Wildcats Endure "Bench"-mark Workout at Miller Woods

September 27, 2014

MCMINNVILLE, Ore. - With no race on the schedule, the Wildcats headed to Miller Woods for the now infamous “Hill 1981” workout followed by a brutal final climb to “The Bench.” A brief ten-minute drive from Linfield, Miller Woods is a 130-acre mostly forested property. You can find old growth trees, ponds and streams, great views of the Yamhill Valley, and of course, many miles of running trails.

The Lady Cats attack the climb.

“I don’t think there is any other location in the county with trails and scenery that rival Miller Woods,” stated Associate Head Coach Greg Mitchell. “It’s fantastic to be hammering your way up the hills through a tunnel of branches with the morning sun just breaking through the trees and the only sound is the strained breathing of you and your teammates. It’s a quintessential cross country training ground.”

The Linfield men fly up the hill in a blur.

 The workout involved running a hill circuit on a double-track access road that loops through a heavily forested area of the park. The athletes complete five to seven circuits and then finish the workout off with a climb out of the wooded area and up to “The Bench,” which sits at the apex of a hill at the center of the park. The workout builds physical strength, but perhaps more importantly, tests the mental toughness of the athletes.

The men's team makes the final push to "The Bench."

“The workout was pretty tough, but running in Miller Woods is great,” stated freshman Lucas Hester. “I hope we get up there more often.”

The men's and women's teams cool down together after suffering together at Miller Woods.

Wildcats Race Well at Sundodger

September 20, 2014

SEATTLE, Wash. – Michael O'Neil registered a top 30 finish for the Linfield men and rookie Emma Knudson paced the Wildcat women as both squads competed at the Sundodger Invitational, hosted by the University of Washington, Saturday morning at Lincoln Park.

O'Neil clocked in at 25 minutes, 47 seconds for the men's eight-kilometer race as the fifth competitor from the Northwest Conference to cross the finish line and the 29th overall. Chad Linnerooth and Jeff Lee finished 70th and 71st overall, respectively, with identical times of 26 minutes, 35 seconds.

Chad Linnerooth blasts past the competition on his way to the finish.

Linfield had a strong showing from all of their top seven, consisting of Adrian Clifford, Tyler Griffin, Chris Roth and Alex Mangan Clifford (90th, 26:51) and Griffin (98th, 26:57) slipped in the top 100 finishers while Roth (106th, 27:03) and Mangan (109th, 27:08) were less than 20 seconds behind their teammates.

Knudson finished as Linfield's No. 1 runner for the first time in her young career, placing 69th overall in 23 minutes, 55 seconds. Fellow rookies Kaelia Neal and Rebeca DeLeon along with senior Calli Dowdy also finished among the top 100 competitors for the women's 6K race. Neal was 75th in 24:03, DeLeon crossed the tape 89th overall in 24:14 and Dowdy placed 93rd in 24:18. Jaime Rodden (101st, 24:22), Katie Higinbotham (123rd, 24:51) and Vera Heidmann (126th, 24:55) rounded out the top seven for the Wildcat.

Freshman Jaime Rodden battling up front in the early part of the race.

 Both Linfield squads finished 12th in the team standings, and both ranked fifth among Northwest Conference programs. Linfield's women totaled 339 points, while the men compiled a team score of 268.

“Obviously, it’s always great to win or place super high in the standings, but I’m not too concerned with where the teams placed today,” stated Associate Head Coach Greg Mitchell. “Nearly everyone raced well and showed improvement. We’ll be ready in November.”

The women's team celebrates a strong showing at the UW Sundodger Invite.

Wildcat XC Season Heats Up at Ash Creek Invite
September 12, 2014

MONMOUTH, Ore. - On a hot, dry evening, the Wildcats headed down Highway 99 to Monmouth to do battle at the Western Oregon University Ash Creek Invitational. Schools representing NCAA Division II and NAIA, as well as community college institutions brought teams. Linfield was the only Division III team in attendance.

Linfield's women placed three runners within the top 30 finishers and the ‘Cats placed sixth. On the men's side, Linfield had five runners among the first 40 finishers which was good enough to land in fifth place in the final standings.

