GETTING A PREVIEW AT GEORGE FOX
The Loggers hit the road this weekend to preview the site of the 2008 NWC Championships at the George Fox Invitational in Newberg, Ore.
The Loggers at Joe Peyton Invitational
In a meet honoring the late Joe Peyton, the Puget Sound Loggers performed well against a majority of Division II competition at the Peyton Invitational on Saturday at Baker Stadium in Tacoma, Wash. The Logger men took third while the women took sixth.
On the women's side, Janece Levien (Beaverton, Ore.) took first in the 100 meter dash with a time of 12.43 while sophomore Caitlin McGrane (Colville, Wash.) took the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 15.30 to set a new meet record.
On the men's side, Pete Van Sant (Santa Cruz, Calif.) took second in the 100 meter dash with a time of 11.18 and Francis Reynolds (Palo Alto, Calif.) took second in the 500 meter run with a time of 15:14.57. In the field events, Matt Maze (Kailua Kona, Hawaii/Hawaii Prep) was second in the high jump, clearing 6-2.75 (1.90m).
The meet honored the legacy of Joe Peyton. During his 29 years as the head track and field coach for the Loggers, Peyton guided over 50 student-athletes to All-America honors and helped to produce dozens of Academic All-Americans. He was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1996 and he was the force behind the beginnings of the women's track and field program, as well as the cross country program, at Puget Sound. Peyton is the only person to be inducted in the UPS Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach/administrator.
Best In the NWC
The Loggers are on top of the NWC rankings in several events this season. Pete Van Santa and Darrell Stewart are one and two in the men's 100m dash. Sophomore Francis Reynolds is tops in the men's 5000m run.
On the women's side, Janece Levien is tops in the 100m dash and the 200m dash. Sophomore Caitlin McGrane has the top mark in the 100m hurdles while Brittany Hodgson is tops in the 3000m Steeplechase.
The Coach
Mike Orechia became the Director of Cross Country/Track & Field at the University of Puget Sound in 1997. Orechia had spent the previous ten years as Head Cross Country and Track & Field Coach at the University of Chicago where he led his Women's Cross Country team to the UAA Championships in 1992 & 1993, earning himself the Coaching Staff of the Year award and the Indoor Coaching Staff of the Year award. It was through his leadership that the women's team qualified for the first time in the schools history to compete in a NCAA championship where they placed fourteenth in 1993. During his time at the University of Chicago, Orechia coached ten All-Americans.
His other coaching experience includes coaching Stella Edwinson who participated in the 1984 Olympic trials in the 400m hurdles, Assistant Track & Field/ Cross Country coach at San Francisco State University (1983-1987), and Head Girls Track Coach at Danvers High School (1979-1981). While coaching at Danvers High School in 1979, his team won the Class B Championship, as well as the All-State Championship and the New England championship.
Since joining the Logger staff, Orechia has been selected Men's USTCA Indoor Track West Region Coach of the Year 2004, Men's XC Coach of the Year in 2002 and Women's XC Coach of the Year in 2001, coached three Men's NWC XC Championship teams and three Women's NWC XC Championship teams, and led the Women's Track & Field team to a 9th place NAIA finish in 1998 and a 5th place finish in 1999. As a Logger, he has also helped produce four National Champions (2 XC, 2 track), 17 track All-Americans, 10 XC All-Americans, 16 Individual XC Academic All-Americans, 10 XC Team Academic All-Americans, 13 Individual track Academic All-Americans, and 8 track team Academic All-Americans.
Orechia earned his B.S. degree in Education from Springfield College in 1978 and his M.A. degree in Education from San Francisco State University in 1985.
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