Saucony Flo50 XC Countdown: #12 Portland Men

Saucony Flo50 XC Countdown: #12 Portland Men

Aug 23, 2015 by James Cameron
Saucony Flo50 XC Countdown: #12 Portland Men




Probable Top Five:

SR Timo Goehler (14:16 5K; 29:10 10K; 44th NCAA XC ’14)
JR Danny Martinez (14:15 5K; 29:28 10K 59th NCAA XC ’14)
SR Chris Enriquez (14:07 5K; 29:12 10K; 10th West Regional XC ’13)
SR Robert Krebs (8:02 3K; 14:13 5K; 29:21 10K)
JR Alex Dillard (14:19 5K; 29:42 10K)
 

Impact Freshmen/Transfers:

Chris Enriquez via Long Beach State (14:07 5K; 29:12 10K; 10th West Regional XC ’13) 
Caleb Webb via Big Bear Lake, CA (4:11 1600; 8:47 3200; 3rd NXN ’14)
Tristan Peloquin via Gig Harbor, WA (4:13 1600; 9:04 3200)
Erik Wingfield via Fort Worth, TX (32nd NXN ’14)
 

Analysis:

Last year we saw the Portland Pilots surprise the nation with their 3rd place finish in Terre Haute. With only 5 athletes finishing the race, Rob Connor’s army all placed within the top 60. Unfortunately in 2015, 3 of the 5 athletes have exhausted XC eligibility, including their consistent low-stick Scott Fauble. A good low stick is what this team is missing at the moment. Timo Goehler, who was the number three man last year, will lead the 2015 squad. His leadership will be mainly felt through his maturity and experience, as well as a consistent member up front. His respectable 44th place finish at NCAA’s was a huge asset to the team’s amazing finish last year, but in order to do something similar in 2015, a top 20 finish will be key. If he can take junior Danny Martinez with him into the top 20, it will simulate last year’s Fauble/ Reid Buchanan duo.

The Pilot’s strength will be their depth. They may not have a strong front runner, but they have a strong crew of low 14 min 5K guys who can pack run. With nearly 2 runners crossing the line every second in Terre Haute, a short spread can be more important than a low stick. Robert Krebs, Alex Dillard, Jeff Thies, and Long Beach State transfer Chris Enriquez all have similar personal bests in the 5K/10K, so their pack is strong. Now add the possible addition of a feisty freshman such as California State Champ Caleb Webb, this team (on the right day) can crack the top 10. Regardless of personal bests and stats, this team always shows up to compete on the day. It can sometimes be easy to overlook the Pilots, but this team has a lot of great potential to do something special in November.