Lancers Repeat as WAC Champions

Saturday, November 2

Kansas City, MO.

California Baptist University

Western Athletic Conference Championships

Lancers Repeat as WAC Champions

11/2/2019 10:36:00 AM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country, Cross Country & Track

Men's Results (PDF)Women's Results (PDF)

By: Mike Matheney, Athletics Communications Graduate Assistant

2019 WAC women's cross country championship merchandise is available now!

🛍️ https://t.co/3knQCd8vNc #LanceUp⚔️ | #WACxc pic.twitter.com/SSRFOzZqFg
— CBU XC & Track (@CBUXCTF) November 9, 2019

KANSAS CITY – The California Baptist University women's cross country team repeated as Western Athletic Conference champions while the men were edged out by a slim margin by Utah Valley for a second-place finish at the 2019 WAC Championships at Swope Park in Kansas City on Saturday morning.

For the second straight year, Anett Somogyi won the individual WAC title, finishing in 21 minutes, 18 seconds. This marks the third time that Somogyi has won an individual conference title (two WAC, one PacWest) during her career.

🏆🏆

Senior Anett Somogyi goes out on-top as she is now a two-time WAC Cross Country Champion! She led her Lancers to another team title today as well!#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/XpWAPQCReR
— CBU XC & Track (@CBUXCTF) November 2, 2019

In total, 10 Lancer runners were named All-WAC with nine earning first-team distinctions.

"Super proud of both teams," said head coach Adam Tribble. "Even though the men came up short; having four in the top seven was more than we had hoped for. The women continued to run tight and together. Very proud of the grit and tenacity they showed. Both teams have made tremendous progress throughout the year, and we're very excited about where both teams are headed."

In women's action, it was all Lancers, with CBU sweeping the top five spots to easily claim the team title. The Lancers are the first team in WAC Championship history to sweep the top five spots in either the men's or women's competition. This is the sixth consecutive conference title CBU has claimed (two WAC, four PacWest). The Lancers are now tied with Utah Valley and NM State for the most team titles among current WAC members.

"Great stuff!"#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/JaAGzKUbfA
— CBU XC & Track (@CBUXCTF) November 2, 2019

Utah Valley finished in second place with 69 points, followed by Grand Canyon (3^rd, 88 points), NM State (4^th, 108), and Kansas City (5^th, 122 points) in the top five.

Individually for the women's team, Anna Mate (2^nd, 21:28.66) claimed All-WAC honors for the second consecutive year, this time picking up a first-team honor. Andrea Kolbeinsdottir (3^rd, 21:31.46), Fruzsi Ladanyi (4^th, 21:34.04), and Emilie Renaud (5^th, 21:35.02) rounded out the scoring for CBU. Karolina Iznerowicz (12^th, 21:58.79), last year's WAC Freshman of the Year, grabbed second team All-WAC honors. Kolbeinsdottir doubled up on awards, earning Freshman of the Year honors as the highest finishing freshman in the race.

Elin Brink (19^th, 22:18.88), Marta Afonso Lourenco (38^th, 23:18.09), and Luz Karen Olivera (46^th, 23:52.64) wrapped up the day for CBU.

The women's win was made that much more impressive considering they were the only women's team in the nation to win in such a dominant fashion this championship season. The closest contender came from Furman with 20 points in the SoCon. Only one men's team matched the Lancer accomplishment as South Dakota State from the Summit League did so later this morning.

Big-time kudos to California Baptist'swomen's x-country team. Not only won the WAC championship Saturday but also became the first in league history to do so with perfect total of 15 points.
— Jeff Hurd (@WAC_Commish) November 2, 2019

In the men's race, the battle for first and second place proved to be just as close as the coaches poll indicated earlier this week. As was predicted in the poll, Utah Valley edged the Lancers with a team score of 44 to CBU's 47. UT Rio Grande Valley (3^rd, 68 points), NM State (74 points), and Grand Canyon (5^th, 159 points) rounded out the top five.

After Utah Valley claimed the individual title, the Lancers posted four consecutive finishers in the fourth through seventh spots. McMarshal Hartzenberg (4^th, 25:15.35), Zlatko Kozuhar (5^th, 25:15.39), Manuel Peris Bruno (6^th, 25:15.44), and Giedrius Valincius (7^th, 25:17.39) all finished within two seconds of one another and claimed first team All-WAC distinctions. Kozuhar joined Kolbeinsdottir to make it a clean sweep of WAC Freshman of the Year awards.

4️⃣-5️⃣-6️⃣-7️⃣#LanceUp⚔️ | #WACxc pic.twitter.com/VfVYLoUfSd
— CBU XC & Track (@CBUXCTF) November 2, 2019

Even so, it was not enough as Utah Valley took the eighth, ninth, 12^th, and 14^th spots before the fifth CBU runner could come across the line.

The Lancers scoring five was rounded out by Henrique Neves (25^th, 26:09.79), followed by Hector Peralta (26^th, 26:10.21), Arturs Medveds (31^st, 26:23.24), and Cameron Hylton (41^st, 26:48.00).

Additionally, Tribble was named the WAC Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year.

Tribble added, "[We are] Thankful for all the work and sacrifice both teams and the staff have made this season, and very appreciative for all the support our administration provides."

The WAC Championship marks the end of the season for CBU, but proves to provide plenty of promise for the years ahead.

🎥| The #WACxc championships are in the 📕! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️💨 We had back-to-back team and individual champions, plus something that has never happened in the 58-year history on the meet! 🔽 For all the results check out: 🗞️ https://t.co/ZCSKYAxKxa @CBUXCTF | @UVU_XCTF pic.twitter.com/9ljLH8wyvR
— The Western Athletic Conference (@WACsports) November 2, 2019