PROVO – As No. 19 BYU men’s cross country prepares for the West Coast Conference Championships Saturday in Sunnyvale, California, head coach Ed Eyestone knows a familiar foe stands in the way of a second-straight WCC title.
"This last week has been a chance to taper down and get ready for the big battle against Portland," Eyestone said. "We are the underdogs. It's a new position for us, but I think we're capable of gaining some energy from that because we know what we're capable of."
Since the Cougars joined the WCC in 2011, BYU and Portland have finished first and second in the conference championships each year. The Cougars claimed conference titles in 2011 and 2013, while the Pilots won in 2012.
No. 8 Portland, who was picked to finish atop the WCC in the preseason coaches poll, finished nine spots ahead of BYU at the Wisconsin Adidas Invitational—the only meet the two teams have both participated in this season.
BYU is led by senior Spencer Gardner, junior Jonathan Nelson and freshman Connor McMillan. Gardner, who pulled out of the Wisconsin Adidas Invitational with soreness, will be back in the Cougars’ lineup. Nelson is coming off his second-straight meet as BYU’s top runner. McMillan has finished third for the Cougars in three straight meets.
"It's coming to a head at the right time and I think we're prepared," Eyestone said. "Our confidence is fairly high, and now we just have to go and get the job done."
Saturday’s 8K men’s race will take place at 11 a.m. PDT. Live scoring can be found at wccsports.com.