by SUNNYVALE, 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 Santa Clara Bronco Invitational on Saturday morning, hosted by Santa Clara University in Sunnyvale, Calif.
WOMEN’S DIVISION:
UC Santa Barbara won the women’s division team competition 6k with an average team time of 22:22.36, with Santa Clara and the UC Santa Cruz rounding out the top three with average times of 22:23.68 and 22:42.48, respectively. The Pioneer women placed 13th out of 19 teams with an average team time of 25:09.66.
Freshman Tiajhae Nez (Kirtland, N.M.) led the Pioneers, finishing 67th out of 209 runners with a time of 23:34.3, freshman Stephanie Zamora (Laughlin, NV) finished 112th with a time of 24:26.3, freshman Tiana Tso (Farmington, N.M.) finished 148nd with a time of 25:41.4, freshman Eushawna Nodestine (Winslow, AZ) finished 154th with a time of 25:52.4, and freshman Aleisha Wheeler (Farmington, N.M.) rounded out UAV’s top five by finishing 162nd with a time of 26:13.9.
Also running for UAV – Freshman Tunte Vigil (Dulce, N.M.) finished 164th with a time of 26.24.0, freshman Lashawna Baldwin (Ganado, AZ) finished 181st with a time of 27:08.4, and freshman Araya Apachee (Ganado, AZ) finished 199th with a time of 29:11.2.
MEN’S DIVISION:
UAV men’s runners impressed with a seventeenth-place finish out of 23 teams with an average team time of 25:30.22, with junior runner Santiago Hardy (Chinle, AZ) once again leading the way for the Pioneers, finishing 30th out of 178 runners with a team-best time of 24:46.9.
UC Santa Barbara won the men’s division team competition 8k with an average team time of 24:19.90, with Utah Valley and Lamar rounding out the top three with average times of 24:22.32 and 24:33.08, respectively.
Rounding out the top-five for the Pioneers – Freshman Jaiven Hale (New Town, N.D.) finished 62nd with a time of 25:03.0, junior Josh Velasco (Lawndale, CA) finished 78t;6h with a time of 25:18.8, senior Tito Martinez (Watsonville, CA) finished 130th with a time of 26:07.2, and sophomore Aaron Gould (Shiprock, N.M.) placed 139th with a time of 26:15.2.
Also running for UAV – junior Luis Gonzalez (Visalia, CA) finished 165th with a time of 27:17.4 and freshman Gonzalo Sanchez (Laughlin, NV) placed 174st with a time of 28:02.8.
NEXT MEET: UAV’s men’s and women’s cross country teams next compete in the California Pacific Conference Championships on Friday, Nov. 9 beginning at 9:30 a.m. PST at Woodward Park in Fresno, Calif.