The women's team gets ready to roll prior to the start of the Ash Creek Invite.

“It was fun to mix it up with some different teams that we don’t see very often,” stated Head Coach Travis Olson. “The heat definitely impacted our performances, but the effort was there and at this point in the season that’s what we want to see.”

Freshman carried the day for the Linfield women. Jaime Rodden was Linfield's top finisher over the unconventional 4,200-meter layout, placing 23rd in 15 minutes, 56 seconds. She was followed closely by another frosh, Emma Knudson, who claimed 26th in 16:07. Rebeca DeLeon was 31st at 16:13 and Kaelia Neal grabbed 35th in 16:15. Other leading finishers included Ana Ramirez, 38th in 16:22, Vera Heidmann, 40th in 16:24, Calli Dowdy, 42nd in 16:33, and Katie Higinbotham, 50th in 16:56. 

Senior Captain Chad Linnerooth pushes the pace early.

Young runners set the pace for the Linfield men. Michael O'Neil squeezed inside the top 20 men's finishers. The sophomore covered the 5,900-meter course in 18:46. Freshman Jeff Lee forged a 19:13 clocking to nab 25th place and senior was 31st in 19:26. A trio of sophomores followed in succession with Adrian Clifford taking 38th in 19:41Chris Roth seizing 39th in 19:43, and Tyler Griffin placing 40th in 19:43. Flint Martino was 44th in 19:56, Alex Mangan was 46th in 20:00, Lucas Hester earned 48th in 20:04, and Chris Poole rounded out the top 50 competitors at 20:05.

Wildcats Take on Legendary “Dead Dog” 
September 6, 2014

With no meet on the schedule, the Wildcats headed to the Yamhill County countryside for a traditional hard run with roots that date back to the early 1980s.  The team ran a hilly ten-mile workout that included the infamous “Dead Dog” Hill.  The name “Dead Dog” has filled countless Linfield runners with dread since the legend began three decades ago. 

The first group of Wildcat women begin the ascent.

The story goes that former Linfield coach George Oja and some of his top runners were running a workout over a hilly farm road outside McMinnville, when a stray dog decided to trot along with them.  As the grade of the hills continued to increase, so too did the dog’s apparent suffering.  Eventually the group, with panting dog in tow, hit an absolutely brutal climb.  As the runners ascended the hill, they noticed that the dog’s heavy panting had subsided.  Looking over their shoulders for their four-legged companion, they saw the canine’s collapsed and lifeless body on the side of the road.  The legend of “Dead Dog” had been born.

Junior Alex Mangan keeps his eyes on the prize as he attacks "Dead Dog."

Though there is no record of any Linfield athletes collapsing on this particular run, all who run the workout would admit that there is a point on the climb where the possibility of death crosses one’s mind.  “This run is a gut-check,” stated associate head coach and former Linfield harrier Greg Mitchell.  “About 10 steps into it, you are presented with the dilemma:  am I going to be tough and press on or am I going to let the hill win?”

The Wildcats celebrate at High Heaven Road after conquering the hill.

O'Neil Chosen as Northwest Conference XC Athlete of the Week
September 4, 2014

Following an impressive season debut, Linfield sophomore Michael O'Neil has been honored as the first Northwest Conference Men's Cross Country Student-Athlete of the Week. The honor was announced by the league office Tuesday following a vote of the conference's sports information directors.

O'Neil finished as the first competitor from the NWC and fourth out of 36 runners in all to lead the Wildcats to a team victory at the season-opening Linfield Harrier Classic on Aug. 30. The sophomore completed the eight-kilometer course in 27 minutes, 6.06 seconds, nearly a 40-second improvement from his time at the same meet a year ago.

As a freshman, O'Neil was Linfield's top finisher at both the NWC and West Region Championships. The student-athlete of the week honor is a career first.

O'Neil pushing the pace up front during the Linfield Harrier Classic.

Wildcat XC Heads to Camp K for Labor Day
September 1, 2014

WARRENTON, Ore. – In keeping with the tradition of the past three decades, the Linfield cross country teams traveled to the Oregon Coast for Labor Day Weekend.  “There is a lot of Linfield history here,” stated head coach Travis Olson. “The tone for the season is usually set at Kiwanilong.”

