SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Coming off a strong performance at the Mark Covert Classic, the Cal State Fullerton Cross Country team makes its way to San Diego for the USD Invite, hosted by the University of San Diego. The men will kick off the event at 8 a.m. PT with an 8k, while the women's 6k will follow the men's race at 9 a.m. PT. Both races will take place at Tecolote Shores North Park and parking is free.
USD INVITE: The University of San Diego will be hosting the event this weekend in what features to be a tough course for all teams competing. The event site has been the same course where the 2008 and 2011 USA Cross Country Championships were held. Also, the site will be used for the 2016 West Coast Conference Championships as well.
THE COURSE: The USD Invite course is ran over European-style 2,000 meter grass loop running along east Mission Bay Park. The landscape during the first 1,000 meters of the turn is flat and pacey. During the second 1,000 meters, there are a series of five small grass inclines. The average width of the course is 15 meters and it features a few sections where it narrows to about 5 meters in width.
THE FIELD: Schools competing along with Cal State Fullerton at the USD Invite are Loyola Marymount, Pacific, Pepperdine, San Diego and Valparaiso
RESULTS: Complete results will be posted on Fullertontitans.com following the conclusion of the meet.
MARK COVERT CLASSIC CHAMPS: For the first time since 2007, the Cal State Fullerton women's cross country team took home the crown at the Mark Covert Classic just two Saturdays ago. The Titan women put together a complete team effort as five of them finished in the top 15 to collect a total score of 41 points, being only three points shy of the program-record (38 points) in 1987. Samantha Huerta was the top-finisher for the Titans as she completed the course with a time of 18:12.9 to place fourth. Brianna Jacklin wasn't too far behind Huerta as she finished just six seconds after her (18:18.9) to place sixth among colleges. Sierra Ungerman, Stephanie Ruiz and Sandra Flores would close out the top 15 for Fullerton as the trio of Titans runners all completed the course within seven seconds of each other. Ungerman placed ninth (18:30.6), Ruiz was right behind her with a time of 18:31.0 to place 10thand Flores finished the race in 18:37.3 to place 12th among schools.
On the men's side, the Titans earned a runner-up finish with a score of 61 at the Mark Covert Classic for the second-straight season as they destroyed their score from last season by 20 points. Jose Penaloza recorded his highest finish ever at the Mark Covert Classic as the junior placed first among colleges with a time of 25:01.0. Titan Jason Hillquist also had a personal best at the Mark Covert Classic by completing the course in 25:14.6 to place second among colleges and third overall to give Fullerton the top two runners among college runners.
A LOOK AT THE 2016 SQUAD: The men return six runners from last year's squad who finished 20th at the NCAA West Regional, which happened to be Fullerton's best finish since placing 17th in 2006. Jose Penaloza leads the Titans as he finished 65th overall on the 10k course at the regional, while returners Joseph Caso, Tyler Moffit, Martin Montes, Sam Pimentel and Daniel Ramirez look to brush some experience on the seven newcomers for the Titans heading into 2016.
On the women's side, Fullerton has seven Titans coming back for the 2016-17 season as five seniors return. The CSUF women's cross country team will be a seasoned squad with only two true freshmen as sophomore Stephanie Cortez and senior Sierra Ungerman will look to lead the way for the Titans.
2015 REVIEW: The Cal State Fullerton men's Cross Country squad had a strong 2015 season as they placed in the top six in each event prior to the postseason. The top finishes last year came at the Mark Covert Classic where the Titan men finished second overall and a third-place finish at the Highlander Invitational. The men finished sixth at the Big West Championship, but would place well at the NCAA West Regional as they finished 20th, which was the highest finish for the Titan men since 2006. Jose Penaloza was the top Titan in 2015 as he finished in the top 15 in four events, including a fourth-place finish at the Mark Covert Classic with a time of 25:18.93.
The Titan women had an impressive 2015 season by placing in the top five in four events, including a fifth-place finish at the Big West Championship. Fullerton's best place at an event last year was at the Mark Covert Classic and Highlander Invitational where they finished fourth at both courses. Emily Taylor and Sierra Ungerman had the best finished of the year for the women as the both as high as sixth during the course of the season. At the Highlander Invitational, four Fullerton women placed in the top 25.
LONGEST-TENURED COACH: As the 2016 season gets underway, cross country and track and field head coach John Elders enters his 29th season at the helm of each program making him the longest tenured head coach in the history of Cal State Fullerton. Elders was tied with former fencing head coach Heizaburo Okawa (1982-2006) and former men's soccer coach Al Mistri (1981-2005) for 25 years of service at Fullerton. The Orange County native is coach of cross country, women's indoor track and field, and men's and women's outdoor track and field.
UP NEXT: After competing in the USD Invite, the Titans will start October with an event as they travel to Sacramento for the West Region Preview at Haggin Oaks Golf Complex on Oct. 1. For more updates on the CSUF Cross Country squad, follow us on Twitter (@FullertonTFXC), Instagram (@CSUFTrackandField) and like our Facebook page (Cal St. Fullerton Track & Field).