ST. PAUL, Minn. – UC San Diego cross country impressed at the 35th annual Roy Griak Invitational on Friday morning. The Triton women finished 11th overall in the 21-team field, higher than originally projected due to strong performances from Sylvana Northrop, Emily Richards and Caitlin Billman.
The meet took place at University of Minnesota Les Bolstad Golf Course, where runners competed on rolling hills and grassy terrain the entire course. Weather conditions were overcast and in the high 50-degree range in St. Paul during the two races.
"For a pair of teams facing their first season of D1 competition we are really pleased with the way they are putting themselves out there and mixing it up against squads at the top of the division," said UC San Diego head coach Nate Garcia.
The men and women faced an impressive field of competitors, featuring some of the best teams and individuals in the country. On the women's side, the Tritons competed against three Top 30 teams recognized by the NCAA national polls: Michigan State (6), Minnesota (10), Iowa State (30), as well as Georgia Tech and Liberty who both received votes. The men also faced three Top 30 teams: BYU (3), Iowa State (10) and Michigan State (26).
In the women's 6k event, the Tritons had three top 100 finishers. Northrop crossed the line first for UC San Diego with a time of 22:33.8 (62nd). Richards was right behind her, crossing the line 70th overall in a time of 22:45.6. Both women had strong starts and were in the top 50 during the first 2000 meters of the race. Billman had an impressive finish for the second straight race, passing 14 runners in the final 2k for 81st overall in a time of 22:56.5. Azalea Segura-Mora (99th) and Isabelle Shepherd (100th) rounded out the Tritons top five.
"The women continue to get stronger week by week," said Garcia. "Sylvana [Northrop] and Emily [Richards] led well from the front and worked well together. Sylvana unleashed a huge finish today. They were able to beat another pair of regionally ranked teams so they continue to show that they are a great fit at this level."
Freshman, Zeno Castiglioni led the Triton men with a time of 26:17.9 (99th overall) in the men's 8k. Marcos Milla was next across the line for UC San Diego with a time of 26:33.7. The junior had a strong kick, moving up 17 spots in the final 2000. Jonathan Rodriguez (26:36.5), Brett Beattie (26:36.8) and Jake Selstad (26:48.8) completed the Tritons top five. The men's squad finished 18th overall in the field of 21.
"Adding Zeno [Castiglioni] into the group for the first time this weekend made a big difference for us," said Garcia. "As a team we didn't quite hit on all cylinders but we're still able to finish ahead of three solid teams."
Men's Teams
UC San Diego, BYU (3), Georgia Tech, Grand Canyon, Illinois-Chicago, Iowa State (10), Liberty, Michigan State (26), Milwaukee, Minnesota, Nevada, North Dakota, North Dakota State, Pepperdine, Portland State, Santa Clara, South Dakota, South Dakota State, St. Thomas, Tennessee, Wyoming.
Women's Teams
UC San Diego, Georgia Tech (RV), Gonzaga, Grand Canyon, Illinois-Chicago, Iowa State (30), Liberty (RV), Michigan State (6), Milwaukee, Minnesota (10), Nevada, North Dakota, North Dakota State, Pepperdine, Portland State, Santa Clara, South Dakota, South Dakota State, St. Thomas, Tennessee, Wyoming.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego cross country will take some time off before heading across the country to New Jersey for the Princeton Invite on Saturday, October 16, 2021.
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About UC San Diego Athletics After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.
