In their season opener, the Biola women’s cross-country team swept their competition by taking the top six places at the University of Redlands Invitational on Saturday.
Freshman Kellian Hunt kept a steady lead the first half of the race along with five other Eagle runners, two of which who were also freshmen. In the end, it was senior Rachel Stump who placed first and completed the women’s race at 16:55.
“It was really exciting to see us start out that way and to have such a huge pack in the front where we are really close together,” Stump said. “And that was great because we all worked really well together in the race working side by side with one another and encouraging one another throughout the race.”
Freshmen start off the new season strong
Although the Eagles lost five returners, seven out of the top 11 runners are freshmen this year. With little time to practice as a team, the freshmen had to train hard on their own before their first invitational in Redlands.
“Its been kind of a steep learning curve for them because the freshmen showed up August 9,” said head coach Jonathan Zimmerman. “So they kind of had to learn a lot in a hurry.”
Despite the rush and unfamiliarity with their teammates, this first race impressed most, as the newcomers secured some of the top spots. Hunt secured second place while freshmen Iliam Kung and Neysa Mains took fourth and sixth.
“I feel like I've known them for so long already,” Stump said. “I think through the hard practices and the hard race, I just feel like we really bonded within the last month”
Room for improvement for the men’s team
Men’s cross-country runner Junior Danny Ledesma took fifth place in the men’s race with a time of 19:03. Senior Collin Christensen came in 11th place with 19:15. And although the men’s race was not as successful, Ledesma beat his personal best by 21 seconds while Christensen cut 22 seconds off of his. After losing only one returner, the men’s team will rely on the experience they have to improve.
“It was not the best start but then its a long season and they can regroup, get organized and keep their chins up,” Zimmerman said. “They need to be willing to work hard, but also need to be willing to rest hard.”
The Biola women’s team will compete in their next race on Sept. 15 in San Diego, Calif. at 8:30 a.m. The men will have an extra week to prepare and rest as their next race is a week later, on Sept. 22 for The Master’s College Mustang Challenge.
