching duties required of the job. “Both of us believe George Fox can compete on a national level again very soon.”

Women

The Bruin women are coming off 2005 finishes of fifth in the Northwest Conference and sixth in the NCAA Division III West Regional. Nine letterwinners are gone, including freshman sensation Lisa Mensonides, an All-Region performer who placed 18th but is sitting out this fall after suffering an injury late in the spring track season.

“We’ll certainly miss Lisa,” admits Hickey, “but our core of returning athletes are very strong, and they have done an excellent job of leading our younger athletes in the pre-season.”

Seven letterwinners are back for the Bruins, including five of the team’s top six finishers in the regional: All-Region performer (17th) Anna McLain (Jr., Medina, Wash. / Bellevue Christian HS), Whittney Warren (Sr., Baker City, Ore. / Baker HS), Rachel Giffey-Brohaugh (Jr., Renton, Wash. / Christian Faith HS), Bethany Adams (Jr., Portland, Ore. / Westside Christian HS), and Leighann Fischer (Sr., Molalla, Ore. / Molalla HS). Also back are Jessica Beach (Sr., Sherwood, Ore. / Sherwood HS) and Mary VanSteenburghe (So., Gold Hill, Ore. / Crater HS), while Rebecca Duby (So., Baker City, Ore. / Baker HS) rejoins the team after a year off.

“McLain is a very strong runner who made it to the NCAA Championships two years ago, and could challenge for a spot there again,” says Hickey. “Warren and Giffey-Brohaugh are veteran runners who give us great depth and will challenge for the top spot on the team, and Fischer appears stronger and ready for a successful senior season.

“I have been pleasantly surprised by Bethany Adams and Jessica Beach, who are coming off fine spring track seasons; they appear much improved and ready to solidify our lineup. Duby is making great progress after missing last year and could be a pleasant surprise.”

Newcomers expected by Hickey to make the biggest impact are Elizabeth Littlefield (Fr., Rockaway Beach, Ore. / Neah-Kah-Nie HS) and Bethany Strutz (Fr., Billings, Mont. / Billings HS), the latter a cousin of George Fox men’s basketball player Brady Strutz. “They are going to be significant contributors to our program,” predicts Hickey, “and will push our returning runners to even higher heights.”

Also available to the team are newcomers Chelsea Coker (Fr., Medford, Ore. / South Medford HS), Bethany Friesen (Fr., Poulsbo, Wash. / North Kitsap HS), Rebekah Guenther (Fr., Portland, Ore. / Clackamas HS), and Tiffany Shrum (Fr., Vancouver, Wash. / Columbia River HS).

“I’m always nervous about making predictions at the beginning of a season, especially since I’m so new to the program,” admits Hickey, “but I think we have the potential to have a very strong team, maybe even a threat to the top teams in the region. We have a good mix and balance of strong long-distance and mid-distance runners. This group is extremely excited about competing and they are all training well.”

Men

The George Fox men placed sixth in the Northwest Conference and 11th in the West Region in 2005, and welcome back eight of 11 letterwinners in an effort to improve their showings this fall. Five of the top six Bruins in the regional race return.

Jake Moe (Sr., Anchorage, Alaska / Anchorage Christian HS), who finished first in every George Fox race last season save one and was 22nd in the region, is expected to be the Bruins’ top runner again in his final season. His primary challenge at the top could come from either Grant Finney (Jr., Tigard, Ore. / Southridge HS), who took a medical hardship last year, or David Delmore (Sr., Philomath, Ore. / Philomath HS), another athlete primed for a fine senior season.

Other regional participants who return are Eric Henderson (So., Terrebonne, Ore. / Redmond HS), Adam Gray (Jr., Coos Bay, Ore. / Marshfield HS), and Justin Wiens (So., Billings, Mont. / Skyview HS). Adam Haldorson (So., Creswell, Ore. / Springfield HS) and Jeff Friesen (Sr., Lake Oswego, Ore. / Westside Christian HS) round out the list of returning letterwinners.

“Moe, Finney, and Delmore appear to be our leaders,” notes Hickey, “although a couple of freshmen are definitely making their mark.” The new coach is especially high on Paul Rapet (Fr., Medford, Ore. / South Medford HS) and Jordan Ware (Fr., Boise, Idaho / Centennial HS), pointing out that “they came here in very good shape and had good summers training.”

Another rookie, Cameron Eberhart (Fr., Albany, Ore. / West Albany HS), was “a highly-recruited athlete and Nike Border Clash participant,” says Hickey, “and could have a big impact on our program before he’s through.” Rounding out the squad are Paul DeMoss (Fr., Gig Harbor, Wash. / Peninsula HS) and John Sullivan (Fr., Winthrop, Wash. / Liberty Bell HS).

“The top three returners appear to be ready for racing,” says Hickey, “but there are several spots up for grabs and the competition for them will be great.”

The Bruins opened the 2006 season on Sept. 8th, in the University of Portland Invitational at Pier Park. Their next event is the Sundodger Invitational, hosted by the University of Washington, at Lincoln Park in Seattle. The women’s 6K Open is at 9:00 AM, followed by the men’s 8K Open at 9:40 a.m.

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