Viking’s cross country teams approach last regular season meet before championships
This Saturday, the men and women’s cross country teams will journey down to Corvallis to compete in the Beaver Classic Invitational. The meet will be hosted by the Corvallis Running Project and will take place at Avery Park.
The Beaver Classic event will conclude the regular 2011 season for Portland State. Some runners on the team will get the weekend off to rest up and prepare for the Big Sky Conference meet, which will be held on Oct. 30 in Pocatello, Idaho.
On the women’s side, only two runners will be sent to compete in the meet. The two lady Viks are freshmen Victoria Dinu and Lora Ross. Another change for the lady runners is that this race will be a 6,000-meter race, instead of the typical 5,000-meter. Captain and junior Brandy Castillo has full confidence in the girls running this weekend, even without the rest of the team there to push them.
“They’ll do awesome,” Castillo said. “They are determined runners and work really well together. They’ll push each other to do well.”
As for the men, the names of runners competing have not been released as of press time. However, it’s likely that the top runners will sit out, much like the women’s side. For those who have been running consistently through the season, having a break to help prepare for the conference meet is a welcome change of pace.
“We’re at a point in the season where training is tapering down a little bit, we’re kind of getting ready mentally and physically for the big, important race,” sophomore Zach Carpenter said. “Feeling good is the most important part of that. As long as we have that, we’re taken care of.”
The Beaver Classic is set for this Saturday at Avery Park in Corvallis. The women’s race is scheduled for 9:45 a.m. and the men’s side is set for a 10:45 a.m. start time. For more details read the full article at PSUVanguard.com.
