Heavy competition at the Vanguard Invitational 5K was no match for the women’s cross country team as they brought home a first-place finish overall. The men’s team also performed exceptionally in Costa Mesa, earning fifth out of 14 teams in the 8K.

Although the men’s schedule changed from running in Kansas at the Pre-Nationals Invitational to competing with the women at Costa Mesa, it still proved to be beneficial for the men.

“It was still an important race,” junior Kevin Horchler said after completing the 8K. “Even though we weren’t in Kansas, it was still an important race to be at today.”

The men initiated the day’s races with Horchler pushing hard through the finish line, ending up with a time of 25:21.32. Coming in six seconds behind third-place Horchler was senior Danny Ledesma with an official time of 25.27.08, earning him a fourth-place finish. Junior Andrew Daedler finished strong, establishing a spot in the top fifteen overall.

The women stayed consistent throughout the distance of the 5K, with the top five Biola women finishing within 40 seconds of each other. Junior Carrie Soholt led the group by running a time of 17:25.94 that resulted in a fourth-place finish overall.

“It’s been a busy semester, but we are taking on the challenge,” Soholt said.

SUCCESS BUILT FROM TEAM UNITY

Closely trailing Soholt were senior Chelsea Janzen with a time of 17:55.11, freshman Lyndee Dawson running 17:56.16 and sophomore Kellian Hunt barely missing the mark to break 18 minutes by running 18:02.18. Although these girls came home with a medal, they credit their success to a collaborative team effort.

“We work really well together as a team,” Dawson said. “We’re here because of each other and working with each other; no one could be here individually.”

The grounds that served as their racing field will also be the future location of the Golden State Athletic Conference meet on Saturday, Nov. 9.

After completing the races, both men and women’s teams feel better prepared for the upcoming GSAC championships. Horchler was pleased to have a full men’s team, mentioning that hard work, staying healthy and doing the little things will bring them closer to reaching their goals.

At the end of the day, the teams are keeping a forward-thinking mindset of what is to come.

“Basically, stay focused, get ready for GSAC and what comes after that,” Dawson said.

Both teams have a two-week break before heading into Biola’s NAIA West Coast Jamboree on Oct. 26 in Orange.