EUGENE, Ore. – The Bushnell University cross country regular season will finally get underway this week, on the same day the original Cascade Collegiate Conference Championship was scheduled.
 
The adjustments made to the season due to COVID-19 have been both a blessing and a challenge for the Beacons, says second-year head coach Tom Boldon. "I believe our teams have been following protocols as well as any team could, they have been wearing their masks and keeping social distance standards, and are continuing to improve through it all. It has been challenging, though, as our team is particularly close and spends lots of time together. Not being able to hug, high-five, or sit close together is a big change. It has taken a while to adjust to but for the sake of safety they have done well."
 
In response to the international pandemic, the 2020 cross country season joined the rest of the NAIA fall sports in a move to the spring of 2021. The conference championship will not take place in March, but the regular season will begin on Friday with one allotted fall event as the Beacons host the Bushnell Open at Middlefield Golf Course in Cottage Grove.
 
Creating additional provisions for social distancing, the race will take place in "South" and "North" divisions with a separate flight for each three-team group. The women will be running a 4000m course while the men compete at 6000m.
 
South Division (Women 10:00 am/Men 11:00 am)
Bushnell University
Corban University
Oregon Tech
 
North Division (Women 12:00 pm/Men 1:00 pm)
Multnomah University
Northwest University
Warner Pacific University
 
For the Beacon women, the 2020-2021 season will look much different as Bushnell said goodbye to six members of the 2019 team while adding four new competitors. The fight to be in the top-five scoring slots will be tight.
 
Boldon said, "Even though we lost four of our top seven scorers on the women's side we have a group preparing to step up and fill the gaps.  All three freshmen newcomers look like they could start this season stronger than where they finished their high school senior seasons.  If we stay healthy and the women run at or near their potential, it could be another special season for the Bushnell women."
 
Leading the way will be senior Tea Chatelain and sophomore Rebecca Kuskie. The duo scored in every race for the Beacons in 2019 and will combine to fill the gap left by departed All-American and reigning CCC runner-up Anika Rasubala.
 
Behind the leaders will be a number of Beacons looking to make an impact including sophomore Aneykah McCall and freshmen Kaitlin Cook and Kennedy Larson. Also in the fold will be junior Jordyn Edewards, the latest in a long-line of track athletes to make the leap to the longer distances. Edewards is also hanging up her Bushnell soccer cleats this season.
 
The Bushnell roster also includes returners Victoria Messer and Jasmine Lay, along with freshman Skye Urban.
 
For the men, only one member of the team graduated last year, leaving less room for movement among the scorers. Four new athletes will be looking to fill the gap, as will a host of improved returners.
 
"The men's team finished sixth in the conference last year, but much of that had to do with their health on championship day," said Boldon. "This year's group has a chance to really improve on that, and they are hungry to do so.  Our four seniors really want to go out strong and a return trip to Iowa would cap it off well."
 
Jacob Truitt is back for his senior campaign and will look to rebuild his sophomore year success in which he was an All-CCC runner and led the team to the NAIA National Championships. He will be joined by fellow four-year seniors Carson Bain and Jacob Lackey.
 
Senior Andrew Mitchell, who joined the team late last season after the soccer campaign, will also be called on to play a major role, as will freshman Christopher Rosebrook.
 
Returning to the mix will also be sophomores Connor Woodcock and Kilano Loyd while freshmen Gabe Fatooh, Jarrett Schultz, and Quaid Ferguson will make their collegiate debuts.
 
The Bushnell Open will be a one-off fall event for the Beacons, who will then return to action in January.