Saturday, November 19
OSU Cross Country Course (Stillwater, OK)
W: 7:20 A.M. PST / 8:10 A.M. PST
vs
NCAA National Championships
Photo by: Raymond Tran
Ritter Makes History in Final Race at NCAA Championships
11/19/2022 10:45:00 AM | Cross Country
STILLWATER, Okla. — Cal Poly's Jake Ritter capped off a remarkable career Saturday morning at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, placing 90th overall.
With the result, Ritter became the highest individual finisher at nationals on the men's side for Cal Poly since Phillip Reid in 2007.
The milestone finished off a historic final season for Ritter, who became the first athlete to represent the Mustangs at the national meet in four years when he stepped on the start line Saturday.
"I'm really proud of Jake and how he competed today in his final race as a Mustang," first-year Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Ryan Vanhoy said. "It's always great to finish the season with representation at the NCAA Championships, and he capped off a stellar season with a solid showing in Stillwater.
I'd like to thank Jake for his efforts and leadership this fall, as he certainly worked hard to elevate our program in his final season."
This fall, the graduate student ran a Big West meet record time of 23:27.4 to become the first athlete in conference history to claim three individual cross country titles (2018, 2019 and 2022). The Citrus Heights native crossed the finish line 14 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher to power the Cal Poly men to their 18th Big West title, first since 2019, and their lowest team score (22) since posting 18 at the 2016 conference meet.
Ritter followed up that performance with an impressive 12th-place finish at NCAA West Regionals, running a personal-best 10K time of 28:43.3 to punch his ticket to the NCAA Championships in Stillwater and earn USTFCCCA All-Region honors, the first Mustang to receive that praise since 2017. He also helped the Cal Poly men secure their best team finish at regionals (eighth) since 2013.
In 2021, a stress reaction in Ritter's right hip forced his season to be cut short just two meets in. He was granted a medical redshirt to return for a sixth season this fall and made the most of it, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest distance runners in program history.
With the result, Ritter became the highest individual finisher at nationals on the men's side for Cal Poly since Phillip Reid in 2007.
The milestone finished off a historic final season for Ritter, who became the first athlete to represent the Mustangs at the national meet in four years when he stepped on the start line Saturday.
"I'm really proud of Jake and how he competed today in his final race as a Mustang," first-year Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Ryan Vanhoy said. "It's always great to finish the season with representation at the NCAA Championships, and he capped off a stellar season with a solid showing in Stillwater.
I'd like to thank Jake for his efforts and leadership this fall, as he certainly worked hard to elevate our program in his final season."
This fall, the graduate student ran a Big West meet record time of 23:27.4 to become the first athlete in conference history to claim three individual cross country titles (2018, 2019 and 2022). The Citrus Heights native crossed the finish line 14 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher to power the Cal Poly men to their 18th Big West title, first since 2019, and their lowest team score (22) since posting 18 at the 2016 conference meet.
Ritter followed up that performance with an impressive 12th-place finish at NCAA West Regionals, running a personal-best 10K time of 28:43.3 to punch his ticket to the NCAA Championships in Stillwater and earn USTFCCCA All-Region honors, the first Mustang to receive that praise since 2017. He also helped the Cal Poly men secure their best team finish at regionals (eighth) since 2013.
In 2021, a stress reaction in Ritter's right hip forced his season to be cut short just two meets in. He was granted a medical redshirt to return for a sixth season this fall and made the most of it, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest distance runners in program history.
Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
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