Concordia’s women refuse to quit; interviewing a relaxed Galen Rupp: Oregon track & field rundown

U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Day 1

Galen Rupp celebrates after winning the men's 10,000 meters at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene. Rupp will attempt to make his fourth Olympic team at next week's Olympic marathon trials in Atlanta. (Erik C. Anderson/File)LC- Erik C. Anderson

What is not to like about what the Concordia women’s track team accomplished this weekend in Nampa, Idaho?

The school announced two weeks it would close at the end of the academic year.

The Cavaliers shrugged that off to win the Great Northwest Athletic Conference indoor championship in the Ford Idaho Center. It’s the Concordia women’s first GNAC indoor title in their last appearance.

Junior Paige Johnson won the 60 meters, the 60-meter hurdles and the high jump en route to scoring 35 of Concordia’s winning total of 128.33 points. Her 60 time of 7.52 seconds set a GNAC record. She received the Performance of the Meet Award.

“What she did at this conference championship is nothing short of remarkable,” Concordia coach Jerret Mantalas said in a release on the Concordia athletics website. "She’s an incredible talent and we have seen that throughout the season.

Teammates Kori Sprague and Katrina Linenko added individual victories in the throws, Sprague setting a meet record in the weight throw with a toss of 61 feet, 3 inches.

“It is pretty cool the way this team has rallied around each other the last couple of weeks,” Mantalas said. “They have started to fight for the idea of competing as a team, and it is really fun to see that come to fruition. This group has battled through a lot over the last little bit of time.”

Here is Concordia’s release about the Cavaliers’ performance in Nampa.

Here is the GNAC recap of the meet and of Concordia’s accomplishments.

-- I caught up with Galen Rupp late last week for an interview that resulted in this story: Healthy again, a philosophical Rupp says he is ready for the Olympic Marathon Trials.

I’ve been following Rupp’s running career since he was at Central Catholic High School. I found him as relaxed and introspective as I can remember.

If he finishes in the top three at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials next Saturday in Atlanta, Rupp will make his fourth Olympic team.

OK, more links:

Greg Hansen of the Daily Star: The future is now for marathoner Nico Montanez, who will be running for a spot in the Olympics in Atlanta.

Marathoner Autumn Ray’s goal: happiness. (Women’s Running)

The USTFCCCA reviews the weekend in collegiate track.

In this vlog, decathlete Mitch Modin floats the idea of reviewing different coffee-making products and ways to make coffee.

After being MIA in 2019, can sprinter Ronnie Baker regain the magic? (Track & Field News)

Wayde van Niekerk’s comeback continues with a winning double. (SAPeople,com)

Tom Walsh delights the home fans by winning the shot in Auckland. (World Athletics)

Triple jumper Hugues Fabrice Zango accomplishes the impossible. (Spikes)

Sasha Zhoya crushes the world U20 record in the 60 hurdles. (World Athletics)

Mekuant Ayenew and Juliet Chekwel break course records while winning the Seville Marathon. (World Athletics)

Does altitude training really pay off for endurance athletes? There are skeptics. (Outside)

Concordia women and Western Washington men win GNAC indoor titles. (Paul Merca)

Derek Holdsworth and Dominique Loggins win individual titles for Western Oregon at the GNAC Indoor Championships.

Angela Mumford and Kameron Smith post season bests for Portland State. (PSU website)

George Fox has a good day at the Bruin/Pilot Meet. (GFU website)

The front page for LetsRun.com.

The links package from Track & Field News.

The news links from RunnerSpace.com.

-- Ken Goe

kgoe@oregonian.com | @KenGoe

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