Bearcats will Host 48th Annual Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational on Saturday
By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- The Willamette University cross country teams will host the 48th Annual Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 30 at Bush's Pasture Park. Action will begin at 8:30 a.m. PDTwith the men's 8-kilometer race. The women's 5-kilometer race will begin at 9:20 a.m. Former Willamette head coach Charles Bowles died in 2005, but his commitment to cross country is honored each season when the Bearcats host the Charles Bowles event. Willamette is proud to continue the tradition.
Runners on teams from Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho, Hawaii, Minnesota, and Texas will compete at this year's Charles Bowles event. There are 22 four-year colleges and universities participating, plus nine community colleges, one club team, and 47 unattached runners.
The Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational will begin with the men's 8-kilometer race at 9:30 a.m. (PDT). The women's 5-kilometer race is scheduled to begin at 10:20 a.m. This year's format has all men's teams competing in one race and all women's teams competing in one race.
Most of the colleges and universities will compete in both races. The exceptions are Southwestern Oregon Community College, which is competing only in the men's race, and Bemidji State University (Minn.), the University of Hawaii, Oregon State University, Point Loma Nazarene University (Calif.), and Simpson University (Calif.), which are entered only in the women's race.
Willamette's most recent competition was at the Oak Knoll Loop Run hosted by the Bearcats on Sept. 16. Top finishers at Oak Knoll for the Bearcats were Jay Chew (So., Elk Grove, CA/Laguna Creek HS), William Hennum (Jr., Henderson, NV/Liberty HS/SW Oregon CC), and Adam Lewis (Fy., Glendale, CA/Eagle Rock HS) in the men's competition, and Zoe Heino (So., Portland, OR/Mountainside HS), Grace Kosmicki (So., Pocatello, ID/Highland HS), and Leila Fischer (Jr., Wenatchee, WA/Wenatchee HS) in the women's competition. Heino placed 10th in the women's race and Chew finished 12th in the men's race.
Admission to the Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational is free. Also, spectators are asked to be cautious near the course and to avoid interfering with participants. Although most of the course will take runners through Bush's Pasture Park, both of the races will finish inside McCulloch Stadium.
48th Annual Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational
Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023
Bush's Pasture Park, Salem, Ore.
Schedule of Events
8:30 a.m. - Men's 8K Race
All colleges and universities
9:20 a.m. - Women's 5K Race
All colleges and universities
Participating Teams
(Men and Women unless otherwise indicated)
NCAA Division I
University of Hawaii - women
Oregon State University - women
University of Portland
Portland State University
Seattle University (Wash.)
University of Texas at San Antonio
NCAA Division II
Bemidji State University - women
Point Loma Nazarene University (Calif.) - women
NCAA Division III
Lewis & Clark College
Linfield University
Pacific University (Ore.)
Pacific Lutheran University
Willamette University
NAIA
Bushnell University (Ore.)
College of Idaho
Corban University (Ore.)
Eastern Oregon University
Evergreen State University (Wash.)
Multnomah University (Ore.)
Northwest University (Wash.)
Oregon Institute of Technology
Simpson University (Calif.)
Junior Colleges
Chemeketa Community College (Ore.)
Clark College (Wash.)
Lane Community College (Ore.)
Mount Hood Community College (Ore.)
Mount San Antonio College (Calif.)
Southwestern Oregon Community College - men
Spokane Community College (Wash.)
Treasure Valley Community College (Ore.)
Umpqua Community College (Ore.)
Club
University of Oregon Running Club