Women's Cross Country Sets Two Records as UC Santa Cruz Competes at UC Riverside

Saturday, September 21

Riverside, CA

UC Santa Cruz Athletics

UC Riverside Invitational

Women's Cross Country Sets Two Records as UC Santa Cruz Competes at UC Riverside

9/21/2024 3:41:00 PM | Women's Cross Country, Men's Cross Country

TFRRS Results

RIVERSIDE, CA – The UC Santa Cruz women's cross country team competed at the UC Riverside Invitational on September 21st, 2024, placing 21st out of 25 teams in a highly competitive field of 227 runners while UC Santa Cruz men's cross country team delivered a solid performance, placing 17th out of 29 teams in a competitive field of 248 runners. Racing on the deceptively challenging Agricultural Operations Course, which appeared flat but featured significant elevation changes, the Banana Slugs delivered impressive performances, including two new school records.

Women's 6k
Kenzie Seymour led the way for the Banana Slugs with a 43rd place finish, setting a new school record for the fastest 6K time with 20:56.3. Helena Janku followed with a time of 21:13.2, securing 65th place and earning the distinction of running the second-fastest 6K time in UC Santa Cruz history. Both runners achieved incredible milestones, and their performances are a testament to their hard work and dedication this season. Congratulations to both for these outstanding achievements!

In addition to the standout performances from Seymour and Janku, several other Banana Slugs put in solid efforts to round out the team's performance:
                  •               Hanna Hekkanen – 126th place, 21:53.4
                  •               Sara Teitelbaum – 134th place, 21:56.3
                  •               Jordan Baden – 151st place, 22:05.8
                  •               Jordan Robinson – 164th place, 22:12.5
                  •               Cheryl Chuang – 187th place, 22:31.8
                  •               Frieda Cedillo – 194th place, 22:36.6
                  •               Madison Lorenz – 212th place, 23:02.1
                  •               Faith Dyogi – 216th place, 23:12.6

Despite the challenge presented by the course, the team continued to improve, with strong showings from every runner. Seymour's and Janku's record-breaking performances will inspire the team as they progress through the season.

Men's 8k
Luke Holland led the way for the Banana Slugs with a 51st-place finish, crossing the line with an impressive time of 24:17.5. His effort set the tone for the rest of the team, which posted a team time of 2:04:38 with an average time of 24:56. The team maintained a 5-man gap of just 1:05, highlighting their strong pack running.

Other top finishers included:
                  •               Eric Anderson – 101st place, 24:49.1
                  •               Graeme Maclean – 118th place, 24:57.6
                  •               Casey Orton – 139th place, 25:11.6
                  •               Camden Jaureguy – 158th place, 25:21.6
                  •               Michael Lennox – 167th place, 25:26.6

Additional team contributors included:
                  •               Camden Hebert – 174th place, 25:30.4
                  •               Benthan Vu – 175th place, 25:30.4
                  •               Nick Sciole – 218th place, 26:10.1
                  •               Desi Herrerias – 221st place, 26:14.7

The course's elevation variations posed a challenge, but the Banana Slugs showed resilience by keeping a close pack and maintaining competitive times throughout the race.

Looking Ahead:
The Banana Slugs will next compete at the DIII Pre-Nationals on Friday, October 4th, at Rose-Hulman IT in Terra Haute, IN, as they continue to build momentum for the latter half of the season.