California Baptist University
NCAA Cross-Country West Regionals
Cross-Country Puts Together a Pair of Top 10 Team Finishes at West Regionals
11/15/2024 9:52:00 PM | Cross Country & Track
COLFAX, WA--- The California Baptist University cross-country team embarked on its third-straight trip to the NCAA West Regionals on Friday afternoon and emerged with a pair of top-ten finishes.
The men put themselves in a terrific position for an at-large bid with a four-place finish in the 10K, while the women had a solid outing in the 6K, placing 10th. In total, CBU had four All-Region finishers and one guaranteed individual clinch a spot at Nationals.
The women's 6K race was first on deck for the Lancers, with CBU entering as the 13th-ranked team in the West Region. The Lancers would best that ranking by three spots in the race, finishing 10th among the 40 teams coming in the region. CBU would finish ahead of UCLA, Cal, UC Irvine, and San Diego State, among others, and just behind Oregon State and Cal Poly. Oregon and Stanford would go on to grab the two automatic qualifier spots.
Star freshman Ava Dyck would again be CBU's top finisher at Regionals, crossing the line in 24th for an All-Region finish. Dyck's 20:10.4 time not only paced the team but was one second off of a personal best that she set at the UCR Invite in September. Sini-Sofia Rajaniemi, Yasna Petrova, Karolina Bliujute, and Ceyda Pinar would all earn top 100 spots in the race and help CBU's team score. Rajaniemi was the second finisher for the Lancers in 62nd place at a time of 20:56.7. CBU's freshman-heavy group competed tough all season long and will gear up for the Outdoor Season.
The men entered their 10K race as the 15th-ranked team in the country and 4th in the region behind Stanford, Washington, and Oregon. The rankings would play out at regionals, with CBU placing fourth in the race behind the previously mentioned schools. Washington and Oregon would grab the auto-bids, with Stanford and CBU in prime position to earn large qualifiers for Nationals. CBU's team score would be 99 points, finishing ahead of Portland, Gonzaga, and Boise State.
Valentin Soca put together his best performance of the season to date, earning a podium finish in third place with a time of 29:09.1. The time was seven seconds off of his regional performance from last season, giving CBU's team score a huge boost. Soca, no matter the committee's decision, earned a spot at Nationals with his top finish. Zouhair Redouane continued his impressive freshman campaign by earning All-Region honors in 12th place with a time of 29:18.2. Daniel Abadal rounded out the top three for CBU in 19th place at 29:30.2 to earn All-Region recognition as well. Adam Trefecanty, Pedro Marin, Gabriel Guzman, and Victor Rosas all finished in the top 60 for the Lancers to help lower CBU's score into the top 5 in the region.
"I am so proud of these guys", commented Head Coach Sean Smith. "I know we have to wait , but it looks good and I believe they will be ready for another 10K in 8 days if we are given the privilege of getting on the line in Madison. God has gifted these runners in such a big way and I really fell like they have poured every inch of themselves into this competition. All glory to God, I am really thankful to coach these special athletes and this race was a testimony to their hard work."
NEXT: As previously mentioned, the men's team will await official word from the committee to see if they qualified for Nationals. Official at-large bids will be handed out on Saturday, November 16.
Players Mentioned
