The 2025 cross country team is set to officially begin competitions on Friday at the Ash Creek Festival. The regular season fall schedule includes two trips to Western Oregon (the Ash Creek Festival on September 12 and the Mike Johnson Classic on September 27), the Charles Bowles Invitational hosted by Willamette University, and the George Oja Invitational hosted by Linfield University, before heading into championship season.
The championship schedule features the NWAC Southern Region Championships in Springfield, Oregon on October 24, followed by the Northwest Athletic Conference Championships in Spokane, Washington on November 10.
This year's squad includes sophomore returners Viggo Beck (Triangle Lake HS/OR), Marshall Haswell Days Creek HS/OR), Seth Rincon (Douglas HS/OR), and Vincent Romero (S. Medford HS/OR). New to the team are Shawn Ellsworth (Sutherlin HS/OR), Izak Hutchins (Roseburg HS/OR), and John Patterson (Meadowdale HS/WA). Returning for the women are sophomores Jessica Easterly (Douglas HS/OR), Sanyana Felipe (Irrigon, OR), Nallela Mather (Triangle Lake HS/OR), Analise Miller (Bandon HS/OR), and Mya Vigil (Mora HS/NM). New to the squad are Malayna Chace (Douglas HS/OR), and Jamie Witt (Umpqua Valley Christian/OR).
In addition to welcoming new athletes, the RiverHawks are also adding a new coach to the staff. Coach Lyndal Smith, who assisted with the track team last spring, joins the cross country program this fall. Smith competed at Douglas High School, where he earned All-State honors in both cross country and track and field, before moving on to Umpqua Community College, where he excelled at the collegiate level. A standout alum, Smith still holds UCC school records in cross country as well as the 1500m, 5k, 10k, and 3k steeplechase on the track. During his two years at UCC, Smith also qualified for NJCAA Nationals four times (twice in cross country and twice in track and field).
"The athletes have been working hard since early August," said Head Coach Alan King. "I am excited to see them showcase their hard work."
