Hermiston, OR. - The Cascade Cross Country program had added yet another talented runner with the signing of Hermiston High School graduate Tony Gonzalez.  Gonzalez, who finished 2nd at the Intermountain Conference Championships and helped his team to a runner-up finish at the OSAA State Championship Meet this past fall, will join a tremendous 2008 recruiting class and plans to compete with the Thunderbirds' XC and Track teams.

"Tony is a special kid,", commented Coach Howard, "from his athletic ability to his maturity and work ethic." Howard continued, "His high school coach Jacob Puzey raved about his contributions to the team and his leadership qualities."

Tony ran a lifetime best 16:03 at his conference meet this past fall to lead Hermiston to the team title and holds Track PR's of 9:28 in the 3000, 4:18 in the 1500 and 2:06 in the 800. 

Coach Howard added, "Tony is a terrific young man who will come in and have a tremendous impact on our campus.  His strength of character and easy personality will make him a favorite among his team-mates and his athletic ability will help to elevate our program.  Tony will add horsepower to our pack and will give us a shot at a 'low stick' (high individual placing) add any meet we go to."

Cascade College is a four-year, private, co-educational liberal arts college emphasizing spiritual growth and career preparation. Cascade College offers a close academic community within a vibrant metropolitan area. Cascade is a branch campus of Oklahoma Christian University.  The 12-acre campus is located within the beautiful city of Portland, Oregon just ten minutes from Portland International Airport, near the Metropolitan Area Express train system (MAX) and a short drive from stunning natural attractions such as the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Mt. Hood, Multnomah Falls, and the Oregon coast.