Oct. 15, 2015
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State cross country team completes its final tune-up before the championship season this Saturday when it travels to Riverside, Calif., for the fourth annual Highlander Invitational on the UC Riverside campus. The women's 5,000-meter race is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. PT on the UCR Agricultural Operations Course.
In addition to the host Highlanders and Aztecs, scheduled to compete on Saturday include Pepperdine and USC, as well as Big West teams Long Beach State, UC Irvine, Cal State Fullerton and CSUN.
The UC Riverside course is 85 percent flat with a few rolling hills and hard-packed dirt with pre-competition watering to reduce dust. The course also goes through 100-year-old orange groves and eucalyptus trees.
To reach the Ag/Ops Course from the 215/60 freeway, exit Martin Luther King Boulevard and go west before turning left on Canyon Crest traffic light and travel approximately 300 meters to the course entrance.
SDSU is coming off a first-place finish at the UNLV Invite on Oct. 3. San Diego State was led by junior Elaine Ribeiro, who finished first for the second time this season with a time of 17 minutes, 44.7 seconds. Ribeiro's first-place finish helped the Aztecs win their third meet this season, their most team in a single season in the Mountain West era (since 1999).
Cassidy Towner (fourth place, 18:04.6), Grace Hanshaw (fifth place, 18:09.4), Lily Seynaeve (seventh place, 18:17.0) and Rachel Roesgen (10th place, 18:25.1) all placed in the top 10 for San Diego State. Cali King (19th, 18:58.6), Hannah Sawatzki (26th, 19:16.2) and Lily Mayko (31st, 19:41.7) also ran for the Aztecs in a group of 38 total participants. All eight are expected to compete at Saturday's 5K.
Results will first be posted on www.finishedresults.com and later on GoAztecs.com.
Following this weekend's meet, the Aztecs will compete in the Mountain West Championships in Reno, Nev., on Oct. 30 and the NCAA West Regional Championships in Seattle, Wash., on Nov. 13.