EUGENE, Ore. – Maurica Powell, one of the forces behind Oregon’s recent resurgence in cross country and the distance events, has been hired as an assistant coach for the Ducks’ nationally prominent track and field and cross country programs, associate head coach Dan Steele announced Wednesday.

Now in her fourth season with the University, Powell has served as a volunteer coach for the Ducks the last three years. She will continue in her role working with Oregon’s women’s distance runners and will also act as the recruiting coordinator for the women’s track and field program.

Working under the guidance of Associate Athletic Director Vin Lananna, Powell helped mentor a women’s cross country program that finished second at both the NCAA and Pac-10 championships in 2007. On the track, 2008 saw the Ducks finish third at the conference meet, which was Oregon’s best Pac-10 finish in 12 years, as the distance group scored 34 of Oregon’s 100 points.

"We are thrilled to hire Maurica," said Steele. "She has proven that she is one of the top distance coaches in the country. Her hiring will enable us to continue the excellence in our cross country teams, while simultaneously building a nationally competitive and well-rounded track and field program."

Last season, Powell helped coach Nicole Blood to All-America awards in both cross country and track (5,000 meters). Zoe Buckman in the 800 meters was another Oregon track All-American, while Alex Kosinski was an All-American in cross country as well as the Pac-10 newcomer of the year.

In 2007, Rebekah Noble repeated NCAA indoor 800 meters runner-up honors, then received her fourth All-America honor that June, while Keara Sammons and Blood were the top freshman finishers in the... Read More Here

Note from Oregon's Colleen Wrenn about the upcoming Oregon home XC meets

We hope you can join us for three University of Oregon home cross country meets this fall.

The first will be the Pre's Trail Invitational on Thursday, September 4. The women's 4K race will start at 6:00 p.m. and the men's 6K race will be at 6:30 p.m. The event will also feature an autograph session with the 2008 Duck cross country teams.

The Ducks will also host the third annual Bill Dellinger Invitational, featuring top teams from around the country, on Saturday, October 4, and the Pac-10 Championships on Saturday, November 1. Both events will be held at the Springfield Country Club.

As we get closer to the events, more information can be found on GoDucks.com, but be sure to mark your calendars so that you don't miss these exciting events!