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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Advertisement Email Story to a Friend November 10, 2005 Isaac Stoutenburgh, right, receives a hug from Kenny Klotz after the state championships. Stoutenburgh, others to sign letters today Crater cross country standout set to join rival Klotz at Oregon By TIM TROWER Mail Tribune All it took was a visit to the University of Oregon’s hallowed grounds to convince Isaac Stoutenburgh that’s where he wanted to run. The Crater High senior committed to the Ducks’ cross country and track programs early last month and today will be one of a handful of area athletes signing letters of intent at press conferences at their schools. The others are three South Medford boys basketball players, who will ink with NCAA Division II and NAIA schools. Stoutenburgh, one of the nation’s top prep runners and runner-up at last weekend’s Class 4A state cross country championships, found out enough about Oregon on his visit to cast his lot early, eschewing visits to other schools. He did so because he likes the program and because gallivanting around the country would impede his training. Advertisement "After I went on my visit to Oregon, I kind of knew that’s where I wanted to go," he says. "It definitely is a college that has a lot of history. It’d be nice to bring it back to where it was in the ‘70s, when they had guys like (Steve) Prefontaine, (Alberto) Salazar, (Rudy) Chapa and all those guys." Dating to Prefontaine in 1969, 18 Duck cross country runners have finished in the top five at the national championships, but none have since 1999. Oregon was sixth at this year’s Pac-10 meet, and when it competes in the NCAA West Regional this weekend, it won’t be among the six teams who are ranked in the nation’s top 30. Renowned coach Vin Lananna is in his first year with the Ducks. In 11 years overseeing men’s and women’s cross country and track at Stanford, he was named NCAA coach of the year five times. Crater coach Justin Loftus is "really excited" about Stoutenburgh’s choice. "He’ll only be a couple of hours away so we can watch him race," says Loftus. "And we get to watch Oregon become a powerhouse again in a year or two. That’s something that hasn’t happened at Oregon in a long time. They’re pushing for Oregon kids, which is great." The Ducks have Galen Rupp, twice the state cross country champion, in the fold. Also, Kenny Klotz, who pulled away from Stoutenburgh Saturday to win his second straight 4A title, is headed for Oregon. Stoutenburgh was fervently pursued by Oklahoma State and Colorado and had Wisconsin and Arkansas in the mix. But Lananna won out, in part because his style is a perfect fit for Stoutenburgh, an exhaustive worker. "I like his coaching method," said Stoutenburgh. "It seems like he’s a really great guy. You look at his record and the athletes he’s had and it feels like he knows what he’s doing. He likes to have runners do higher mileages with more intensity." Stoutenburgh plans an ambitious regimen — including big races — into the summer. His best time for 5,000 meters in cross country is 15:03. On the track, he’s gone 14:38 in the 5,000 and 3:53.9 in the 1,500. Stoutenburgh is hopeful of competing for the Ducks as a freshman. Says Loftus, "The coach there is gung-ho about him doing big meets, if he can qualify for them. He’ll be doing those well into July. As far as racing, he’ll be primed and ready for cross country." At South Medford, basketball players Kendall Gielow will sign with NCAA Division II Northwest Nazarene, and Brent Johnson and Myles Daley will sign with Oregon Tech. "It’s a great thing for all of them," says Panthers coach Dennis Murphy. "They’ve worked hard to put themselves in position to play basketball beyond high school, and they’re all going to excellent programs and excellent schools. The coaches they’re going to feel like they can step in and play right away. I’m very excited for them and feel very fortunate to get them for another year." Gielow, 6-foot-7, averaged 10 points per game last year and should meet or exceed that this year, says Murphy. His deft shooting and athleticism will fit well into Nazarene coach Tim Hill’s up-tempo style. Johnson, 6-7, will play a post position for the Owls, annually one of the country’s top programs under coach Danny Miles. Johnson’s strength and outside shooting touch give him the versatility to go inside and outside. He averaged 11.2 points and eight rebounds for South as a junior. Daley, a 6-6 wing, was the Panthers’ sixth man last year but will probably move into a starting spot this winter. He plays hard and defends well, says Murphy, and shot better than 60 percent from the field last year. Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail Stoutenburgh, others to sign letters today ">[email protected] . 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