California Baptist University
WAC Cross Country Championships
Lancers Pull Off Perfect Sweep, Winning Four Titles at 2021 WAC Championships
2/27/2021 1:43:00 PM | Cross Country & Track
The women secured the three-peat, as they remain undefeated in their three years in the WAC with 26 points. Anna Mate led the way with a championship run in 20 minutes, 53.20 seconds in the 6,000-meter race to continue the team's trend of producing the individual champion the last three years, as well.
🏆 WAC CHAMPION 🏆
— CBU XC & Track (@CBUXCTF) February 27, 2021
Congratulations to Anna Mate on winning the individual @WACsports championship with an unofficial time of 20:53.2, which is a top-15 mark in CBU history! #LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/dM1ZKPv1RM
CBU's men won its first conference title in the WAC as a team and an individual, with 23 points as a group. Giedrius Valincius won the first men's individual WAC title with a time of 24:28.40 on the 8K course.
It marked just the second time in WAC history a team has swept both individual and conference titles, with Utah Valley being the first and only team to do it back in 2015.
Adam Tribble reaped Coach of the Year honors on both sides for the Lancers. Mate and Valinicius were both named the WAC Athletes of the Year, while Greta Karinauskaite was crowned the Freshman of the Year after a third-place finish for the women.
🏆 WAC CHAMPION 🏆
— CBU XC & Track (@CBUXCTF) February 27, 2021
Congratulations to Giedrius Valincius on winning the individual @WACsports title with a time of 24:48.40. #LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/NQrQJqi53d
A LOOK AT THE WOMEN
The Lancers' women opened the day with a dominant run, as all five of their scorers finished in the top-nine. It gave CBU a team score of 26 points that was a 14-point cushion over the runners-up from Utah Valley (40).
Mate won the race by a comfortable margin, as her time of 20:53.20, which ranks 15th in CBU's 6K history, was more than 12 seconds faster than Utah Valley's Maddie Empey, the runner-up (21:05.50). Karinauskaite pushed Empey before she eventually took third in 21:07.20.
🏅 ALL-WAC FIRST TEAM 🏅
— CBU XC & Track (@CBUXCTF) February 27, 2021
Four Lancers earned All @WACsports First-Team honors with top-seven finishes in the conference.
1⃣ Anna Mate
2⃣ Greta Karinauskaite
6⃣ Emilie Renaud
7⃣ Emilia Mikszuta #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/6VaMXnTjo8
Emilie Renaud (sixth, 21:27.00); Emilia Mikszuta (seventh, 21:30.80) and Cynthia Martin (ninth, 21:51.90) rounded out CBU's scorers with top-nine finishes. Daan Haven provided some insurance for the Lancers a 10th-place finish in 21:52.50.
Renaud and Martin all earned All-WAC First Team recognition by virtue of their top-seven performances. Martin and Haaven both picked up second-team honors with their top-14 runs.
Helen Pacurariu-Nagy (19th, 22:39.30) and Paige Haynes (22nd, 22:54.50) both logged top-22 finishes for the Lancers, as well.
🙌 3⃣ PEAT COMPLETE 🙌
— CBU XC & Track (@CBUXCTF) February 27, 2021
CBU wins its third-straight @WACsports title in dominant fashion. Five Lancers finish in the top-10 and all eight were in the top-21.#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/4WfSOQQslp
A LOOK AT THE MEN
CBU's men were even better on Saturday, as their 23 points were a 20-point edge over second-place Utah Valley (43). The Lancers once again put four runners in the top seven, with three in the top four, and had all eight individuals place in the top-13.
🧹 WAC CHAMPS 🧹
— CBU XC & Track (@CBUXCTF) February 27, 2021
CBU secures the @WACsports Championship sweep, as it wins the men's and women's team and individual titles. It's the first men's championship for the Lancers. #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/DyfbyjNeKi
Valincius logged his third top-25 time in CBU history of the season, as he won the race in 24:28.40, which ranks 24th in Lancer history.
The Lancers packed together well up front, as Luis Chavez took runner-up for CBU in 24:39.30. Florian Le Pallec was not far off in fourth place (24:46.40). Cameron Hylton and Rikus Van Niekerk served as CBU's final two scorers in seventh (24:50.20) and ninth place (25:01.70), respectively.
🏅 ALL-WAC FIRST TEAM 🏅
— CBU XC & Track (@CBUXCTF) February 27, 2021
Four Lancers earned All @WACsports First-Team honors with top-seven finishes in the conference.
1⃣ Giedrius Valincius
2⃣ Luis Chavez
6⃣ Florian Le Pallec
7⃣ Cameron Hylton#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/EMby3fNF0l
CBU was far from finished, as Zlatko Kozuhar (25:07.80), McMarshal Hartzenberg (25:11.50) and Roman Zozulia (25:12.80) added to the banner day with back-to-back-to-back finishes from 11-13.
Valincius, Chavez, Le Pallec and Hylton all earned All-WAC First Team accolades, while Van Niekerk, Kozuhar, Hartzenberg and Zozulia each made the second team.
A total of 14 Lancers earned All @WACsports honors today. Here's a look at who made the all-conference second team with top-14 finishes.#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/c7FAMKGNil
— CBU XC & Track (@CBUXCTF) February 27, 2021
Players Mentioned
