DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University men's and women's cross country teams continue their seasons on Friday at the Oz Memorial, hosted by Minnesota on the Les Bolstad Course. The women's 6-kilometer race is set to begin at 6:40 p.m., followed by the men's 6-kilometer race at 7:20 p.m.
The Oz Memorial has particularly special meaning for the Bulldogs as it is named in memory of former Drake coach Gary Osborn, who passed away on May 21, 2000. Osborn was a longtime friend of former Minnesota coach Gary Wilson. Osborn served as the head coach of the Drake women's cross country program from 1989-99 and also assumed the head coaching duties of the women's track & field program during the 1993-94 season. Under his guidance, the Bulldogs won consecutive Missouri Valley Conference cross country titles in 1994 and 1995, as well as 1998. The Drake graduate dedicated 32 years of his life to coaching at Drake.
In addition to continuing the team's early season training, the meet will also pit the Bulldogs against the stiff competition. The women's field features the top ranked team in the region in Minnesota, along with North Dakota, South Dakota State and Minnesota State. Minnesota's men's team, which is ranked sixth in the region, headlines a men's field that also features North Dakota State, South Dakota State and Minnesota State.
“We're excited to get on a great course with good competition,” head coach Dan Hostager said. “The race has special meaning for us, being named after Gary Osborn, so it's great to honor him.”
Drake opened the season last weekend with the Bulldog Classic, a 4-kilometer race. However 100 degree temperatures at the start of the race and in the week leading up to it did not give a great barometer of the team's progress. Hostager anticipates this week's milder weather will give him a better opportunity to evaluate his team.
“It will give us better feedback,” Hostager said of the Oz Memorial. “I think the team is in really good shape. We're not in race shape, but this will help us bridge that gap.”
Both the men's and women's teams finished second in double-dual scoring at the Bulldog Classic with each team defeating UNI but losing to Iowa State. Rob McCann (Mississauga, Ontario) was the top finisher for the men's team in second place, while Taylor Scholl (Prior Lake, Minn.) led the women with a fourth-place showing.
However, Hostager isn't focused on results and finishes right now, but rather the team's effort, which he has been pleased with.
“The effort was really good [in the Bulldog Classic] and in September it's more about training than racing,” Hostager said. “As long as we're getting effort in training, the race results will come in the future.”
Last season, the men's team finished third out of six teams at the Oz Memorial while the women's team was second in a six-team field.
Following the Oz Memorial, the Bulldogs will have a week off from competition before lining up for the Grand View Invitational on Sept. 20 in Des Moines, Iowa.
