WHAT’S BRUIN: Weekly News & Notes

Coming Up:

End of regular season

The George Fox Bruins closed out their 2008 men’s and women’s cross country seasons on Nov. 15 in the NCAA Division III West Regionals at Bush’s Pasture Park in Salem, Ore.  The men finished 13th out of 15 teams, while the women had only three runners entered and received no team score.  Each team was without one of its best runners, Allen Cassel for the men and Abby Reed for the women, as both were sidelined by illness. 

The Bruin men earned 368 points in the 8K race, which was won by another Northwest Conference team, Whitworth, with 67 points.  Claremont-Mudd-Scripps edged Pomona-Pitzer Colleges for the women’s title, 88 points to 89. 

The top runner for the Bruins in the men’s race was Jordan Ware with a time of 26:53.13, finishing 58th overall and 57th for team scoring.  Bethany Strutz posted the best time for the Bruin women with a 24:35.84 in the 6K race, finishing 78th. 

In the Northwest Conference Championships on Nov. 1 at the Veterans Memorial Golf Course in Walla Walla, Wash., the Bruin men placed eighth out of nine teams with 242 points while the Bruin women came in ninth but had no points due to having only four runners entered.  Whitworth won the men’s 8K title with 43 points.  In the women’s 6K race, Willamette won its seventh consecutive NWC crown with 42 points.

Bradley Higgins ran a 27:35.15 to place 46th overall and 40th for team scoring, leading the Bruin men.  Reed paced the Bruin women with a time of 23:37.57, finishing 27th overall. 

While the Bruins’ efforts this fall did not produce any first-place finishes or All-Conference or All-Region runners, first-year assistant coach Jeff Larson, who was given charge of the program by head coach John Smith (also the track and field coach), was pleased with the hard work of his teams. 

“Knowing that we were in a rebuilding mode, our emphasis this season was primarily on personal improvement,” admitted Larson, “and I think we saw some good progress by each of our athletes.  We have laid a foundation for a return of the George Fox cross country program to its former heights, and I am excited about the possibilities for next year. We had no seniors in eligibility this year, so I expect pretty much everyone back.  Recruiting is already well under way, and I believe we have some good prospects on the horizon that will enable us to take a big step forward next year.”

BRUIN BITS ---

* Ware, Strutz Receive BAA Athlete of the Week Awards:

Juniors Jordan Ware and Bethany Strutz, the top runners for George Fox in the NCAA Division III West Regional cross country races on Nov. 15, have been named the Bruin Athletic Association Men’s and Women’s Athletes of the Week respectively for Nov. 10-16.    Ware posted a time of 26:53.13 in the men’s 8K race over the regional course at Bush’s Pasture Park in Salem, Ore., placing 58th overall.  In the women’s 6K race over the same course, Strutz ran a 24:35.84, finishing 78th.  It was the second time in five meets this season that Ware was the fastest runner for the Bruins, and the first time for Strutz.

* 2008 Honors:

Cam Eberhart ---

- Northwest Conference Men’s Cross Country Student-Athlete of the Week - (HM, Sept. 15-21)

Abby Reed ---

- Northwest Conference Women’s Cross Country Student-Athlete of the Week - (HM, Sept. 15-21)

Jordan Ware ---

- Bruin Athletic Association Men’s Athlete of the Week (Nov. 10-16)

Bethany Strutz ---

- Bruin Athletic Association Women’s Athlete of the Week (Nov. 10-16)

* The Coaches:

John Smith (George Fox ’96) is in his third season as head coach of the Bruin cross country and track and field programs.  A former Bruin All-American, he still holds the GFU record for points in the decathlon with 7,138.  The Bruins have had one All-Northwest Conference and six NCAA Division III All-West Region cross country runners in his first two years.  In track, the Bruins have sent 14 athletes to the NCAA National Championships in his two years, with three All-Americans, including 2007 national javelin champion Joel Krebs.  Click here for the complete bio on Coach Smith.

Jeff Larson (George Fox ’92) is in his first season as an assistant cross country coach after returning to his alma mater last spring to assist the track and field program, working primarily with the distance runners.  A three-time State Coach of the Year in 15 years of high school coaching in Oregon, he developed more than 50 all-state athletes, including 11 who won individual titles, with nine conference track championships and six team trophies at the Oregon state track meets, including a state championship in 2005 at Nyssa High School.  Click here for the complete bio on Coach Larson.