Top Cross Country Teams to Race in Bill Dellinger Invitational

Last year’s inaugural race proved an instant success as approximately 4,000 fans cheered on 14 teams.

Bill Dellinger congratulates the winning Oregon men's team after the inaugural event in '06. Photo: goducks.com

EUGENE, Ore. - The University of Oregon men’s and women’s cross country programs proudly announced Friday that the second annual Bill Dellinger Invitational will again feature many of the nation’s top teams.

Scheduled for Saturday, September 29, the women’s 6,000 and men’s 8,000 meter races will welcome 30 premier collegiate programs from across the nation, and the event will be held for the first time at the picturesque Springfield Country Club north of nearby Springfield.

The 15-team men’s field showcases recent NCAA champion Wisconsin, fellow national title contender UTEP, and six other teams that competed in the 2006 NCAA Championships – Alabama, Cal Poly, Oregon, Portland, UCLA and Washington.

The 15-team women’s field is headlined by Arkansas who finished fifth in the 2006 NCAA Championships.

Georgia and BYU who also finished top 25 (15th / 22nd) in the collegiate finale last fall in Terre Haute, Ind.

The race is named for legendary former UO men’s track and field coach Bill Dellinger.

The Springfield, Ore., native and two-time NCAA champion for the Ducks was a three-time Olympian and 1964 bronze medalist in the 5,000 meters, and held two world indoor records and six American records.

In cross country, he took pride in the fact that he never lost a race in high school, college or as a post-collegian.

As the Duck cross country head coach from 1968-1998, Dellinger guided the Oregon men’s cross country teams to four NCAA team titles among their 12 top-three NCAA finishes, along with 45 cross country All-America honors.

His squads also stockpiled 13 conference and four district team victories, and Duck individuals scored eight Pac-8/10 championships and six regional crowns.

Last year’s inaugural race proved an instant success as approximately 4,000 fans cheered on 14 teams that later advanced to the NCAA Championships.

The Men of Oregon were the surprise winners in the men’s race that featured five teams that were eventual top-15 NCAA Championships finishers.

The University of Arkansas won the women’s team race and followed with a top-five NCAA finish of their own as did the Duck men.

UO’s tradition of home cross country events extends back several decades thanks to the Oregon Invitational, formerly known as the Jeff Drenth Invitational, and was held at Alton Baker Park through the 1998 season.

Bill Dellinger Invitational Meet Info

Date: Saturday, September 29, 2007

Races (Tentative Start Time): Women's 6,000 meters (9:30 a.m.), Men's 8,000 meters (10:15 a.m.)

Location: Springfield Country Club, Springfield, Oregon

Men's Teams

Alabama

Cal Poly

Colorado State

Duke

Georgia

Oregon

Marquette

New Mexico

Ohio State

Portland

UTEP

UCLA

Utah State

Washington

Wisconsin

Women's Teams

Arkansas

BYU

Colorado State

Georgia

Marquette

Montana

Oregon State

New Mexico

Oregon

Portland

UTEP

UCLA

Utah State

Wake Forest

Washington

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