UCSB Lagoon Open • University Center (Goleta, CA)
Ritter Leads Cal Poly Cross Country to Win at UCSB Lagoon Invitational
9/15/2018 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Mustangs 2nd in 5k, Led by Fisk
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — For a second meet in a row to open the cross country season, Cal Poly sophomore Jake Ritter paced the Mustangs to a team win — this time at UC Santa Barbara's Lagoon Invitational. Cal Poly compiled a men's team score of 33 on Saturday to take the tri-meet victory, topping the host Gauchos (42 points) and fellow Big West Conference attendant Cal State Fullerton (63 points).
Ritter clocked an 8k time of 25:02.05, good for third place individually. A Granite Bay High grad from Citrus Heights just outside of Sacramento, Ritter also placed a team-best fourth at CSF's Covert Classic earlier in the month, as Cal Poly also won that 14-school meet.
Nick Randazzo earned medalist honors on his home course in 24:53.43, edging out Gaucho teammate Yousef Baddour by 7.1 seconds.
Keying Cal Poly to the team win were four additional Mustangs scoring within the top 10, as Peter Cotsirilos (at 25:11.57), Justin Robison (25:17.38), Benjamin Holland (25:19.54) and Logan Marshall (25:20.39) demonstrated the squad's depth by crossing the finish line in succession, 6-7-8-9.
Following for the defending conference champions were Ethan Duffy (who took 11th place at 25:30.11), Sean McDermott (12th, in 25:31.10) & Cameron Botten (13th; 25:33.52). Up next were Alex Merder, taking 18th place via a time of 25:44.54; Evan Jameson in 25th at 26:14.01; and Luis Armendariz in 44th at 27:20.92.
Cal Poly took second place in the ensuing women's 5k, tallying 43 points. Fullerton won with a score of 34, while UCSB came in third at 48. Abbey Fisk led the Mustangs, as the sophomore from Davis took fifth place with a performance of 17:17.56.
Katie Izzo and Maddie McDonald were close behind for Cal Poly, earning sixth & seventh place, respectively, in 17:19.96 and 17:21.44.
A duo of Gauchos also won the top two spots at home in the 5k, as Katie Camarena bested Astrid Rosvall by just eight-tenths of a second: 17:06.91 to 17:07.71.
Completing Cal Poly's scoring were Delaney Fitzsimmons in 11th place running a 17:41.09; Annie Meeder, who came in 14th, at 17:45.88; Hannah Hull, tallying 17th at 17:57.34; and Rachel Bordes in 19th at 18:00.17.
Chase Worthen added a 24th-place performance of 18:14.73, ahead of true freshman Lexi Watkins in 26th (18:21.01) & Melodie Leroudier (27th; 18:23.18). Redshirt freshman Mikaela Romanini, an 800m specialist during track & field season, also made her intercollegiate cross country debut on a scoring basis, taking 30th overall, in 18:42.48.
Several Mustangs also competed at the meet on an unattached basis. Xian Shively came in 14th place altogether in the 8k, recording a 25:34.52. He was trailed by four more true-freshmen teammates: Will Fallini-Haas in 16th (25:40.39); Brett Hickman 20th (25:58.28); Anthony Benitez 24th (26:11.84) and Hayden Hansen 35th (26:53.88). Sydnie Rivas then paced the true freshmen racing in the 5k, clocking a 16th-place 17:55.07 — ahead of Presley Roldan (32nd via 18:59.97) and Liz Hogan (36th; 19:29.86).
Cal Poly will now train for the Stanford Invitational, set for Saturday, Sept. 29. The collegiate sections of the meet get underway with the 6k scheduled for 9:50 a.m., before the 8k at 10:30, each at Stanford Golf Course.
Photo © Mike Nesbit
