XC | Men, Women Post Strong 2016 Debuts In San Francisco
9/4/2016 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
SAN FRANCISCO — Saturday was an exciting preview of things to come this year for both Saint Mary's cross country programs, as the men and women ran exceptionally well in each of their season debuts at the San Francisco Invitational at Golden Gate Park.
WOMEN
The Saint Mary's women looked to be in late-season form, executing their race plan to perfection. They defeated West Coast Conference foes Santa Clara and Pacific en route to a fifth-place finish among NCAA Division I teams in attendance. All top-five of the Gaels' runners finished ahead of Santa Clara's first finisher, as SMC beat their rivals by nearly 50 points.
Abby Bolt led a tight pack of Gaels with a 6-kilometer time of 22 minutes, 5.4 seconds, finishing 25th overall. Ali Teliha was just 20 seconds behind her in 29th at 22:25.4. Neylene Leon finished 31st in 22:36 as SMC's third runner. Haley Dorris and Hanna English ran side by side, finishing within one-tenth of a second of each other. Dorris was 35th in 22:44.8 and English was 36th in 22:44.9. Katie Watson made her Saint Mary's debut as the Gaels' sixth runner, finishing 42nd in 23:05.7.
The women executed the race plan perfectly today," said Saint Mary's head coach Marty Kinsey. "They were to go out conservative, but pack up for the first 4 km and then switch to all-out the last 2 km. It was great to see the team packed up as a unit and moving through the field with such ease. It was probably the best team race by the women in several years."
MEN
Facing a field full of the West Region's top-ranked teams, the Saint Mary's men packed well and defeated WCC rival Santa Clara on their way to a fifth-place team finish Saturday.
Gabe Arias beat every runner from Stanford, ranked No. 2 in the West, to spearhead the Gaels' effort. He finished 18th in the field with an 8 km time of 25:05.9. Behind Arias, SMC packed its No. 2-5 runners within 30 seconds of each other. All of the Gaels' top-five runners finished among the top-50. Noah McDermott was SMC's second finisher at 25:23.6. Josh Spooner finished 35th overall in 25:34.5. Edward Chance was 41st in 25:41.4, and Patrick Cummings finished 49th in 25:55.9.
The men also executed a solid race plan but we were hoping for a better finish," said Kinsey. "The goal was to work in groups, starting slow and negative-splitting each 2 km loop through 8 km. Most of the guys ran out of room at the finish, which was the goal – to not suffer in the last 800 meters, but to have enough left for a final charge. We can get better working in groups and have better tactical plans moving forward. This was a good way to start the season."
The Gaels' season continues on Sept. 15 when they return to Golden Gate Park for the Speedway Duals.
FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-date news, photos, videos and other features you can follow Saint Mary's College varsity athletic teams on Twitter (@SMCGaels), Instagram (@SMCGaels) and Facebook (Facebook.com/SMCGaels). You can also watch great video on-demand highlights and features as well as most Gaels sporting events live via GaelVision on SMCGaels.com.
SUPPORT THE GAELS
A gift to the Gael Athletic Fund directly benefits Saint Mary's student-athletes. This allows them the opportunity to attain an education guided by our Catholic, Lasallian and Liberal Arts traditions while participating in a competitive athletic experience. Monies raised through the Fund will assist in funding scholarships, facilities, operating budgets and academic support.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
XC | 2021 WCC Championship Preview
Tuesday, October 26
XC | 2020 Online Poker Tournament
Tuesday, August 11
XC | 2019/2020 Season Preview
Thursday, August 29
