Women's X-C & Track

PORTLAND, Ore. --- The University of Portland’s women’s cross country and track programs have added 12 newcomers for the 2012-2013 season, announced Portland head coach Ian Solof on Saturday. Portland’s track season concluded last month at the NCAA West Preliminary Championships with junior Kellie Houser finishing with a time of 36:02.80 in the 10,000 meter event.

“This is a very good recruiting class for us and we are excited to have each of these young women join our program,” Solof noted of the group. “Not only are we adding some great distance runners to the amazing group we already have, but we are also bringing in some strong athletes in other event areas that will significantly enhance our overall track team.”

Anne Luijten (Netherlands) and Lorea Ibarzabal (Spain) come to The Bluff from overseas. Luijten’s top marks include a 4:34 in the 1500m event and a 9:41 in the 3000m event while Ibarzabal, whose mother was an All-American for Kentucky, owns a 2:10 clip in the 800m.

“Anne is a tremendous distance talent who will help us right away in cross country,” Solof said. “I expect her to contribute to the varsity immediately and eventually be a top 5000 meter runner on the track. Lorea is a former national junior champion for Spain who has focused on the middle distances, but she also has a ton of potential in cross country and the longer distances.”

Katie Lord (Redmond, Wash.), Tori Zellerhoff (Federal Way, Wash.), Hannah Souders (Anchorage, Alaska), and Alison Ryan (Cameron Park, Calif.) highlight the incoming freshman from the states,

“We are very fortunate to have Katie join us as she is one of the top high jumpers in the Pacific Northwest, having finished third in her state meet. Our jumps coach is excited to work with someone with her talent and potential.”

“Tori is a great athlete who has done a number of different events but I think she will really benefit from focusing on distance running. She has a lot of potential to improve quickly and dramatically.” Zellerhoff owns PRs of 5:10 (1600m) and 11:20 (3200m).

Souders was a 200m State Champion for Service High School in 2011 and has a best of 25.92 in the event. With a 12.66 in the 100m, Solof characterizes her as “a sprinting sensation who will bring an immediate boost to our sprint/relays group and be able to help us in a variety of events.”

Pilot basketball fans may recognize Ryan’s name, as the Ponderosa High School grad signed an NLI in January (initial release) to play for coach Jim Sollars. “Alison first started the shot put as a senior in high school and finished the season with one of the top 20 marks in the state of California. She is a raw talent who should rewrite the UP record books in her freshman year.”

Maddy Duretete (Milwaukie, Ore./Milwaukie HS/Jumps/Throws), Helen Harder (Beaverton, Ore./Westview HS/ Throws), Madeleine Hutson (Sammamish, Wash./Skyline HS/Sprints), Amelia Jackson (Oakland, Ore./Oakland HS/Jumps), Sarai Seekamp (Walla Walla, Wash./Walla Walla HS/Sprints/Hurdles) and Calli Vanderwilde (Spokane, Wash./Lewis & Clark HS/Distance) will also be joining the Pilots for the upcoming year.