Friday, September 22
St. Paul, MN
8 AM
California Baptist University
at
Roy Griak Invitational
Photo by: Ryley Collom
The Lancers Sweep the Roy Griak Invitational for the First Time in Program History
9/22/2023 3:01:00 PM | Cross Country & Track
ST. PAUL--- At the 37th annual Roy Griak Invitational, the California Baptist University cross-country team put their best foot forward by sweeping the men's and women's gold races.
The Invitational, hosted by the University of Minnesota, included several of the top teams in the nation, with top-30 programs such as Portland, New Mexico, Colorado State, and Boise State all competing.
The performance by the Lancers gave Head Coach Adam Tribble a boost of confidence in his squad moving forward.
"Both teams ran so so tough today. It was far from perfect, but super proud of how they rose up and found a way to overcome. Super proud of both teams."
For the men's team, it was the first time winning the race, and they did so in emphatic fashion with a 24-point cushion between them and the next closest finisher, Gonzaga. The men finished with four runners in the top ten and all their athletes in the top 65 of the 171 runners in the field.
Arturs Medveds was the top scorer and finisher for the men with a fourth-place finish, crossing the line at 24:10.8. For Medveds, it was his third time running at Griak and the best time he has had at the Invitational. Valentin Soca, making his cross-country debut, was the next-highest finisher, crossing the line in sixth at 24:17.4.
Rikus Van Niekerk and Matias Reynaga rounded out the top 10 for the Lancers, with both Van Niekerk and Reynaga making significant late race pushes to wiggle their way into the top 10. Matias and Rikus both bested their times at Griak from a season ago, with Rikus improving the number by 30 seconds.
Every placer proved vital for the women as the Lancers bested second-place Utah by a single point. Greta Karinauskiate claimed the top spot on the podium, only trailing briefly in the race. Karinauskaite's 20:27.6 was the third-fastest 6K of her career with the Lancers; the second time, she brought home a first-place finish in the 6K.
Greta's teammate Yasna Petrova ran a very steady race and came in sixth with a time of 21:03.3. Emilia Mikszuta, who is coming off a first-place run at the Mark Covert Classic, was the final Lancer to earn a top-10 finish by clocking in at 21:22.6. The time was the third best of her career and only two-seconds off her time the NCAA National Championships in 2022.
Rounding out the women's race were Karin Gosek, Marina Trave, Carlota Rodes, and Maja Dzialoszewska, who all recorded top-30 finishes and helped the women win the race for the second time in program history.
The Lancers will now shift their focus on the Nuttycombe Classic, hosted by the University of Wisconsin, that will commence on Friday, October 13, in Madison, WI.
The Invitational, hosted by the University of Minnesota, included several of the top teams in the nation, with top-30 programs such as Portland, New Mexico, Colorado State, and Boise State all competing.
The performance by the Lancers gave Head Coach Adam Tribble a boost of confidence in his squad moving forward.
"Both teams ran so so tough today. It was far from perfect, but super proud of how they rose up and found a way to overcome. Super proud of both teams."
For the men's team, it was the first time winning the race, and they did so in emphatic fashion with a 24-point cushion between them and the next closest finisher, Gonzaga. The men finished with four runners in the top ten and all their athletes in the top 65 of the 171 runners in the field.
⭐️1st Place⭐️
— CBU XC & Track (@CBUXCTF) September 22, 2023
The men's team wins the Roy Griak Invitational for the first time in program history!! 🏁🔥#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/HLI17rqKC0
Arturs Medveds was the top scorer and finisher for the men with a fourth-place finish, crossing the line at 24:10.8. For Medveds, it was his third time running at Griak and the best time he has had at the Invitational. Valentin Soca, making his cross-country debut, was the next-highest finisher, crossing the line in sixth at 24:17.4.
Rikus Van Niekerk and Matias Reynaga rounded out the top 10 for the Lancers, with both Van Niekerk and Reynaga making significant late race pushes to wiggle their way into the top 10. Matias and Rikus both bested their times at Griak from a season ago, with Rikus improving the number by 30 seconds.
Every placer proved vital for the women as the Lancers bested second-place Utah by a single point. Greta Karinauskiate claimed the top spot on the podium, only trailing briefly in the race. Karinauskaite's 20:27.6 was the third-fastest 6K of her career with the Lancers; the second time, she brought home a first-place finish in the 6K.
⭐️1st Place⭐️
— CBU XC & Track (@CBUXCTF) September 22, 2023
The women claim top marks to complete the sweep for the Lancers at Roy Griak!! 🏁🔥❗️#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/jFFes8XnIO
Greta's teammate Yasna Petrova ran a very steady race and came in sixth with a time of 21:03.3. Emilia Mikszuta, who is coming off a first-place run at the Mark Covert Classic, was the final Lancer to earn a top-10 finish by clocking in at 21:22.6. The time was the third best of her career and only two-seconds off her time the NCAA National Championships in 2022.
Rounding out the women's race were Karin Gosek, Marina Trave, Carlota Rodes, and Maja Dzialoszewska, who all recorded top-30 finishes and helped the women win the race for the second time in program history.
The Lancers will now shift their focus on the Nuttycombe Classic, hosted by the University of Wisconsin, that will commence on Friday, October 13, in Madison, WI.
Players Mentioned
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/ Cross Country & Track
/ Cross Country & Track
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