SAN DIEGO – San Diego State Cross Country has officially begun the 2026 season with a team victory at their home meet the Aztec Coastal Classic. The five-kilometer course took place along the Mission Valley River Park next to Snapdragon Stadium as SDSU hosted UC San Diego, UC Irvine, University of San Diego and Point Loma. It was a dominant showing by the young Aztecs who had five freshmen making their collegiate debuts. Despite their youth, the Aztecs had five athletes finishing in the top 10 and seven of the top 20 competitors.
Ariella Llorens put together a spectacular collegiate debut. The San Diego native posted a final time of 16:55.0 while battling UC San Diego senior Elle Marsyla all the way through the finish line. Lloren’s performance stands as one of the best college debuts in program history and marks a 29 second improvement over her high school personal best of 17:24.
Joining Llorens in the top five was Boise State transfer Isabella Frisone and sophomore Elliana Lomeli. Frisone also posted a new personal best with a time of 17:34 while taking third place, almost a full minute faster than the 18:37 mark that she had run at the Joe Piane Invitational in 2022. Lomeli was one of the top middle distance performers for the Aztecs during her freshman year. She would claim fifth place while running a personal best time of 17:40.4.
The freshman duo of Skylar Watts and Delaney Johns rounded out the top five Aztecs of the day. Watts was able to dip under the 18-minute mark running 17:54.3. She was able to pull away from a pack of UC San Diego runners to move into seventh place across the closing meters of the race. Johns took 10th place behind a final time of 18:03.0 giving the Aztecs the top three freshman performers of the evening with all three finishing in the top 10.
Sophomores Alexis Wolfinger and Emily Russo finished in 18th and 20th place respectively while both setting personal bests. Rickelle Bush and Olivia Campos completed their first races as Aztecs with Bush running 19:01.0 and Campos finishing with a time of 19:22.5.
This was the program’s second team victory of any race length since 2016. The Aztecs also won the 2024 Highlander Invitational hosted by UC Riverside. SDSU will return to action at the UC Riverside Invitational on September 19. The team is slated to race six kilometers across the UCR Ag Ops Course.
Individual Results
2. Ariella Llorens – 16:55.0 (College Debut)
3. Isabella Frisone – 17:34.6 (PR, SDSU Debut)
5. Elliana Lomeli – 17:40.4 (PR)
7. Skylar Watts – 18:58 (College Debut)
10. Delaney Johns – 18:03.0 (College Debut)
18. Alexis Wolfinger – 18:20.6 (PR)
20. Emily Russo – 18:23.7 (PR)
38. Rickelle Bush – 19:01.1 (College Debut)
45. Olivia Campos – 19:22.5