BOXER REBELLION: Bruin Men and Women 5th in Final Race before Conference Meet

FOREST GROVE, Ore. - Taking part in their last tuneup races before the Northwest Conference Cross Country Championships, the George Fox University men and women each finished fifth out of five teams in the Boxer Rebellion Meet hosted by Pacific University Saturday morning here at the Sunny Grove Golf Course.

Men

The George Fox men collected 117 points in the 8K racem, trailing co-winners Whitman College and Lewis & Clark College with 46 points apiece, hst Pacific with 55 points, and the University of Puget Sound with 83. 

The Bruins, who are ranked 10th in the NCAA West Region’s latest poll by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, competed without Joseph Pia, who was sitting out with a couple of nagging injuries, and Allen Cassel, who was ill.  That prompted distance coach Jeff Larson to quip, “That’s like a baseball team with your ace pitcher and your cleanup hitter!”

Kyle Dreibelbis stepped up for the Bruins, leading the team with a time of 27:47.80 over the 8K course and finishing 15th overall and for team scoring.  He was followed by Aaron Molstad, running perhaps the best race of his college career to date, with a 27:57.40 (18th/18th), Kody Tarbell with a 28:23.10 (23rd/23rd), Jahnathon Larson with a 28:50.90 (32nd/30th), and Tyler Magill with a 28:59.80 (34th/31st).  Also competing for the Bruins were Austin Morrell with a 29:22.60 (39th/33rd), Matt Romey with a 29:28.30 (41st/35th), and Brian Goodwin with a (32:12.90 (05th).

The men’s winner was Sam Smith of Lewis & Clark with a mark of 26:42.60, edging Colin Domonoske of Whitman with a 26:46.10 and Dan Flora of Pacific with a 26:48.00.

Women

The Bruins narrowly missed a fourth-place finish in the women’s 6K event with 108 points to 106 for host Pacific.  Whitman took the top spot with 47 points, followed by Lewis & Clark with 47 point and Puget Sound with 54.

Leading the George Fox contingent was Courtney Hochstetler, whose time of 23:36.20 was third in the race overall and for team scoring behind Emily Thomas of Lewis & Clark (22:59.50) and Emilie Gilbert of Whitman (23:25.10).  Chelsea Sowards was next for the Bruins with a 24:50.30 (24th/24th), followed by Sarah Mackenzie with a 25:02.90 (27th/25th), Kate Freiheit with a 25:34.40 (35th/27t), and Anna Thomas with a 25:49.00 (37th/29th).  Rounding out the Bruin lineup were Alyssa Turner with a 26:28.80 (44th/32nd), Kelly Toms with a 26:57.20 (53rd/35th), and Allison Pugsley with a 27:16.20 (57th).

Complete results of the Box Rebellion, courtesy of the Pacific sports information office, are available on the George Fox cross country website at http://athletics.georgefox.edu/sports/xc/2011-12/files/1015.htm.

NEXT: The Bruins will take a week off to rest, recuperate, and prepare for the Northwest Conference Championships on Saturday, Oct. 29.  Linfield College will be the host school for the men’s 8K and women’s 6K race, which will be held at the Willamette Mission State Park near Brooks, Ore.  The first race is set to begin at 10:00 a.m.