TERRA HAUTE, IN – The UC Santa Cruz women's cross country team performed well at the DIII Pre-Nationals on October 4th, placing 7th out of 44 teams in a highly competitive field of 389 runners. The Banana Slugs posted a team time of 1:52:48 for their top five runners, with an average time of 22:33 in the 6000m. On the men's side, UC Santa Cruz turned in a solid performance at the DIII Pre-Nationals, placing 11th out of 46 schools in a competitive field of 405 runners. The Banana Slugs posted a team time of 2:08:33 for their top five runners, with an average time of 25:42.
 
Women's 6k
Kenzie Seymour led the way with an outstanding 2nd place finish, clocking in at 21:25.54. Seymour's podium finish was a standout performance in the field, and her consistency continues to elevate the team's overall performance.
 
Following Seymour's effort, Helena Janku secured a 38th-place finish with a time of 22:24.20, continuing her impressive season. Hanna Hekkanen crossed the line in 57th place, running 22:41.25. Jordan Baden added to the team's success with a 74th-place finish at 22:55.03, while Faith Dyogi rounded out the top five scorers with a 110th-place finish at 23:22.50.
 
Additional finishers for UC Santa Cruz included:
                  •               Jordan Robinson – 142nd place, 23:46.77
                  •               Madison Lorenz – 148th place, 23:54.76
                  •               Cheryl Chuang – 196th place, 25:29.84
 
Men's 8k
Luke Holland led the team with an impressive 21st place finish, crossing the line in 25:03.75. His performance helped set the tone for a competitive team showing.
 
Close behind Holland were Eric Anderson and Graeme Maclean, who finished 47th and 48th, with times of 25:27.02 and 25:29.01, respectively, adding crucial points for the team. Bentham Vu (116th place, 26:15.14) and Camden Hebert (127th place, 26:18.64) rounded out the top five scorers for UC Santa Cruz.
 
Additional contributors included:
                  •               Camden Jaureguy – 131st place, 26:23.11
                  •               Michael Lennox – 139th place, 26:27.75
                  •               Nick Sciole – 158th place, 26:37.77
                  •               Michael Masotti – 178th place, 26:49.87
                  •               Casey Orton – 185th place, 26:54.26
 
Looking Ahead:
The Banana Slugs will return for the Bronco Invitational on Saturday, October 19th, in Sunnyvale, CA, where they'll look to fine-tune their performances.