HITTING THE MARKS

The Loggers continue to try to qualify athletes for the NCAA Championships this week as they head up to Seattle for the Ken Foreman Invitational, held at both West Seattle Stadium and Husky Stadium.

The Loggers at Pacific Twilight

Men's thrower Greg Bailey (Beaverton, Ore./Westview) met the NCAA Provisional mark in the hammer as a select group of Puget Sound Loggers participated in the Pacific Twilight meet on Friday in McMinnville, Ore. and Forest Grove, Ore.

Bailey took second place in the men's hammer throw with a toss of 172-09 (52.65m) meeting the NCAA Provisional cut of 168-10. AJ Middleton (Lakewood, Wash./Clover Park) improved his season-best in the shotput with a throw of 50-2 (15.29m) to take third in the 14-person field.

On the women's side, Brittany Hodgson (Grants Pass, Ore.) took third in the 5000-meter run, recording a time of 18:18.14. In the 400 meter hurdles, Kelly Higa took eighth with a time of 1:09.35.

McGrane At Willamette Multi's 

Setting a new school record in the process, sophomore Caitlin McGrane (Colville, Wash.) bettered her NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the heptathlon by 79 points, placing third at the Willamette Multi's on Monday in Salem, Ore.

McGrane, who totaled 4295 in April to win the heptathlon at the 2008 NWC Multi-Event Championships, bettered her marks in six of seven events to better her chances for selection to the NCAA Championships at the end of May in Oshkosh, Wis. by recording a two-day score of 4374.

According national bests compiled by Raceberryjam.com, McGrane's new total is now 10th best in Division III this season and 15 points higher than the last 2007 qualifier. Brooke Smith of Willamette also improved her provisional best, placing second with 4462 points, the seventh best score in the nation this year. Bridget Johnson of Team XO won the heptathlon with with a score of 4974.

NCAA Qualifyers (May 22-24 in Oshkosh, Wis.)

Men’s Hammer – Greg Bailey – 52.65m (Provisional)
Women’s 100m Hurdles – Caitlin McGrane – 14.94 (Provisional)
Women’s 3000m Steeplechase – Brittany Hodgson – 10:54.8h (Provisional)
Women’s Heptathlon – Caitlin McGrane – 4374 (Provisional)

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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