NCAA Pre-Nationals
Cal Poly Women Win Bronco Invite; Bove Impresses at Pre-Nationals
10/19/2024 4:30:00 PM | Cross Country
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — In its final action before competing in the Big West Championships, the Cal Poly cross country program shined across a pair of meets Saturday, highlighted by the women capturing the team title at the Bronco Invitational and junior Tatiana Cornejo finishing first overall at the meet.
The Mustangs split the team between two meets, sending their top eight runners on the men’s side to the Pre-Nationals meet hosted by Wisconsin, while the rest of the squad traveled to the Bay Area to race in the Bronco Invitational hosted by Santa Clara. A total of 28 Mustangs competed across the two meets.
The Cal Poly women stole the spotlight Saturday with a dominant showing at Baylands Park in Sunnyvale, Calif. The Mustangs trampled the rest of the competition, finishing with 45 team points — 75 points in front of second-place UC Davis (120).
Cornejo led the charge for the Mustangs, winning the women’s 6K individual title with a time of 20:14.4. It was the third straight meet Cornejo was Cal Poly’s top finisher. Last year, the Elk Grove, Calif. native earned USTFCCCA All-West Region honors by capturing 23rd at the NCAA West Regional meet.
Senior Schuyler Gooley was the next Mustang to cross the finish line, earning fifth (20:34.9). Five more Cal Poly runners finished inside the top 24 at the Bronco Invite to help the Mustangs roll past the rest of the competition. Senior Hana Catsimanes secured 13th (20:54.4), junior Riley Cash took 16th (20:56.8), senior Ellie Baxter grabbed 22nd (21:08.4), sophomore Sydney Sundgren earned 23rd (21:10.3) and redshirt sophomore Sophia Nordenholz snagged 24th (21:10.5).
Seven other women raced in the meet, highlighted by freshman Renae Searls placing 29th (21:20.7), redshirt junior Isabel Sanchez 32nd (21:23.0) and redshirt freshman Lianna Guerra 34th (21:23.8).
Ending the regular season with a W ??
— Cal Poly TF/XC (@CalPolyTrack_XC) October 19, 2024
Our women captured first at the Bronco Invitational today with a dominant showing, finishing 75 points in front of second-place UC Davis ?? Tatiana Cornejo won the individual title and seven Mustangs finished inside the top 25!!#RideHigh?? pic.twitter.com/1Y6a38a0Yo
Six Cal Poly men participated in the Bronco Invitational as well, helping the Mustangs grab second as a team with 72 points. Redshirt freshman Jude DeVries earned sixth (23:59.1), redshirt sophomore Lewis Westwood 12th (24:24.1) and redshirt freshman Micah Sanchez 13th (24:28.0) highlighted the finishers for the Mustangs.
Cal Poly’s top runners on the men’s side headed to Madison, Wisconsin, on Saturday to take part in the Pre-Nationals meet, held at the site of this year’s NCAA Championships. Nineteen of the top-30 teams in the country competed in the race and the Mustangs captured 23rd out of 32 teams in the men’s 8K “A” race with 571 points. Cal Poly, who received two votes in the most recent USTFCCCA Coaches Poll, went stride for stride with some of the best in the country and finished in front of four nationally ranked teams — No. 13 Washington (24th), No. 27 Florida State (31st), No. 28 Air Force (32nd) and No. 29 Texas (27th). No. 3 Arkansas won the meet with 89 points.
Graduate student Davis Bove paced the Mustangs with yet another impressive performance, finishing 15th overall in a loaded field with an 8K time of 23:08.6 on the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course. In his season debut at the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational just over two weeks ago, the 2023 All-West Region honoree and NCAA qualifier ran an 8K personal best (22:56.5) to secure sixth place overall and earn Big West Men’s XC Athlete of the Week honors for the third time in his career.
Sophomore Chris Caudillo, the 2023 Big West Men’s Freshman of the Year, was the next to cross the finish line, grabbing 112th (24:00.8). Redshirt freshman Rory Catsimanes, a transfer from UC San Diego, took 131st (24:09.1), senior Colton Swinth 149th (24:17.7), redshirt senior Anthony Guerra 176th (24:26.8), redshirt junior Bryce Kueker 189th (24:31.9) and redshirt junior Michael Chambers 208th (24:51.8). Senior Aidan McCarthy did not finish the race.
With the regular season in the rearview, the Mustangs will now gear up for the 2024 Big West Championships slated for Saturday, Nov. 2, at UC Riverside’s Ag/Ops Course. Cal Poly is seeking to sweep the Big West men’s and women’s team titles for the third consecutive year.
Davis Bove impresses once again, placing 15th overall in a loaded field at Pre-Nationals with an 8K time of 23:08.6 ?? As a team, the Cal Poly men finish 23rd, crossing the finish line in front of four ranked teams!#RideHigh?? pic.twitter.com/sETI1gM49i
— Cal Poly TF/XC (@CalPolyTrack_XC) October 19, 2024
NCAA Pre-Nationals Results
Cal Poly Men | 8K “A” Race
15, Davis Bove, 23:08.6. 112, Chris Caudillo, 24:00.8. 131, Rory Catsimanes, 24:09.1. 149, Colton Swinth, 24:17.7. 176, Anthony Guerra, 24:26.8. 189, Bryce Kueker, 24:31.9. 208, Michael Chambers, 24:51.8.
Bronco Invitational Results
Cal Poly Women | 6K Invite
1, Tatiana Cornejo, 20:14.4. 5, Schuyler Gooley, 20:34.9. 13, Hana Catsimanes, 20:54.4. 16, Riley Cash, 20:56.8. 22, Ellie Baxter, 21:08.4. 23, Sydney Sundgren, 21:10.3. 24, Sophia Nordenholz, 21:10.5. 29, Renae Searls, 21:20.7. 32, Isabel Sanchez, 21:23.0. 34, Lianna Guerra, 21:23.8. 44, Nina St. John, 21:41.1. 52, Melisse Djomby Enyawe, 21:52.0. 71, Nicole Bridges, 22:04.8. 154, Ella Echsner, 23:47.3.
Cal Poly Men | 8K Invite
6, Jude DeVries, 23:59.1. 12, Lewis Westwood, 24:24.1. 13, Micah Sanchez, 24:28.0. 18, Carson Smith, 24:37.7. 23, Dheeraj Gurusamy, 24:46.6. 38, Rory Smail, 25:07.0.
