College hosts Pete Steilberg Cross Country Open Saturday, Oct. 21

The Evergreen State College's fourth annual Pete Steilberg Cross Country Open will play host to the defending national champions Saturday, Oct. 21.

Concordia University of Portland, Club Northwest and open runners will also make up the field of entrants.

The Evergreen women's team is led by freshman Kelly Beckham who finished 12th overall at the Warner-Cascade meet last week. The men’s team has the one-two punch of Bryan Rakestraw and James Hudson as their frontrunners.

Event headquarters is at the pavilion located near the main soccer field on Evergreen's campus, and packet pickup begins at 8:30 a.m. The women's 5k race begins at 10 a.m., and the men's 8k at 10:45 a.m.

The multi-loop course will be a combination of groomed grass fields, hard-packed dirt and small sections of primitive grass trail. Some small sections of asphalt in road crossings and hay bale barriers. There is one short, steep hill.

For registration, to volunteer, or for more information, call Evergreen cross country and track and field coach Craig Dickson at 360-867-6741. Day of event entries are not accepted.

The race honors Pete Steilberg, the college's long-time director of athletics and recreation who retired in 1999.