CROSS COUNTRY GAMEWEEK

11.10.08

LA GRANDE, Ore. – The EOU Cross team will be heading to the 2008 NAIA National Championships November 22nd in Kenosha, Wisc.  Five teams will be representing the Cascade College Conference: Southern Oregon, Concordia, College of Idaho in men’s field; College of Idaho and Concordia in the women’s field.  EOU men finished 4th at the 2008 Cascade Conference Cross Country Championship and the women finished 5th.   

Representing EOU for the women will be senior Marcella Bosch and junior teammate Christine Eckstein.   Bosch finished second at the CCC Cross Championship this last weekend in Seattle, Wash. with a time of 18:04.  Eckstein finished close behind for fourth place with a finishing time of 18:32 in the 5K run.  Both Bosch and Eckstein received automatically qualified for nationals. 

Representing EOU for the men will be sophomore Cam Starner.  Starner finished seventh in the 8K CCC Cross Championship run with a time of 25:35.  Starner automatically qualified for Nationals. 

Junior, Zach Heath will also be representing EOU.  Heath received an at-large bid that was announced today.  The men’s 8K race will feature 32 teams, 25 of those teams earned an automatic bid, seven at-large selections, and 111 individual qualifiers.  Malone (Ohio) is the front-runner this season and has held the national title for the last two years. 

The women’s field will include two teams from the CCC – #10 College of Idaho and #21 Concordia.  The women’s 5K race will also feature 32 teams, including 25 earning automatic bids, seven at-large selections, and 112 individual qualifiers.  Cedarville (Ohio) has held the top spot in nine of the eleven NAIA Top 25 polls this season and is favored to capture the team title. 

Cheer on Bosch, Eckstein, Starner, and Heath as they represent Eastern Oregon University at the 2008 NAIA National Championships on November 22nd in Kenosha, Wisc. 

For more information and updates along with other Mountaineer athletics news, log on to www.eou.edu/athletics.