Oct. 31, 2009
Riverside, Calif. - The 2009 edition of the Big West Cross Country Championships added more history to the record books as the Cal Poly Men and UC Santa Barbara women claimed the crowns. The races were held at Riverside Ops Course in Riverside, Calif., and hosted by UC Riverside.
The Mustang men, who tallied 28 points, won the title for the seventh consecutive season and added to their record title count with No. 10 all-time. UC Santa Barbara finished in second with 67 points, while UC Davis rounded out the top 10 with 81 tallies. Host UCR was fourth with 86 points, Long Beach State ended up in fifth with 117 points, while UC Irvine was sixth with 143 points. Cal State Fullerton (182) and Cal State Northridge (249) wrapped up the scoring in the men's 8K race.
UCSB's title returns the Gauchos to the top of the Big West for the first time since 2007. The club amassed 50 points for the championship, besting second place UC Davis by 11 points. Cal Poly was third with 74 tallies, while Long Beach State rounded out the top four with 100 points. Fifth place went to host UC Riverside with 112 points, sixth belonged to Cal State Fulleron with 153 points, while Cal State Northridge was seventh with 189 points. UC Irvine (204) and Pacific (288) completed the scoring on the women's end.
Cal Poly's Joe Gatel won the men's overall title with a Big West and course record time of 23:36.8. Julian deRubira of UC Santa Barbara was close behind Gatel with a time of 23:40.3 for second place, while Evan Anderson of Cal Poly was third in 23:41.6. Fourth place belonged to UC Riverside's Chad Hall as he finished in 23:44.4, while the Gauchos picked up another top five finisher in Scott Smith, who finished the course in 24:00.5. Cal Poly's championship run was clinched with the results of the next five as three Mustangs were among the finishers in that span. Carl Dargitz led the contingent with a sixth place showing (24:03.9), Andy Wright was in eighth (24:13.9) and Leif Anderson was 10th (24:24.6). Rounding out the top 10 was UC Davis' Jon Peterson in seventh (24:09.6) and UCR's Emmanuel Ngula in ninth (24:24.3).
UC Davis had its first individual winner in its DI history as Sarah Sumpter won the women's 6K in 20:34, just ahead of Cal Poly's Kayleigh Tyerman (20:35.4) and Cal State Northridge's Lilyana Morejon (20:36.3). Coming in fourth with Crystal Reed of UC Santa Barbara in 20:43.5, while the host Highlanders had a top five finisher in Katy Daly (20:43.9). UCSB picked up another top 10 finisher in Amanda Moreno, who finished in sixth at 20:48.9, while Abbey Gallaher of UC Davis was seventh with a time of 21:00.9. Eighth place belonged to Missy Barclay of Long Beach State (21:01.8), while the Gauchos claimed the final two spots of the top 10 in Breanne Strenkowski (21:06.9) and Katie Voigtlander (21:07.7).
Cal State Fullerton's top runners were Yomaira Hernandez, 11th in the women's 6K race in 21:11.6 and Tyler Reed, 31st in the men's 8K race in 25:22.0
2009 BIG WEST CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS
MEN'S 8K
1. Joe Gatel, Cal Poly - 23:36.8
2. Julia deRubira, UC Santa Barbara - 23:40.3
3. Evan Anderson, Cal Poly - 23:41.6
4. Chad Hall, UC Riverside - 23:44.4
5. Scott Smith, UC Santa Barbara - 24:00.5
6. Carl Dargitz, Cal Poly - 24:03.9
7. Jon Peterson, UC Davis - 24:09.6
8. Andy Wright, Cal Poly - 24:13.9
9. Emmanuel Ngula, UC Riverside - 24:24.3
10. Leif Anderson, Cal Poly - 24:24.6
WOMEN'S 6K
1. Sarah Sumpter, UC Davis - 20:34.0
2. Kayleigh Tyerman, Cal Poly - 20:35.4
3. Lilyana Morejon, Cal State Northridge - 20:36.3
4. Crystal Reed, UC Santa Barbara - 20:43.5
5. Katy Daly, UC Riverside - 20:43.9
6. Amanda Moreno, UC Santa Barbara - 20:48.9
7. Abbey Gallaher, UC Davis - 21:00.9
8. Missy Barclay, Long Beach State - 21:01.8
9. Breanne Strenkowski, UC Santa Barbara - 21:06.9
10. Katie Voigtlander, UC Santa Barbara - 21:07.