CBU Sweeps 3,000 Meter Races at RCC

Friday, March 6

Riverside, CA

California Baptist University

Riverside City College

Photo by: Chuck Utash/Dyestat

CBU Sweeps 3,000 Meter Races at RCC

3/6/2020 7:53:00 PM | Men's Track, Women's Track, Track (Distance), Cross Country & Track

By: Daniel Cook, Assistant Director of Athletics Communications

RIVERSIDE – California Baptist University brought a full complement of runners to Friday's RCC Invitational. A total of 30 runners represented CBU at Wheelock Stadium, with the 3,000 meter being the event that 28 runners competed in.

Three weeks ago, Ivo Balabanov and Emilie Renaud won the 3,000-meter titles at the Pomona-Pitzer Collegiate All-Comers in addition to breaking school records at the season opener. Friday night proved to feel like Déjà vu in a sense as a new women's record would be set, but not by Renaud.

Anett Somogyi, Anna Mate, Emilie Renaud, Fruzsi Ladanyi, and Karolina Iznerowicz grabbed top-six spots in last year's RCC Invitational and were also joined by Lara Orrock and Mary Andrews.

This year, it was Somogyi again taking the top-spot in a time of 9:35.58, a time that now ranks first all-time in CBU history for the race distance. Renaud record stood for less than a month after setting the time to beat at the Pomona-Pitzer on Feb. 15.

Elin Brink came in second also found herself in record territory running a time of 9:37.84, fast enough to grab the third fastest slot in program history. The CBU pack separated from the field early, placing well-over 200 meters between themselves and everyone else within two laps of the gun, but the pair of Somogyi and Brink separated themselves even more.

Coming in a bunched third and fourth for the Lancers were Mary Andrews (9:57.51) who crushed her previous best by over a minute, and Ladanyi (10:00.09). Iznerowicz (10:11.10), Cynthia Martin (10:40.87), and Orrock (10:47.47) rounded out the Lancer women finishers, claiming all seven point slots in the race.

Timothy Legemet, Zlatko Kozuhar, McMarshal Hartzenburg and Hector Peralta were top-six finishers at last year's RCC Invitational.

This year, the men's squad was led by the newest Lancer runner, Florian LePallec, who won in a time of 8:23.80, the third fastest time in program history. CBU had a total four new record times set in this race.

Manuel Peris (8:25.73) Legemet (8:26.98), and Giedrius Valincius (8:27.40) set the seventh, tenth, and twelfth fastest times in program history in the same race, finishing second, third, and fourth.

In fact, the CBU men's team took the top 13 spots in the race, but it was Kozuhar, Roman Zoulya, and Henrique Neves who rounded out the point-earners in the race.
Elise Winward made her debut in a Lancer jersey, competing in the 800-meter and coming in a strong ninth place in a time of two minutes, and 27.07 seconds.

Tonight was the start of three consecutive weekends of competition for CBU. The Lancers will compete on March 14th in Los Angeles at the Oxy Distance Carnival, hosted by Occidental College. They will follow that up with a Spring Break trip to San Louis Obispo to compete in the Mustang Classic on March 21st.