SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State cross country team will be competing in San Diego this Friday when they run in the USD Invitational (6k) on the shores of Mission Bay at Tecolote Shores North Park.
The Aztecs will have just four runners competing: Paige Comiso, Alex Lomeli, Natalie Regalado and Bailey Watts. It will be the first race of the season for Comiso and the first 6k for Lomeli, Regalado and Watts.
SDSU will be competing against runners from La Verne, Mesa College, Point Loma, San Diego and Ventura College. With the Aztecs only sending four runners, they will be ineligible for a team score.
The forecast calls for mostly sunny skies with temperatures in the high 60's.
The grass course consists of three 2k loops. Tecolote Shores North Park sits between Interstate 5 and Mission Bay, across from Fiesta Island.
Coach Lusitana's Take on the USD Invitational
"Those participating in the USD meet this week will be our non-travel squad. It's a low-key meet which presents a good opportunity for these four ladies to test their competitive fitness level. The entire team has been working hard in practice and everyone needs to keep racing sharp. This race also provides the opportunity for those racing to potentially move up to the group that travels."
Aztec Storylines
• The Aztecs took fourth (out of eight teams) at UC Davis' Stump Invitational last weekend.
• Jessica Kain has been the top Aztec finisher in SDSU's last four races.
• Kain, Carlene Masar, Emily Burd, Lauren Harper, Amber Elias and Naomi Smitham all recorded career-best 6k times last week.
• Carlene Masar has finished in the top two among Aztecs in every race she's run.
• Jessica Kain broke out during the 2021 outdoor track season. She became the first Aztec to qualify for the NCAA West Regionals in the 1,500m and her PR of 4:21.87 was the fastest time by an SDSU runner since 1982.
• SDSU made a tweak to their schedule, and they will now be competing at the University of Arizona' Dave Murray Invitational October 1.
• The Aztecs competed in just two races in the shortened 2020 season (that occurred in the winter of 2021), both of which took place at Craig Ranch Regional Park in Las Vegas.
Last Time Out
The Aztec cross country team placed fourth in UC Davis' Stump Invitational Friday morning and saw six runners record career-best times.
"The girls took some steps forward and overall had a good team race," Coach Robert Lusitana said after the race. "Some still need to adjust to the normal 6k distance. That said, we were just a few points out of third in a competitive field. They'll learn from this and stay focused and motivated to achieve season team goals."
Racing in ideal conditions, Jessica Kain (19th, 20:56.1), Carlene Masar (21st, 21:00.9) and Emily Burd's (22nd, 21:02.8) each finished with the fastest 6k times in their collegiate careers.
Lauren Harper's career-best time of 21:32.8 gave her a 32nd place finish. Amber Elias rounded out the SDSU top five, also posting a career best time (21:36.2, 37th).
Freshman Nicole Meyer, who was running her first collegiate 6k, placed 43rd with a time of 21:45.5. Also running for the Aztecs was Taylor Lustyan (51st, 21:57.3) and
Naomi Smitham, who also posted a career-best time of 22:01.2 (53rd), finished over a minute better than her previous best.
Aztecs Running at USD Invitational Friday
