Friday, February 5
Tallahassee, Fla.
6 AM
California Baptist University
at
Florida State Winter Meet
Photo by: Stan Plewe/DSU Athletics
Lancers Test Themselves at Prestigious Florida State Winter Classic
2/5/2021 9:20:00 AM | Cross Country & Track
TALLAHASSEE – California Baptist University cross country took the opportunity to test itself at the prestigious Florida State Winter Classic on Friday morning.
The Lancers secured a top-10 finish out of 20 teams on the men's side, while the women took 12th out of 18 in perhaps the deepest field the program has ever seen. A total of 12 top-30 teams in NCAA Division I, including two others receiving votes, were in attendance. CBU knocked off teams from Tennessee, Connecticut, Kansas, Florida, Syracuse and many more in the process.
"This was a great experience for both teams, as the field were loaded with many of the top teams in the nation in both races," Coach Adam Tribble said.
CBU's men went head-to-head with seven top-30 teams. Twelfth-ranked Stanford won the meet with 67 points, while No. 6 Iowa State and No. 13 Colorado tied for second place (98). Twenty-second ranked Utah State (fourth, 160); No. 19 Wake Forest (fifth, 184); No. 30 Syracuse (eighth, 202) and No. 22 Southern Utah (ninth, 212) added to the star-studded top-10.
The only two non-ranked teams to place in front of CBU were Power 5 opponents Duke (sixth, 190) and host Florida State (seventh, 196). The Lancers scored a 246 to handily beat out Tennessee (283) for 10th place.
Ivo Balabanov and Florian Le Pallec led CBU's men with top-26 finishes individually and top-10 times in the program's 8,000-kilometer record book.
Balabanov placed 19th in 23 minutes, 57.9 seconds which is just off the 8K record he set at the Dixie State Invite (23:45.3), as he now holds the top-two 8K times in Lancer history. Le Pallec came in 26th in a career-best 24:11.0, which ranks seventh in CBU history.
The next four Lancers finished in the top-84 in the 143-individual field. Giedrius Valincius took 62nd in 24:36.8, while Manuel Peris Bruno (24:52.0) and Luis Chavez (24:52.0) finished back-to-back in 74th and 75th. Freshman Rikus Van Niekerk was not far-off scoring, as he took 84th in 25:03.2.
CBU's women faced seven teams receiving votes in the NCAA Division I rankings. Eighth-ranked Colorado won the team title (72) just in front of fourth-ranked Stanford (77). Duke placed third, while Oklahoma State (fourth, 181), No. 20 Iowa State (fifth, 189) and West Virginia (sixth, 200) made up the top six.
The Lancers just missed out on besting No. 29 Boston College for 11th place, as the Eagles scored a 279 to CBU's 281.
It was the same scoring five, in the same order from the season-opening Dixie State Invite for CBU. Anna Mate, Greta Karinauskaite and Emilie Renaud led the group with top-54 finishes.
Mate took 35th in 21:06.0, while Karinauskaite and Renaud finished 43rd and 54th in 21:20.2 and 21:33.8, respectively. Emilia Mikszuta (21:52.5) and Luz Karen Olivera (22:00.0) rounded out the scorers in 74th and 82nd. Daan Haven finished close to the scoring five in 84th (22:00.5).
"We were buried at the start, but both groups rallied and moved up as the races progressed," Tribble said. "I am proud of the effort and focus both teams showed, and to have these good, solid performances in your first time stepping into this level of competition is a great omen for what's to come."
CBU has tackled a very challenging two-event schedule leading up to the Western Athletic Conference Championships next on Saturday, Feb. 27 in Seattle. The Lancers will look to build on last season when the women won their second-straight conference crown in the WAC and the men finished runner-up.
The Lancers secured a top-10 finish out of 20 teams on the men's side, while the women took 12th out of 18 in perhaps the deepest field the program has ever seen. A total of 12 top-30 teams in NCAA Division I, including two others receiving votes, were in attendance. CBU knocked off teams from Tennessee, Connecticut, Kansas, Florida, Syracuse and many more in the process.
"This was a great experience for both teams, as the field were loaded with many of the top teams in the nation in both races," Coach Adam Tribble said.
CBU's men went head-to-head with seven top-30 teams. Twelfth-ranked Stanford won the meet with 67 points, while No. 6 Iowa State and No. 13 Colorado tied for second place (98). Twenty-second ranked Utah State (fourth, 160); No. 19 Wake Forest (fifth, 184); No. 30 Syracuse (eighth, 202) and No. 22 Southern Utah (ninth, 212) added to the star-studded top-10.
The only two non-ranked teams to place in front of CBU were Power 5 opponents Duke (sixth, 190) and host Florida State (seventh, 196). The Lancers scored a 246 to handily beat out Tennessee (283) for 10th place.
Ivo Balabanov and Florian Le Pallec led CBU's men with top-26 finishes individually and top-10 times in the program's 8,000-kilometer record book.
Balabanov placed 19th in 23 minutes, 57.9 seconds which is just off the 8K record he set at the Dixie State Invite (23:45.3), as he now holds the top-two 8K times in Lancer history. Le Pallec came in 26th in a career-best 24:11.0, which ranks seventh in CBU history.
The next four Lancers finished in the top-84 in the 143-individual field. Giedrius Valincius took 62nd in 24:36.8, while Manuel Peris Bruno (24:52.0) and Luis Chavez (24:52.0) finished back-to-back in 74th and 75th. Freshman Rikus Van Niekerk was not far-off scoring, as he took 84th in 25:03.2.
TOP ✋
— CBU XC & Track (@CBUXCTF) February 5, 2021
Ivo Balabanov, Florian Le Pallec, Giedrius Valincius, Manuel Peris Bruno and Luis Chavez led the men to a top-10 finish at the prestigious Florida State Winter Classic. #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/rU3YY0wNQ9
CBU's women faced seven teams receiving votes in the NCAA Division I rankings. Eighth-ranked Colorado won the team title (72) just in front of fourth-ranked Stanford (77). Duke placed third, while Oklahoma State (fourth, 181), No. 20 Iowa State (fifth, 189) and West Virginia (sixth, 200) made up the top six.
The Lancers just missed out on besting No. 29 Boston College for 11th place, as the Eagles scored a 279 to CBU's 281.
It was the same scoring five, in the same order from the season-opening Dixie State Invite for CBU. Anna Mate, Greta Karinauskaite and Emilie Renaud led the group with top-54 finishes.
Mate took 35th in 21:06.0, while Karinauskaite and Renaud finished 43rd and 54th in 21:20.2 and 21:33.8, respectively. Emilia Mikszuta (21:52.5) and Luz Karen Olivera (22:00.0) rounded out the scorers in 74th and 82nd. Daan Haven finished close to the scoring five in 84th (22:00.5).
TOP ✋
— CBU XC & Track (@CBUXCTF) February 5, 2021
The women take 12th at the elite Florida State Winter Classic. The Lancers repeat their scoring 5️⃣ in the same order from their season opener.#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/ZDhsMMy8Tm
"We were buried at the start, but both groups rallied and moved up as the races progressed," Tribble said. "I am proud of the effort and focus both teams showed, and to have these good, solid performances in your first time stepping into this level of competition is a great omen for what's to come."
CBU has tackled a very challenging two-event schedule leading up to the Western Athletic Conference Championships next on Saturday, Feb. 27 in Seattle. The Lancers will look to build on last season when the women won their second-straight conference crown in the WAC and the men finished runner-up.
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