Lancers Ready for Griak Invitational

Saturday, September 28

Minneapolis, Minn.

8:20 AM

California Baptist University

Roy Griak Invitational (6K)

Photo by: Reagan Lee

Lancers Ready for Griak Invitational

9/27/2019 8:57:00 AM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country, Cross Country, Cross Country & Track

By: Mike Matheney, Athletics Communications Graduate Assistant

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – California Baptist University is set to compete at the prestigious Roy Griak Invitational, hosted by the University of Minnesota, on Saturday.

This is the 34^th edition of the Roy Griak Invitational, and is the second time the Lancers have made their way to Minneapolis for the event. Last season, CBU's women took second place, with the men taking eighth place. There are just six Lancers returning to the Roy Griak Invitational, meaning 19 CBU runners will get their first taste of the high-profile event. A live video stream will be on FloTrack.

On the women's side, Karolina Iznerowicz, Fruzsi Ladanyi, Anna Mate, Emilie Renaud and Anett Somogyi will all get their second go-round at the Les Bolstad Golf Course; McMarshal Hartzenberg is the lone representative for the men's side who ran in last year's race.

Somogyi (fifth) and Mate (16^th) landed spots on the podium, with top-20 finishes last year. Ladanyi and Iznerowicz also put up strong efforts to finish 22^nd and 23^rd, respectively. Renaud, who highlighted the Lancers' victory at the UC Riverside Invitational two weeks ago, took 51^st in 2018. On the men's side, Hartzenberg ran his way to 35^th last year.

A strong group of newcomers have helped raise the bar for both CBU teams already in 2019. The Lancer women reached new heights in the West Region Rankings (No. 7), and are ranked 24th in NCAA Division I by The Stride Report and are receiving votes in the NCAA Top-30 Rankings published by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. CBU's men have also broken into the West Region Rankings for the first time at No. 10.

Saturday's Roy Griak Invitational will serve as a litmus test for both Lancer teams and strong showings could springboard both squads higher in the regional and national rankings.

The men's race will kick things off on Saturday at 7:30 a.m. Pacific and will include the likes of No. 30 Southern Utah (Mountain Region No. 7); Minnesota (RV, Midwest Region No. 4); Gonzaga (RV, West Region No. 7); Columbia (Northeast Region No. 7) and South Dakota State (Midwest Region No. 15).

The women will follow at 8:20 a.m., with notable competition in No. 22 Minnesota (Midwest Region No. 3), No. 24 Columbia (Northeast Region No. 3), Duke (RV, Southeast Region No. 4), Southern Utah (Mountain Region No. 5) and San Francisco (West Region No. 12).