November 16, 2013
Noe, Greider Earn All-Region Honors

CLAREMONT, Calif. – A veteran-laden team carried the Linfield women to a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Division III West Regional Championships, matching the squad's performance from a season ago. Over on the men's side, the Wildcats took 14th overall Saturday morning at Pomona-Pitzer College.

Placing in the Top 35 in the women's 6,000-meter competition, Siena Noe and Hannah Greider capped off their collegiate cross country careers with a pair of all-region performances. Noe, who was 20th as the No. 1 Linfield finisher, clocked in at 23 minutes, 8.83 seconds. Greider was seven positions back in 23:17.22.

Siena Noe battles with the leaders at the 2013 West Regional Championships.

“Siena and Hannah had great races,” said head coach Travis Olson. “I am very proud they were able to be all-region as seniors.”

Four of Linfield's five scoring runners registered career-best efforts at the regional championship meet, including Katie Skinner and Claire Hann. Skinner took 40th (23:37.72) and was followed closely behind by Brooke Niemann who was 47th overall (23:49.25). Hann took 58th with a time of 24 minutes, 3.36 seconds.

Seniors Hannah Greider and Siena Noe celebrate their All-Region status.

Freshman Michael O’Neil paced the Wildcat men, whose regional squad included three underclassmen. O'Neil was 39th overall, just missing out on all-region recognition accorded to the top 35 finishers. He completed the 8,000-meter course in 26 minutes, 35.02 seconds.

Linfield, which has battled injury through much of the year, placed 14th in the team standings, including sixth among conference programs. “We gave it everything we had,” Olson said. “They have been a little beat up so it was a little frustrating for them, as we all know we were a better team than how we finished.”

Alex Mangan circled the three loops in 26:39.62 to place 41st, 25 positions better than how he finished as a freshman last year. Linfield's No. 1 runner before suffering an injury weeks before the conference championships, Joe Gladow placed third for the Wildcats and 66th overall (27:08.95).

Adrian Clifford and Calvin Howell rounded out the scoring for Linfield, finishing 77th and 98th overall, respectively. Clifford clocked in at 27 minutes, 24.80 seconds while Howell came in at 28 minutes, 2.16 seconds.

The Wildcats blast from the line along with the rest of the men's field.

Only the top two teams plus the top seven individuals not affiliated with those two teams automatically qualify for the national championship meet so the season is over for the Wildcats. Olson, however, expressed zero disappointment over his team's effort in its final competition of the season. “I really have nothing negative to say about how everyone competed,” Olson said. “We stuck our noses in it so I was very pleased.”

November 9, 2013
"I'm a Linfield Wildcat" Video Debuts

Linfield harrier and resident rapper, Calvin Howell, had his music video debut at halftime of the Linfield vs. UPS football game on November 9. The video was played on the scoreboard replay screen. In addition to the sweet rhymes of "Cal Hal," the video features footage of the cross country team, volleyball, softball team, baseball team, football team, swimming team, golf team, and soccer team. Dr. Hellie, president of Linfield College, even makes a cameo appearance. I think you'll agree: it's dope.

Cal Hal on the big screen.

Check out the video here: I'm a Linfield Wildcat

November 2, 2013
'Cats Race Well at NWC Championships

SPOKANE, Wash. – Five individual top-20 finishes highlighted Linfield's trip to the 2013 Northwest Conference Championships, contested on a dreary Saturday morning at the Downriver Golf Course.

The Wildcats finished fourth on the women’s side and fifth on the men's side. The women matched their performance from a season ago and the men improved by one position in the team standings. “We had some great showings by athletes on both teams,” stated associate head coach Greg Mitchell. “We just needed a couple of more athletes to step up to get us onto the podium. It was a pretty good day, but we just needed a great day from everyone to contend for the top spots.”

The Lady Wildcats huddle up at the start of the NWC Championships.

On the women's side, veterans Hannah Greider, Siena Noe and Katie Skinner posted top-20 finishes to lead the Wildcats to a second consecutive top-four team finish. All enjoyed career-best showings in the individual standings: Greider was 11th in 23:00.58, Noe took 13th in 23:03.32 and Skinner placed 16th in 23:12.14. As two of the top 14 competitors, Greider and Noe received second team all-conference honors.

Brooke Niemann and Madison Trowbridge finished among the first 35 runners to complete the six-kilometer course. Niemann clocked in at 23:39.16 to take 29th while Trowbridge was 35th with a time of 23 minutes, 44.84 seconds. As a team, the Wildcats totaled 104 points, just three points behind third-place Whitman.

Hannah Greider, Siena Noe, Marisa Kume and Katie Skinner battle in the lead pack.

Michael O’Neil and Alex Mangan paced Linfield in the second race of the day, taking 11th and 14th overall. O'Neil clocked in at 25:45.16 for his first career championship event, while Mangan completed the eight-kilometer course in 25 minutes, 49.21 seconds. Both were accorded second team all-conference honors.

Linfield's No. 3 runner, Calvin Howell was the 22nd competitor to cross the finish line after 26 minutes, 12.26 seconds. Struggling to keep pace with the leaders due to an injury sustained three weeks previously, Joe Gladow finished 38th overall in 26:48.02. Adrian Clifford rounded out the scoring quintet for the Wildcat men with a 46th-place effort (27:05.14).

“Calvin and Joe ran really gutsy races,” stated Mitchell. “Both of them were able to push through some injuries and help the team. They showed a lot of character.”

The men charge from the line at the NWC Championships in Spokane, Washington.

November 1, 2013
Linfield XC Runs with the Trail Blazers

The Linfield Wildcat met Blaze the Trail Cat when the Portland Trail Blazers launched one leg of their “Rip City Relay” from Linfield College Friday, November 1. Linfield President Thomas Hellie, Chris McGowan, Trail Blazers and Moda Center President and CEO; William Johnson, President of Moda Health; Larry Yoder, McMinnville Council President; and Blaze the Trail Cat, the Trail Blazer mascot were on hand to kick off one leg of the relay, which began in Coos Bay and ended at the Moda Center in time for the Trail Blazer’s home opener Saturday, Nov. 2.

Sarah Rasmussen-Rehkopf (2nd from left) and Lexi Heredia (3rd from left) pose for a photo during the relay.

Selected from the student body to represnt Linfield during the relay were Linfield cross country team members Sarah Rasmussen-Rehkopf and Lexi Heredia. "It was fun to be a part of it," stated Rasmussen-Rehkopf who helped run the ball from Linfield to McMinnville High School, just over a mile away. "They told us we could dribble the ball, but I didn't want to accidentally dribble it off my foot and into traffic!"

The relay members run the game ball down Highway 99 on their way to MHS.

The Trail Blazers and Moda Health teamed up for the “Rip City Relay,” a five-day journey that took the ceremonial game ball up the Oregon coast and to the Moda Center. In addition to McMinnville, the Rip City Relay also made stops in Coos Bay, Reedsport, Waldport, Newport, Otter Rock, Lincoln City, Grand Ronde, Newberg and Beaverton enroute to Portland.