California Baptist University
Franson Last Chance Invite
Ruiz Earns Steeplechase PB On Final Day of the Franson Invite
5/10/2025 11:00:00 PM | Cross Country & Track
AZUSA, CA--- On the final day of the Franson Last Chance Invite, the California Baptist University track squad competed in three events on Saturday evening, looking to earn some West Regional qualifying times.
Laura Acuna kicked off the evening in the fastest heat of the Women's 1500M as she looked to try and earn a regional qualifying time. Acuna would come up short of the needed time for West Regionals, but would finish with a top 15 time in the event at 4:27.90. The time was seven seconds off her personal best that she set at the Bob Larsen Invite.
The CBU men would also take a crack at the 1500, with three runners competing in different heats in the 13-heat event. Manuel Rojas, who made his season debut last week, kicked it off for the men at 3:54.72. Roberto Castro Lara recorded the second fastest time of the event for the Lancers with a finish of 3:54.34. The fastest time came from Finn Anspach, who would finish third in his heat at 3:45.45. The time was 12th fastest in the event and would be a new personal best by four seconds that he set on the same track a few weeks ago at the Bryan Clay Invitational.
The final event of the evening for CBU was in the Men's Steeplechase as Ernesto Ruiz was looking to secure his spot in the West Regionals. Ruiz ran a qualifying time at the Bryan Clay Invitational in the early part of the season, but the time is on the edge of the qualifiers, and he was looking to move up the leaderboard in this event. Ruiz would accomplish that and more with a new personal best time of 8:49.45, which would be the 42nd fastest time in the West Region as of this meet. The time is also the second fastest time in the event in program history and gives him a great shot at earning a regional qualifier.
NEXT: The Lancers will head to Arlington, Texas, to compete in the Western Athletic Conference Championships from Thursday, May 15, to Saturday, May 17.
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