Bearcats to Open Cross Country Season at Alaska-Anchorage

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University cross country teams will be in Alaska to begin the 2014 season on Thursday, Sept. 11 with a dual meet against the University of Alaska-Anchorage. The meet will be held at Beach Lake Trails in Chugiak, Alaska, starting at 4 p.m. (Alaska Time)/5 p.m. PDT.

Willamette's women are tied for #7 in the NCAA Division III Preseason Poll. The Bearcats placed 12th at the NCAA Championships last season, as Michaela Freeby (Sr., Milwaukie, OR/Rex Putnam HS) led the way with an eighth place finish in the individual standings. Willamette took second place at the NCAA West Regional.

The Bearcat men's team was third at the West Regional. Parker Bennett, who graduated this past spring, placed 32nd at the NCAA Championships. Freeby and Bennett each earned All-America honors.

Alaska-Anchorage, which competes in NCAA Division II, is ranked #8 in the men's national Preseason Poll. The Seawolves are not ranked in the women's Preseason Poll, but have a strong history that includes taking fourth place at the 2013 NCAA Division III Championships.

Leading the runners for the WU men's team will be Jacob Shafi (Jr., Pleasanton, CA/Amador Valley HS) and Yonny Castillo (Jr., Parkdale, OR/Hood River Valley). The women's team will be led by Freeby and Taylor Ostrander (So., Kenai, AK).

It's a homecoming for Ostrander, who attended Kenai Central High School and completed an internship this summer at Central Peninsula General Hospital. It's also the first time that a Willamette team will compete in Alaska.