Friday, November 11, 2016

Knights, Brandt Lead Cal At West Regional

11/11/2016 5:31 PM | By: Cal Athletics

SACRAMENTO --- Led by the trio of junior Bethan Knights, sophomore Robert Brandt and redshirt junior Trent Brendel, the California cross country teams were able to record solid performances at Friday's NCAA West Regionals at the Haggin Oaks Golf Complex.

The Golden Bear men were able to match their 2015 showing this year, accumulating 188 points to finish sixth overall. On the women's side, Cal finished in the top ten with a ninth place performance, garnering 275 total points as a unit.

Knights put together the best race of any Cal entry on the day, placing eighth place overall in the women's 6K with a time of 19:44.5. Brandt (29:56.0) and Brendel (29:58.9) finished four spots and 2.5 seconds apart, claiming 12th and 16th place respectively in the men's 10K.

"Bethan ran great today and executed her race plan really well," head coach Shayla Houlihan said of Knights' efforts. "It was great to see her perform today and beat some individuals she hadn't beaten before."

For their efforts, the trio were named All-Region selections by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

When reflecting on the men's performances, Houlihan said, "Robert, Trent and the guys ran perfectly. It was amazing to watch their race unfold. Everyone was able to run a strong race today."

Overall, Stanford claimed automatic bids to both the men's and women's NCAA Championships by winning each West Regional race, while the Washington women and the Portland men joined the Cardinal by finishing second.

The Bears will learn their fate in regards to Nationals when the NCAA announces the full field on Saturday, November 12.

MEN'S RESULTS (PLACE / ATHLETE / TIME / POINTS)
12 / Robert Brandt / 29:56.0 / 12
16 / Trent Brendel / 29:58.9 / 16
34 / Garrett Corcoran / 30:22.0 / 34
60 / Kai Benedict / 30:48.8 / 59
68 / Paul Zeiss / 31:06.1 / 67
72 / John Lawson / 31:09.6 / 71
79 / Steve Correa / 31:25.7 / 78

WOMEN'S RESULTS (PLACE / ATHLETE / TIME / POINTS)
8 / Bethan Knights / 19:44.5 / 8
39 / Xochitl Navarrete / 20:29.5 / 38
50 / Marissa Williams / 20:42.8 / 49
86 / Skyler Flora / 21:26.3 / 85
97 / Megan Bordes / 21:35.4 / 95
113 / Natalie Herberg / 21:48.6 / 111
180 / Marissa Dobry / 22:44.0 / 175

Print Friendly Version