RIVERSIDE, Calif. – History was made on Saturday morning with Jessica Kain winning the Highlander Invitational 6k race and breaking her own school record in the process. Eva Rethmeier also moved into second on SDSU's all-time list as the duo led the Aztecs to a season-best team finish in Riverside.
Overall, San Diego State finished fifth in the field of 23 teams with 154 total points. Among the teams they bested were West Region No. 3-ranked California Baptist and Power 5-affiliate USC.
Kain posted a time of 19:58.3 in her victory, shattering her previous school record by nearly a full minute. The mark also goes as the first sub-20 minute 6k time in program history. The redshirt senior made a late push, jumping three spots in the standings across the final two kilometers of the race to win by just under two seconds.
Rethmeier joined Kain in the history making, finishing the Highlander Invitational with a time of 20:46.7 in a 13th-place finish. It goes as the fourth-fastest 6k time in program history and moves the junior transfer into second on the Aztecs' all-time list.
Vanessa Cabello and Maddie Heller finished back-to-back with times of 21:37.4 and 21:38.4, respectively as the third and fourth Aztecs to cross the finish line. They finished 41st and 42nd overall in the field of 256 runners.
Amber Elias (22:07.3), Maddy Parrone (22:17.1), and Bella Peretti (23:09.3) rounded out the scoring for the Aztecs on Saturday morning.
Next up for the Aztecs is the Mountain West Championships at the end of the month. The 6k race will take place in Boise, Idaho on Oct. 27.
Aztec Finishers
1. Jessica Kain, SDSU – 19:58.3 (PR, school record)
2. Hannah Fredricks, The Master's – 20:08.0
3. Dariana Miramontes, UCR – 20:11.0
13. Eva Rethmeier, SDSU – 20:46.7 (PR, #2 all-time)
14. Vanessa Cabello, SDSU – 21:37.4
15. Maddie Heller, SDSU – 21:38.4
80. Amber Elias, SDSU – 22:07.3
84. Maddy Parrone, SDSU – 22:17.1
124. Bella Peretti, SDSU – 23:09.3
187. Tatum Zinkin, SDSU – 24:32.6 (PR)
Team Standings (top half of the field)
1. Long Beach State – 81 points
2. Cal State Fullerton – 90 points
3. UC Riverside – 95 points
4. Arizona State – 132 points
5. San Diego State – 154 points
6. California Baptist – 162 points
7. The Master's – 185 points
8. UC San Diego – 190 points
9. Utah Tech – 230 points
10. Northern Colorado – 246 points
11. USC – 281 points
12. Nevada – 307 points