The Camp K sign has welcomed Linfield harriers for over three decades.

Staying at rustic Camp Kiwanalong, the athletes participated in team building activities, runs on the trails and the beach including the challenging “Jetty Fartlek,” S’mores and stories around the campfire, the now legendary “Talent Show,” and, of course, the traditional post-run swim in Lake Kiwanalong.

The teams go head to head in a "friendly" competition for Camp K bragging rights.

Purple, Red and White battle for supremacy on the lake.

The ladies compete during the "Bring Sally Up" challenge.

“I always look forward to coming to Camp K,” stated senior captain Chad Linnerooth. “It’s always a ton of fun and we always grow together as a team. It’s helped make my time on the Linfield cross country team unforgettable.”

The legendary "Jetty Workout" gets underway.

Wildcats Dominate at Home Meet

August 30, 2014

McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Placing all five scoring runners among the top 11 finishers on each side, the Wildcats swept both races of the season-opening Linfield Harrier Classic at Joe Dancer Park Saturday morning.

Senior Calli Dowdy paced the Wildcat women, finishing as the squad's No. 1 runner for the first time in her career as the fifth overall runner to cross the tape. She completed the six-kilometer course 25 minutes, 23.14 seconds. “This is by far the best race I’ve run,” said Dowdy. “I feel a lot more in shape. It’s nice having your teammates right there."

Wildcat teammates Calli Dowdy (438) and Emma Knudson (441) battle to the line.

Picking up right where he left off a season ago, Michael O'Neil led the Linfield men with an individual fourth-place finish. As the first competitor from the Northwest Conference to complete the eight-kilometer course, the sophomore clocked in at 27 minutes, 6.06 seconds. “We’re a close team this year, time-wise and team-wise,” stated O’Neil. “We definitely want to take seven to Regionals.”

Michael O'Neil (far left) leads the Wildcats to victory at the Harrier Classic.

Linfield's women won the team's race by a considerable margin, totaling 27 points to George Fox's 51, Pacific's 69 and Warner Pacific's 100 points. The Wildcat men scored 23 points, outdistancing fellow NWC squads George Fox (55) and Pacific (56). Both squads had freshmen finish in the top five scoring positions.

Rookie Emma Knudson finished about a second after Dowdy for sixth place in 25:24.28 while second-year runner Sarah Rasumussen-Rehkopf took seventh in 25:33.97. “I wanted to stick with Calli and Sarah,” said Knudson. “I tried really hard to kick at the end but my legs were shot.” Freshmen Kaelia Neal and Ana Ramirez rounded out ninth and 10th place, clocking in at 25:42.25 and 25:48.80, respectively.

On the men's side, Jeff Lee made an impressive Wildcat debut by finishing in eighth place, leading a quartet of Linfield runners that finished in immediate succession. Lee completed the four-lap course in 28 minutes, 8.01 seconds. Tyler Griffin was ninth in 28:09.96, Adrian Clifford took 10th in 28:17.30 and Chris Roth finished 11th in 28:20.26.

The Lady Wildcats after claiming victory at the Linfield Harrier Classic.

Pre-Season Means Pre's Trail
August 19, 2014

Eugene, Ore - As has been the tradition over the past several years, the Wildcat cross country team headed down to Eugene to run on the bark chips of Pre's Trail. A fartlek was on the menu as the first workout of the year for the team and the athletes handled it well.

The men's team powers through the workout on Pre's Trail.

"We could do this workout anywhere," stated associate head coach Greg Mitchell. "But I think it's important for runners, particularly runners from Oregon, to gain an appreciation for the history of their sport and that means spending some time in Track Town USA."

The lead pack of Lady Wildcats push the pace on the fartlek.

After the workout, the runners cooled off and iced up in the Willamette River before heading to Track Town Pizza to refuel. "I liked what I saw today," stated Mitchell. "Both in terms of effort and fitness. We're off to a good start."

Chillin' in the river after the workout.