News

Minor Punches Ticket to NAIA National Cross Country Championship

11.05.2011

Oregon Tech's Scott Minor.

ASHLAND, Ore. – Oregon Tech sophomore, Scott Minor, earned a berth to the NAIA national cross country championship after placing 13^th at today’s Cascade Collegiate Conference cross country race hosted by Southern Oregon University at Oak Knoll Golf Course in Ashland.

The men, coming into the CCC championship, were rated 9^th out of nine complete teams in the last conference poll. The men stepped up big, finishing 6^th overall, to prove they are a quality team in a very tough conference where the Top-4 teams in the CCC are currently ranked in the NAIA Top-30.

Minor paced the Owl men to a 6^th place team finish after crossing the line in the 8K race in 26:20.23. College of Idaho’s Greg Montgomery took home top-honors with a time of 25:06.82. Gaining points for the Owl men were Kirby Garlitz (27:29.00), James Hull (27:55.43), Corbyn Jahn (28:33.07) and Gerald Davis (29:23.03).

Jahn, running on the same course in September, improved his time by two minutes and 30 seconds, while Garlitz was two minutes faster. Davis improved his time by a minute and Hull cut 42 seconds off his previous best at the Oak Knoll course.

The Tech women also improved over the course of the season where the Owls were rated 10^th out of 10 in the latest CCC poll. OIT finished 8^th overall where the Top-6 teams on the women’s side have been consistently rated in the NAIA Top-30 this year.

For the Tech women, Ashley Baldovino ran her best race of the season on her way to a 20^th place overall finish with a time of 19:30.22. Eastern Oregon’s Karlee Coffey was the individual champion in the 5K with a time of 18:10.71. Tech’s Jessica Bath timed in at 20:20.68, while other Owls with points were Katie Waugh (20:35.45), Lauren Renie (20:43.54) and Mary Matchett (21:08.97).

Bath, in her first year of cross country competition, improved her time at Oak Knoll by one minute, while Renie improved her time by 30 seconds.

“After the late start that the team got off to this fall, we had a short but very successful season”, said Head Coach Jack Kegg. I am very proud of this group of athletes and extremely excited for the future.”

Kegg and Minor will travel to the NAIA National Championships in two weeks where the meet will be held in Fort Vancouver, Wash. on November 19^th.

Women's Results

Men's Results