Men’s and women’s cross country hit the road for their second to last regular season meet at the Santa Clara University Bronco Invitational in Sunnyvale, Calif. Saturday. Both teams competed in a total of four races which featured about 200 runners in each event. The men earned a new school record of 2:04.26 and an average running time of 24:53. They also placed 10th of 20 in the 8k invitational and 14th of 21 in the 8k open. The women finished fourth of 23 in the 6k open.
In the men’s 8k invitational race, one Eagle placed within the top 10. Junior Gabe Plendcio finished sixth with a time of 23:59.11. With this blazing time, Plendcio set a new school record for the individual 8k, beating out current assistant coach Kevin Horchler’s previous record of 24:17.0.
Freshman Brady DeHaven finished 72nd tallying a time of 25:01.3 and sophomore Ryan St. Pierre placed 74th with a time of 25:02.7. Two more Eagles placed one after the other in the event. Sophomore Angel Escobar placed 88th in 25:11.29 and a few seconds behind him, freshman Jared Donnel finished 89th in 25:11.79.
The men also competed in the 8k open and one runner placed within the top 50. Junior Nic Nelson finished 31st for the Eagles with a time of 25:39.04. Freshman Luke Sutherland placed 111th in a time of 26:48.71.
Biola finished the 8k invitational in 10th with 287 points and finished the 8k open in 14th with 381 points. Chico State University swept with victories in both the 8k invite by 53 points and the 8k open by 37 points.
Only one Eagle finished in the top 10 of the women’s 6k open. Senior Emily Ransom led the way for the Eagles and placed eighth with a time of 21:58.81. Junior Micaela Pulliam finished 23rd with a time of 22:36.6 and junior Kaili Waller finished 31st in 22:49.9.
The women’s 6k invitational proved much more difficult for the Eagles with one runner placing in the top 100. Freshman Clara Haynes finished 76th with a time of 21:48.9. Sophomore Mackenna Mason came in 120th with a time of 22:12.9.
The women finished the 6k open in fourth with 114 points and a total running time of 1:53:22.50. California State East Bay University won the event with 73 points and a running time of 1:51:20.90.
Both teams will compete in their final regular season race at the California State Fullerton University Invitational in Fullerton, Calif. on Oct. 19 at 5 p.m.
