HEADING EAST
The Loggers head east of the Cascades this weekend, participating in the Whitworth Tri-Meet on Saturday in Spokane.
The Loggers at Charles Bowles Spring Break Classic
Senior Brittany Hodgson (Grants Pass, Ore.) won the women's 3000m steeplechase and Greg Bailey (Beaverton, Ore./Westview) won the men's hammer throw on Friday at the Charles Bowles Spring Break Classic, hosted by Willamette University.
Hodgson won the women's steeplechase in a NCAA Division III Provisional Qualifying time of 10:59.58 to win the race by just under 24 seconds. She was the lone runner in the race to break the 11 minute mark.
Bailey won the men's hammer with a throw of 160-06, over two feet better than second place Jake Monroe of Willamette. Bailey's throw is a seasonal best for him and the second best toss of his career.
Best In the NWC
The Loggers are on top of the NWC rankings in several events this season. Pete Van Santa is tops men's 100m dash. Sophomore Francis Reynolds is tops in the men's 5000m run. Nick Cronenwett is tied for the top mark in the men's pole vault, having cleared 4.12m (13-6.25).
On the women's side, Janece Levien is tops in the 100m dash. Sophomore Caitlin McGrane has the top mark in the 100m hurdles while Brittany Hodgson is tops in the 5000m run.
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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