INDEPENDENCE, Ore. – Running under picture-perfect sunny, dry and cool weather conditions, the Linfield Wildcats hosted the George Oja Invitational Saturday morning at Oak Knoll Golf Course. The meet featured more than a dozen teams and nearly 500 student-athletes, including 192 women and 282 men.
 
George Oja, the meet's namesake, was on hand and took the opportunity to personally wish all the competitors well. Oja coached both cross country and track & field at Linfield in the 1980s and 1990s and taught exercise science courses in the Health and Human Performance department.
 
Saniyah Ayala and Alex Oathout were the leading finishers for Linfield. Injuries and illness left both Wildcat squads with incomplete lineups, thus neither registered a team score.
 
WOMEN
Ayala covered the flat and open six-kilometer course in 25 minutes, 44.80 seconds, placing 117th. Leah Stednick was close behind Ayala in 123rd place, clocking a personal record of 26:15.20. Liberty McElfatrick was 165th in 30:13.70.
 
MEN
Oathout and Bradley Kiltow each recorded season-best times in the men's eight-kilometer race. Oathout placed 56th overall in 25:55.40. Kiltow, who has been working his way back into racing form after an extended illness, placed 193rd in 29:15.10. Conner Dooley was 207th in 29:48.00 and Levi Jones ran 31:27.10 to place 231st.
 
NEXT
Saturday's meet served as a preview of sorts for the upcoming Northwest Conference Championships, set for Saturday, Nov. 2, on the same course.