by RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Led by first-year head coach Clay Mayes,(Cherokee), the University of Antelope Valley men’s and women’s cross country teams each competed at the UC Riverside Invitational on Saturday morning, hosted by UC Riverside at the UCR Agg Course in Riverside, Calif.
MEN’S DIVISION:
Cal Poly won the men’s division team competition 8k with a total team time of 2:02:38.60, with CBU and UC Santa Barbara rounding out the top three with total times of 2:04:07.02 and 2:03:39.85, respectively. The Pioneer men placed 14th out of 24 teams and were the top-finishing NAIA team.
UAV junior Santiago Hardy (Chinle, AZ/Navajo) led the way for the Pioneers, finishing 19th out of 203 runners with a time of 24:45.03, freshman Jaiven Hale (New Town, N.D./MHA Nation) finished 84th with a time of 25:56.67, senior Tito Martinez (Watsonville, CA) finished 111th with a time of 26:24.93, sophomore Aaron Gould (Shiprock, N.M./Navajo) finished 126th with a time of 26:50.80, freshman Tristen George (Farmington, N.M./Navajo) finished 137th with a time of 27:06.44, and freshman Gonzalo Sanchez (Laughlin, NV) placed 181st with a time of 28:29.51.
WOMEN’S DIVISION:
CBU won the women’s division team competition 6k with a total team time of 1:42:50.21, with Southern Utah and the Cal Poly rounding out the top three with total times of 1:43:49 and 1:32:31.10, respectively. The Pioneer women placed 19th out of 19 teams and were the only NAIA team in the women’s division.
Freshman Tiajhae Nez (Kirtland, N.M.) led the Pioneers, finishing 129th out of 164 runners with a time of 23:55.17, freshman Tiana Tso (Farmington, N.M.) finished 155th with a time of 25:39.30, freshman Eushawna Nodestine (Winslow, AZ) finished 158th with a time of 26:52.46, freshman Tunte Vigil (Dulce, N.M.) finished 159th with a time of 27.15.78, and freshman Lashawna Baldwin (Ganado, AZ) finishing 160th with a time of 27:21.22 to round out UAV’s top five.
Two other women completed for the Pioneers, with freshman Aleisha Wheeler (Farmington, N.M.) finishing 162nd with a time of 28:03.01 and freshman Araya Apachee (Ganado, AZ) finished 164th with a time of 31:42.52.
NEXT MEET: UAV’s men’s and women’s cross country teams run next at the Mustang Challenge hosted by The Master’s University at Central Park in Santa Clarita, Calif., beginning on Saturday, September 28 at 7 a.m. PST.
