Knights Leads Cal At Pre National Invitational

Knights Leads Cal At Pre National Invitational
Courtesy: Cal Athletics
Release: Saturday 10/18/2014

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TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Freshman Bethan Knights placed fifth overall in the women’s race and redshirt junior Chris Walden finished 19th in the men’s race to lead the California cross country teams at the prestigious Pre National Invitational Saturday morning on the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Crouse in Terre Haute, Ind.

The Cal women placed ninth overall out of 43 teams, and the Golden Bear men placed 24th out of 46 teams on Saturday.

“Bethan Knights ran with authority today in leading the women,” said California Director of Track & Field/Head Cross Country Coach Tony Sandoval. “She moved up in the second half of the race to place fifth overall. This performance shows she's among some of the better women runners going into the Pac 12 Championships in two weeks.”

Knights, competing in her second collegiate race, finished the course in 20:51.3, to place fifth in a field featuring many of the top runners in the nation in the 6,000-meter race. She led all Pac-12 competitors in the race. Baylor’s Rachel Johnson (20:21.1) won the individual title. Knights previously posted a time of 21:37.7 in the Roy Griak Invitational in Minnesota on Sept. 27.

Redshirt senior Heather Cerney recorded a time of 21:45.4 to place 64th overall, while senior Sydney Gray finished with a time of 21:47.6 to place 72nd, and junior Mariel Mendoza posted a time of 22:04.2 to place 98th overall out of 293 competitors in the event. Sophomore Megan Bordes (130th, 22:17.4), junior Ashlyn Dadkhah (136th, 22:18.7) and freshman Leann Jarvis (234th, 23:05.6) rounded out the Golden Bear lineup on Saturday.

“Heather Cerney and Marielle Mendoza returned from injuries to lead a pack of Cal women to place ninth overall in the seeded race and Sydney Gray and Meagan Bordes were in the scoring top-five for Cal,” Sandoval said.

Walden ran a season-best time of 24:42.4 to place 19th overall in the 8,000-meter race and pace Cal in a field that featured 43 of the top regionally ranked teams. Oregon’s Edward Cheserek (24:04.5) won the individual title.

Redshirt freshman Yohaness Estifanos completed the course in 25:24.3 to finish 94th overall, while Thomas Joyce recorded a time of 25:40.9 to place 132nd and freshman Cameron Tu finished with a time of 25:49.8 to place 157th out of 309 competitors. Redshirt freshmen Evan Malone-White (239th, 26:28.0) and Josh Lewis (258th, 26:40.6), and true freshman John Hogan (260th, 26:41.1) rounded out the Golden Bear lineup.

“Chris Walden finished 19th in a deep individual field while the men struggled to finish 24th,” Sandoval said. “Five freshmen traveled to Indiana with Cameron Tu in his first race as a Bear, being our fourth man.”

The course the Bears ran on Saturday in Terre Haute, Ind. will serve as the venue for the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships, which will be held Nov. 22.

Several Golden Bears competed in the Bronco Invitational in Sunnyvale, Calif. as well, led by freshman John Lawson (50th, 24:31.0) in the men’s race and junior Xochitl Navarrete (42nd, 21:31.3) in the women’s race.

Cal will next be in competition at the Pac-12 Championships at the Metropolitan Golf Links in Oakland on Friday, Oct. 31. Check CalBears.com or log on to Pac-12.com for more information on attending the Pac-12 Championships.



Men’s Results (Pre National Invitational)

Team Results (top-five): 1. Colorado (38), 2. Oregon (88), 3. Georgetown (143), 4. Furman (257), 5. Colorado State (267), 24. California (641).

Individual Winner: Edward Cheserek (Oregon) 24:04.5. Cal Finishers: 19. Chris Walden (24:42.4), 94. Yohaness Estifanos (25:24.3), 132. Thomas Joyce (25:40.9), 157. Cameron Tu (25:49.8), 239. Evan Malone-White (26:28.0), 258. Josh Lewis (26:40.6), 260. John Hogan (26:41.1).

Women’s Results (Pre National Invitational)

Team Results (top-five): 1. Georgetown (110), 2. Oregon (139), 3. Michigan (143), 4. Colorado (186), 5. North Carolina State (233), 9. California (369).

Individual Winner: Rachel Johnson (Baylor) 20:21.1. Cal Finishers: 5. Bethan Knights (20:51.3), 64. Heather Cerney (21:45.4), 72. Sydney Gray (21:47.6), 98. Mariel Mendoza (22:04.2), 130. Megan Bordes (22:17.4), 136. Ashlyn Dadkhah (22:18.7), 234. Leann Jarvis (23:05.6).



Men’s Results (Bronco Invitational)

Cal Finishers: 50. John Lawson (24:31.0), 103. Kristian Martinez (25:21.8), 138. Eugene Hamilton III (25:50.0)

Women’s Results (Bronco Invitational)

Cal Finishers: 42. Xochitl Navarrete (21:31.3), 122. Molly Babcock (22:33.5), 153. Elizabeth Flatley (23:30.1)




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