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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| Athlete | NCAA DI Champs | Place | School | NCAA Region | Place | Location |
| Katie Rainsberger | 19:51.1 | 4th | Oregon | 19:52.5 | 11th | West |
| Alli Cash | 20:08.2 | 14th | Oregon | 19:43.6 | 5th | West |
| Cardama Baez | 20:41.8 | 73rd | FSU | 20:13.1 | 3rd | South |
| Jessica Hull | 20:44.3 | 79th | Oregon | 20:26.7 | 37th | West |
| Emma Abrahamson | 20:53.5 | 112th | Oregon | 21:04.0 | 67th | West |
| Judy Pendergast | 21:14.0 | 176th | Harvard | 20:38.0 | 6th | Northeast |
| Susan Ejore | 17:30.2 (5K) | 2nd | Monroe | 19:05.3 (5K) | 1st | NJCAA |
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 | ||||
| 17:10.93 | NCAA Division I East Preliminary | May 25, 2017- May 27, 2017 | 19th | Prelims |
| 16:36.71 | Ivy League/Heps Championships | May 6, 2017- May 7, 2017 | 2nd | Finals |
| 16:22.85 | Stanford Invitational | Mar 31, 2017- Apr 1, 2017 | 18th | Finals |
| OUTDOOR 6K | ||||
| 21:14.00 | NCAA DI Cross Country Championships | Nov 19, 2016 | 176th | Finals |
| 20:38.00 | NCAA DI Northeast Regional | Nov 11, 2016 | 6th | Finals |
| 20:39.40 | Ivy League Championship | Oct 29, 2016 | 6th | Finals |
| 21:32.00 | Wisconsin Nuttycombe Invitational | Oct 14, 2016 | 109th | Finals |
| 20:39.20 | Washington Invitational | Oct 1, 2016 | 20th | Finals |
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