The Addition Of Illinois Prep Great Judy Pendergast Could Fuel Another Title For Oregon


A week ago, the University of Oregon's track and field program announced the signing of 18 recruits, including 10 transfers from across the country. 

One particular addition on that list could mean immediate success for the Duck women -- who were last year's NCAA cross country champions.

That's none other than North Naperville (Illinois) High graduate Judy Pendergast, a fourth-place finisher at Foot Locker Nationals and eighth-place finisher at NXN in 2015. She spent her freshman season at Harvard University, where she was sixth at the NCAA Northeast Regional and 176th at the NCAA Championships. 

Her addition helps refuel a program -- coached by Maurica Powell -- that won its first national title since 2012 by beating Michigan by one point, 126-125, on the Terre Haute, Indiana, course. 

But how exactly will Pendergast fit into one of the best lineups in the country? The Ducks graduated All-American Samantha Nadel (21st), Michelle Maton, and Maggie Schmaedick, opening a void right in the middle.

Oregon, however, may have found answers for those rotations with the addition of Florida State transfer Cardama Baez and Monroe College transfer Susan Ejore. 

Also not to be overlooked will be Pendergast's development under Powell, who helped lead the program to a historic triple crown in 2016-2017 with NCAA championships in cross country, indoor, and outdoor. 

Pendergast may find an immediate place within the Ducks scoring seven, considering her recent output over the outdoor season. She placed third at the Ivy Outdoor Championships in the 10K, posting a time of 34:59.37, and finished 33rd in the 5K at the NCAA East Outdoor Championships in 17:10.93. 

Below is a breakdown of Oregon's potential top seven heading into the 2017 cross country season.

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AthleteNCAA DI ChampsPlaceSchoolNCAA RegionPlaceLocation
Katie Rainsberger19:51.14thOregon19:52.511thWest
Alli Cash20:08.214thOregon19:43.65thWest
Cardama Baez20:41.873rdFSU20:13.13rdSouth
Jessica Hull20:44.379thOregon20:26.737thWest
Emma Abrahamson20:53.5112thOregon21:04.067thWest
Judy Pendergast21:14.0176thHarvard20:38.06thNortheast
Susan Ejore17:30.2 (5K)2ndMonroe19:05.3 (5K)1stNJCAA

Led by former Gatorade National Cross Country Athlete of the Year Katie Rainsberger, the Ducks retain much of the top end strength that made them difficult to beat. Pendergast's addition ultimately helps retool a roster that could make another play for a title in the fall in Louisville, Kentucky. 

Below is a breakdown of Pendergast's performances over the 2016 outdoor XC season

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OUTDOOR 5K
17:10.93NCAA Division I East PreliminaryMay 25, 2017- May 27, 201719thPrelims
16:36.71Ivy League/Heps ChampionshipsMay 6, 2017- May 7, 20172ndFinals
16:22.85Stanford InvitationalMar 31, 2017- Apr 1, 201718thFinals


OUTDOOR 6K
21:14.00NCAA DI Cross Country ChampionshipsNov 19, 2016176thFinals
20:38.00NCAA DI Northeast RegionalNov 11, 20166thFinals
20:39.40Ivy League ChampionshipOct 29, 20166thFinals
21:32.00Wisconsin Nuttycombe InvitationalOct 14, 2016109thFinals
20:39.20Washington InvitationalOct 1, 201620thFinals

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