New Pilot XC Signee

Marshfield seniors Jared Bassett and Ali Worthen recently signed letters of intent to compete at the University of Portland and Seattle Pacific University, respectively.

The two Pirates, who both have won individual state titles, will be able to compete at schools noted for their respective specialties.

For Bassett, the opportunity to compete at one of the top distance schools in the nation was a dream come true.

“It was a pretty exciting decision for me,” he said. “They’ve got a pretty strong program.”

After winning the Class 5A state cross country title last fall, Bassett went to Springfield with his coach, Doug Landrum, and watched the Pilots compete at the NCAA West Regional cross country meet.

“We were very impressed with Portland,” Landrum said, adding that he’s happy Bassett signed with the private school for selfish reasons.

“His goal was to stay in the Northwest,” Landrum said. “I’ll love to see him run for the next several years, and now I can.”

The Pilots have qualified for the past several national meets — they were 14th last fall — and been a regular in the national rankings. They’ve dominated the West Coast Conference for decades, winning the past 29 league titles in cross country.

The school also was a good fit for Bassett’s future plans.

“It has the academics I want, and it’s not too big,” he said, adding that he hopes to study either sports medicine or nursing.

Bassett likely will redshirt the cross country season next fall and then compete in the indoor track seasons in the winter.