California Baptist University
Roy Griak Invitational
CBU Sweeps the Roy Griak Invite with Impressive Performances
9/19/2025 9:41:00 AM | Cross Country & Track
FALCON HEIGHTS, MN--- The California Baptist University cross-country team swept the Roy Griak Invitational on Friday morning in Minnesota behind impressive team performances in both the Men's 8K and Women's 6K.
This was the second sweep of the Roy Griak Invite for CBU in program history after doing so in 2023. The Lancers would top that performance with better team scores on both sides and would get phenomenal individual finishes to complete the sweep.
"Both squads have been putting in a lot of work in the early season and it always feels good to see them start out on the right foot", remarked Head Coach Sean Smith.
The men began the morning in Minnesota with an impressively tactful performance in the Men's 8K as they pulled off an impressive final kick to take home the gold and defend their title from 2023, when they last competed in the race. CBU entered the competition as the favorites as they were the top-ranked team in the field at #16 in the latest national coaches poll. CBU's win came against a strong field that included Minnesota, Wyoming, and South Dakota State, among others.
The men began the race huddled up in the main pack over the first 5K of the race before executing a final push over the final 3K to secure the title. Gabriel Guzman was the top finisher for the Lancers, placing fourth with a time of 24:58.8. The Lancers would have five of the top 12 finishers, including top ten finishes from Pedro Marin, Jude DeVries, and Ernesto Ruiz. The Lancers also earned key points from the middle of its group, with Finn Anspach and Roberto Castro Lara both placing in the top 30 as the final two countable scores for Sean Smith's crew.
The women's 6K would conclude the terrific day for the Lancers as they battled against an equally solid field led by #20 Minnesota. The women helped CBU complete the sweep of the Roy Griak Invite with seven of its runners in the top 20, helping them edge out Minnesota by 18 points in the final standings. The 25 points scored by the Lancers were the third best mark in the history of the Roy Griak Invitational and the best since 2017. The women started and finished strong as they had a continuous presence at the front of the pack throughout the race.
Sophomore Helena Mees was the top finisher for CBU, placing second in the race with a personal best time of 21:41.5. Mees' teammate Sarah Schiffmann, who was the champion of the Aztec Coastal Classic a few weeks ago, placed right alongside her with an equal time of 21:41.5 to help the Lancers have two athletes on the podium. Ceyda Pinar would come in ten seconds later for a fourth-place finish at 21:51.7, followed by Karolina Bliujute in 6th place to give CBU a strong contingent at the front of the finish line. Emilia Mikszuta, Ava Dyck, and Mahaut Cooren would all give the Lancers critical points with top 20 finishes as the Lancers wrapped an impressive day at Lee Bolstad Course.
"This was a long time coming for the women and we knew coming into this race that something special was on the horizon. I was just really impressed with Helena especially and I am so incredibly proud of her. She absolutely transformed herself this summer and through last year. She is one of the hardest workers I have ever coached," said Coach Smith.
NEXT: The Lancers will head back home for some local action as they compete in the Riverside Invite on Saturday, September 27, at UC Riverside.
Players Mentioned
