California Baptist University
Stanford Invite
Multiple Lancers Set New Personal Bests at Stanford Invite
3/30/2024 12:08:00 AM | Cross Country & Track
PALO ALTO/HAYWARD, CA--- The California Baptist University track team faced its first true test of the season as they headed north to compete in the prestigious Stanford Invite and the Mike Fanelli Track Classic.
The Stanford Invite has been a competition for nearly 50 years and attracts many of the top-tier programs in the nation. This year, the top programs participating include Texas A&M, Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Oklahoma State.
After a slow start to the meet, the Lancers found their stride in the late-night distance races. Yasna Petrova kicked off a successful evening for CBU, competing in the Women's 10K alongside her teammate Carlota Rodes. In the 35-runner field, Petrova came away with a top-5 finish while setting a new personal best in the 10K. Petrova finished at 32:36.97, coming in 14 seconds behind first place and 0.57 seconds from a podium finish. Petrova's new personal best outpaced her previous record by 49 seconds, which she set at last year's Stanford Invite. Rodes also set her new personal best in the heat with a time of 33:16.70, shattering her previous record by 53 seconds.
Petrova and Rodes's times are now the two best 10K finishes in the history of the program, with Petrova's standing as the new record by nearly 50 seconds.
Valentin Soca kept the ball rolling for the Lancers with an impressive 10K performance in a loaded field. Soca competed against multiple All-Americans in the race, including 2x National Champion Ky Robinson of Stanford. Soca kept pace with the leaders for the majority of the run and would ultimately finish in 11th place. The 11th-place finish was 0.16 seconds ahead of Robinson's and 0.19 seconds ahead of a top-10 finish. Soca would set a personal best in the 10K, clocking in at 28:14.96.
Matias Reynaga would close out the race for the Lancers in the second heat of the Men's 10K. Reynaga started strong through the top half of the race and would eventually settle in and claim sixth place in the heat. Reynaga would earn a new personal best in the event for his efforts at 28:42.88, coming within six seconds of the leader. Soca and Reynaga now own the two best 10K times in program history, with Soca's time serving as the program high.
NEXT: The Lancers will be back in action at the Bryan Clay Invitational from April 11-13 in Azusa, California.
Players Mentioned
