CBU Cross Country Puts Together Banner Day at Battle Born Challenge

Friday, February 19

Las Vegas

10 AM

California Baptist University

Battle Born Collegiate Cross Country Challenge

CBU Cross Country Puts Together Banner Day at Battle Born Challenge

2/19/2021 12:27:00 PM | Cross Country & Track

By: Andrew Shortall, Director of Athletics Communications

LAS VEGAS – California Baptist University cross country wrapped up its regular season at the Battle Born Collegiate Challenge on Friday at Craig Ranch Regional Park.

In its final meet before the Western Athletic Conference Championships, the Lancers' men put together a banner day. They knocked off two ranked teams in NCAA Division I and rewrote their record book.

For the second time this season, Ivo Balabanov set a new 8,000-meter record with a time of 23 minutes 33.5 seconds and Florian Le Pallec recorded the second-best time in Lancer history with a 23:43.3, which was just the start of all five of CBU's scorers logged top-20 times in program history.

🚨 RECORD ALERT 🚨

For the second time this season, Ivo Balabanov has set CBU's 8K record with a time of 23:33.5. It secured him 14th place at the UNLV Battle Born Challenge. #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/F671H0JKDM
— CBU XC & Track (@CBUXCTF) February 19, 2021

The men faced seven ranked teams in the nine-team field, and came away with an impressive sixth-place finish, with head-to-head wins over No. 25 Colorado State and No. 36 Wyoming. CBU was a point off a top-five finish, with a score of 154.

Second-ranked Northern Arizona won the team title with a score of 20. Fifth-ranked Stanford followed with a 48, while No. 10 Colorado (70), No. 33 Southern Utah (111) and No. 40 Boise State (153) rounded out the top five. CBU's 154 was a comfortable margin over Colorado State (180), Wyoming (187) and Nevada (287).

"I am really happy and proud of the tenacity and grit the men's team showed today," Coach Adam Tribble said. "They ran with passion and purpose, and they made tremendous strides knocking off two ranked teams and almost beating another in Boise State."

For the third time in as many events, Balabanov led the way in 14^th place (23:33.5), but Le Pallec was not far off in 21^st (23:43.3), which just bested Balabanov's previous 8K record of 23:45.3 set at the season-opening Dixie State Trailblazer Invite.

Four Lancers placed in the top 40 on Friday and set top-10 times in team history. Giedrius Valincius took 38^th in 24:08.4 and Manuel Peris Bruno took 40^th in 24:10.8. Those times ranked seventh and 10^th in CBU history, respectively.

Luis Chavez was the Lancers' final scorer in 48^th (24:24.1), but was pushed by teammates McMarshal Hartzenberg (56^th, 24:39.1) and Rikus Van Niekerk (62^nd, 24:49.9).

On the women's side, CBU took 11^th in a formidable 12-team field with a score of 279. Fourth-ranked New Mexico won it all (60), while sixth-ranked Stanford (85) and No. 16 Northern Arizona (100) rounded out the top three.

💪💪💪

The men ran strong at the Battle Born Challenge. The Lancers took sixth place and knocked off No. 25 Colorado State and No. 38 Wyoming along the way.

CBU's top-five all logged top-20 times in program history in the process. #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/ZzpJibSKsA
— CBU XC & Track (@CBUXCTF) February 19, 2021

Eleventh-ranked Boise State (101), fifth-ranked Colorado (102), Washington (132), Colorado State (177), No. 32 Utah (242) rounded out the top eight.

Anna Mate and Greta Karinsauskaite continued to lead the Lancers. Mate took 35^th in 20:43.0, while Karinauskaite finished 45^th (20:57.5). Emilie Renaud (66^th, 21:19.4); Daan Haven (75^th, 21:33.4) and Emilia Mikszuta (86^th, 21:49.4) completed CBU's scoring five.

"The women struggled today, and I think it was probably the wake-up call we needed to get our mojo right as we prepare for the WAC Championships next week," Tribble said.

UP NEXT
CBU will wrap up its cross country season at the WAC Championships on Saturday, Feb. 27. The conference meet will be hosted at Jefferson Park Golf Course in Seattle.

Last year, the Lancer women made history, posting the first perfect score in conference history and will head to Seattle as the two-time champs. CBU's men finished runner-up last time in the WAC.