Two of the best teams in the country will be on display later today in Eugene, Or. as part of the Bill Dellinger Invitational. The Michigan State women, ranked #1 in the pre-season poll, will be out in full force tonight as they kick off a promising season. Likewise, the Oregon men will run several of their top guns tonight as they enter the season ranked #4 in our poll. 

The Spartans begin 2014 as the favorites to win it all in Terre Haute. Led by senior Leah O’Connor, State returns four of their top five from NCAAs last year, plus they get 2012 Big 10 XC champ Sara Kroll back after an injury-plagued 2013. That depth will be tough to match.

O’Connor is the outdoor steeple champ, and has quickly developed into a top-10 contender after her 44th place finish from 2013. She was dominant in that steeple victory in June, and her ascent to national prominence on the oval can only mean good things for her on the grass. Expect O’Connor and the rest of Sparty to run as a pack to prepare for bigger meets down the road. 

The Oregon women will not be at full strength tonight as they will compete without Sarah Baxter, Waverly Neer, and Annie Leblanc. Baxter figures to be among the best freshmen in the country, but she suffered a stress fracture in the spring, and will wisely sit out this early meet. Neer and Leblanc will also rest in favor of bigger things later in the season. 

The Ducks’ squad for Dellinger will include Lindsay Crevoiserat, a 3-time All-American at UConn and a sub-16 5k athlete. Megan Patrignelli, Oregon’s #1 runner last fall, will also compete tonight for the Ducks. Patrignelli returns after a solid track season which saw her earn 2nd team All-American honors in the steeple. Joining Crevoiserat and Patrignelli will be highly touted sophomore Alli Cash, who as a freshman was a NCAA 1500m qualifier. The Ducks won’t field their top-3, but tonight’s race should give a better idea what their 4-7 runners will look like. 

The Oregon men will employ a team strategy tonight as they debut at their home meet. Returning individual champion Edward Cheserek and All-American Eric Jenkins could easily make this race a time trial for themselves, but Oregon coach Andy Powell is much wiser than that, and will pull back the reigns on his top duo. Cheserek returns after perhaps the best freshman season in history, and anything short of another NCAA title will be a disappointment for Cheserek. 

Jenkins has shown tremendous track ability, and his first cross country season with the Ducks comes with big expectations. While tonight’s effort will more closely resemble a workout, Jenkins will be key for the Ducks later in the season as they look to overcome the depth of PAC-12 rivals Colorado and Stanford. 

The Bill Dellinger Invitational kicks off tonight at 5:45 pm (PDT) for the women’s 6,000m race, followed by the men’s 8,000m race at 6:45 pm (PDT).