SUNNYVALE, CA – The UC Santa Cruz men's cross country team competed at the Bronco Invitational hosted by Santa Clara University on October 19, 2024, at Baylands Park. The team performed strongly in the Men's 8K Invitational and 8K Open races, securing top finishes against a highly competitive field. On the women's side, UC Santa Cruz women's cross country team had an impressive showings, highlighted by a 2nd place finish in the Open race while Kenzie Seymour and Helena Janku turned in top 30 performances in the Invitational. The Banana Slugs will be back in action on November 2, 2024, as they battle for the Coast to Coast Conference Championship.
 
Men's 8k Invitational
UC Santa Cruz finished 5th out of 17 teams, scoring 178 points with a team time of 2:05:22.90 and an average time of 25:04.58. Leading the Banana Slugs was Luke Holland, who placed 9th with a time of 24:13.1. Eric Anderson and Grameme Maclean were the next two Slugs to cross the line as Anderson just dipped under the 25-minute mark with a time of 24:58.8 while Maclean crossed the finish line in 25:03.4 with the duo taking 32nd and 36th. Camden Jaureguy and Casey Orton rounded out the top five performers in the invite as the pair took 52nd and 58th, respectively, with Jaureguy finishing the race in 25:31.3 while Orton finished in 25:36.3. Benthan Vu took 61st for the Slugs with a time of 25:40.0 with Camden Hebert took 72nd, rounding out the top seven finishers with a time of 25:52.1. Michael Lennox followed closely behind, crossing the finish in 25:52.1 to take 76th.
 
Men's Open 8K
UC Santa Cruz finished 4th out of 18 teams, scoring 121 points with a team time of 2:10:59.90 and an average time of 26:11.98. Ethan Vahle led the Slugs in this race, placing 29th with a time of 25:48.1 while Alex Wille and Desi Herrerias took 45th and 50th, crossing the line in 26:08.4 and 26:12.0. Viktor Kieturakis took 56th overall, finishing the 8k race in 26:20.0. The trio of Eduardo Palma, Diego Vizcarra, and Liam Manley turned in top 75 finishes with the three taking 66th, 69th, and 73rd, finishing the race in 26:31.4, 26:32.9, and 26:37.7. Kelvin Chan and Gavin Hahn finished just strides off one another as Chan finished in 26:52.6 while Hahn crossed in 26:53.2 with the pair taking 89th and 90th.
 
Women's 6k Invitational
Kenzie Seymour led the way with a 14th-place finish, running a time of 20:55.4, while Helena Janku followed in 30th place, clocking in at 21:22.5. The duo were the only two Banana Slugs in the Invitational portion of the Bronco Invitational and did not disappoint as they shined in a field of over 180 runners on Saturday morning.
 
Women's Open 6k
UC Santa Cruz placed 2nd out of 14 teams, finishing with 58 points overall in a field of 198 runners, with a team time of 1:54:34.40 and an average time of 22:54.88. Leading the Banana Slugs in the Open race was the duo of Hanna Hekkanen and Sara Teitelbaum with Hekkanen finishing 7th place with a time of 22:22.1 while Teitelbaum finished right behind in 8th place with a 22:30.7. Jordan Robinson was the next Slug across the line, taking 13th with a time of 22:53.6 while Ryanne Reynolds and Madison Lorenz took 21st and 28th in 23:13.7 and 23:34.3. Sofia Placias and Rosey Harris rounded out the top seven finishers for UCSC, taking 57th and 59th as they completed the 6k in 24:21.1 and 24:22.1. Lucia Muthu followed closely behind, taking 63rd in 24:37.9. The Banana Slugs also had Cheryl Chuang and Madelyn Basinet take 71st and 72nd with times of 24:50.0 and 24:52.7.
 
Looking Ahead
UC Santa Cruz will compete next at the Coast to Coast Athletic Conference Championships on Saturday, November 2nd in Newport News, VA.