MORAGA, Calif. – Looking ahead to the 2019 season, Saint Mary's track & field and cross country head coach Marty Kinsey has announced the signing of Lauren Kearney and Rayna Stanziano.
 
Kearney will join Saint Mary's after graduating from Foothill Technology High School in the spring. The Ventura, Calif. native has excelled in both track and cross country with her best times including: 3200m (10:55.37), 1600m (5:04.5), 800m (2:18.61), 3 mile (17:26.5), and 5k (18:13.2). Lauren recently placed third at the CIF SS Cross Country Finals, finishing with a personal-best of 17:26.5 in the 5k race. Her efforts led her team to the section championships as well as a berth to the CIF State meet where they placed second this season, but finished as state champions in 2017. In track, Lauren is the defending Tri-Valley League champion in the 3200. As a sophomore, she won the Ventura County Championships, setting a new 3200 PR of 10:55.37.
 
Kearney is also an excellent student, earning a 4.22 GPA thus far and she ranks 36th out of 224 students in her class.
 
"Lauren is a great addition to our team," said Kinsey. "While she is obviously very talented, it's her leaderships skills that impressed us the most. She comes from the same school as one of our top current runners on the men's side (Moses Bojorquez) and understands what it takes for a team to be successful. Lauren performs her best when it matters the most."
 
"I chose Saint Mary's because it offered me the best opportunities both academically and athletically," said Kearney on why she decided to come to SMC.
 
Another big add for the Gaels is Rayna Stanziano who is currently attending Concord High School, just minutes away from the campus of Saint Mary's. An impressive cross country student-athlete during her prep career, Stanziano won five of six races this season, typically with a large lead. Furthermore, at the Division III State Championship on November 24, she placed third in a field of 214 runners, setting a new personal best in the 5k (17:43.8).
 
In track & field, Rayna won the NCS Meet of Champions in the 800 and placed third at the CIF State Track meet, running a PR of 209.44 She is currently ranked 9th in the country in this event.
 
In the classroom, she is also one of the top of her class, posting a 4.45 GPA thus far which is the 12th-highest out of 377 students.
 
Rayna has been a multi-sport athlete for the majority of her life, shining as a swimmer as well. She has been swimming since the age of five, competing on a recreational team. At the league level, she has been the League Championship Meet high point winner eight times and holds several meet records.  In addition, she has been high point winner at City Meet three times and has broken several City Meet records. Rayna has qualified for County Meet every year, has won county once, placed second twice, and has always finished in the top-5 in at least one event every year. 
 
"It has been an absolute pleasure recruiting Rayna and getting to know her and her family," said Kinsey. "From our first conversation, I knew Rayna would be an excellent fit at Saint Mary's. She desired a strong academic institution close to home that could allow her to compete at the highest levels. Rayna also fits in very well with our goals for the future development of our women's program. While she is one of the fastest recruits we have had the pleasure of recruiting, it's her qualities as a person that impressed us the most. She is a humble and good-natured person who is willing to put in the work to test out how great she can be as both a student and an athlete."
 
"Saint Mary's was the perfect choice for me," said Stanziano. "On my recruiting visit, I felt so comfortable around the team and the campus was beautiful. The most important part of my decision was feeling at home, and I definitely get that sense from SMC."