Friday, November 11
University Place, WA
W: 10:00 am | M: 11:00 am
Saint Mary's College of California
vs
NCAA West Regional
Photo by: Kyle Terada
XC | Stanziano Strikes Again as Gaels Set Record Finishes at West Regionals
11/11/2022 12:20:00 PM | Cross Country
CHAMBERS BAY, Wash. – In their final race of the season, the Gaels capped off the year in fashion, as both teams set record finishes at the NCAA West Regionals.
Despite the cold temperatures, the Gaels performances were anything but, as both the women and men's sides blazed their way to new personal bests.
TALK ABOUT FAST
It was a personal best party as the women's 6K got the action underway Friday morning, as all seven Gaels that competed finished in personal best times.
As she's done all season, Rayna Stanziano led the charge for Saint Mary's, absolutely obliterating her previous personal best she set earlier this year at the Bronco Invite.
Stanziano grew into the race, slowly picking up positions throughout the duration of the 6K. After moving up some 60 positions through the first half of the race, she continued to climb the leaderboard as she charged towards the finish line. Stanziano set a new personal best and then some, finishing in 16th overall in a time of 19:43.6, a personal best by 23 seconds.
Her stellar run is the highest finish ever by a Gael at NCAA West Regionals, and nine spots higher than she finished last season. With her finish, she earned her second consecutive NCAA All-West Region Honors.
It wasn't just Stanziano who shined Friday morning, as her teammates that followed all put in stellar performances as well.
Molly Dreher was next across the line for the Gaels, finishing in 111th in a time of 21:03.0, a personal best by 20 seconds. A full minute and 10 seconds faster than her time at the regionals last year, Dreher's time on Friday moves her into 4th fastest all-time in the Gaels 6K record book.
Sophomore Klara Frih had the biggest time drop of the day, as she eviscerated her previous personal best time by 48 seconds. Frih's 21:19.7 also solidifies her spot on the 6K top-ten list for the Gaels, putting her 8thquickest all-time.
Senior Dani Rowlinson closed out her collegiate career in style as she too found herself among the record books. Rowlinson also destroyed her previous personal best, finishing in a time of 21:20.9, a 35 second improvement from the time she set earlier this season. Her time also moved her onto the top-ten list, sliding in just behind Frih in 9thplace.
The remaining three Gaels had season-defining races as well, with Emily Field finishing just behind Rowlinson in a time of 21:36.3, a personal best by five seconds. Sofia Cuevas was close behind as well, running a 21:39.1, beating her previous best by 19 seconds. Anna Ranieri rounded out the field for the Gael's women, smashing her personal best by 26 seconds, finishing in a time of 22:42.7.
Saint Mary's finished 19th overall with their lowest score ever, as well as their fastest time time ever at the regionals. Their 19th place finish ties their highest finish at NCAA West Regionals. For the first time ever in a championship race, the Gaels finished above the Pac12's Cal Berkeley and University of Arizona.
KINSEY QUOTES
"The women ran so well. We had a few untimely Illnesses and an injury that shook up our top 5… but it's a testament to the team to have others step up and shine when we needed to. We knew we would be somewhere around 17-23 so to in 19th in the deepest field ever for the region it's pretty awesome. Great team effort I'm super proud of them!"
MEN ON A MISSION
On the men's side, the format was different than the women's, where the men had to race 10k instead of the usual 8k distance. Seven Gaels competed in the 10K, five of them competing in the distance for the first time in their collegiate careers.
Blaine Reynolds led the way for the men, finishing in 109th for the Gaels in a time of 30:45.3, burying his previous 10K best by over two minutes.
After pacing each other the whole race, Reynolds' teammate Curtis Volf finished just behind in 117th in a time of 30:53.9.
The next Gaels to cross the line were Sam Tyas and Richard McLain, who finished 156th and 158threspectively. Tyas finished in a time of 31:31.4, with McLain finishing in a time of 31:32.5. McLain finished in personal best fashion as well, smashing his previous best by 52 seconds.
Three more runners placed well for Saint Mary's in the 10k, as Thomas Osborne finished his first collegiate 10k in a time of 31:56.2. Noah Pagaran and Luke Bland rounded out the field for the Gaels, as the two finished 186th and 187th. Pagaran finished in a time of 32:06.6, with his teammate Bland just behind in a time of 32:09.8.
The men were able to claim 25th out of 31 teams.
Despite the cold temperatures, the Gaels performances were anything but, as both the women and men's sides blazed their way to new personal bests.
TALK ABOUT FAST
It was a personal best party as the women's 6K got the action underway Friday morning, as all seven Gaels that competed finished in personal best times.
As she's done all season, Rayna Stanziano led the charge for Saint Mary's, absolutely obliterating her previous personal best she set earlier this year at the Bronco Invite.
Stanziano grew into the race, slowly picking up positions throughout the duration of the 6K. After moving up some 60 positions through the first half of the race, she continued to climb the leaderboard as she charged towards the finish line. Stanziano set a new personal best and then some, finishing in 16th overall in a time of 19:43.6, a personal best by 23 seconds.
Her stellar run is the highest finish ever by a Gael at NCAA West Regionals, and nine spots higher than she finished last season. With her finish, she earned her second consecutive NCAA All-West Region Honors.
It wasn't just Stanziano who shined Friday morning, as her teammates that followed all put in stellar performances as well.
Molly Dreher was next across the line for the Gaels, finishing in 111th in a time of 21:03.0, a personal best by 20 seconds. A full minute and 10 seconds faster than her time at the regionals last year, Dreher's time on Friday moves her into 4th fastest all-time in the Gaels 6K record book.
Sophomore Klara Frih had the biggest time drop of the day, as she eviscerated her previous personal best time by 48 seconds. Frih's 21:19.7 also solidifies her spot on the 6K top-ten list for the Gaels, putting her 8thquickest all-time.
Senior Dani Rowlinson closed out her collegiate career in style as she too found herself among the record books. Rowlinson also destroyed her previous personal best, finishing in a time of 21:20.9, a 35 second improvement from the time she set earlier this season. Her time also moved her onto the top-ten list, sliding in just behind Frih in 9thplace.
The remaining three Gaels had season-defining races as well, with Emily Field finishing just behind Rowlinson in a time of 21:36.3, a personal best by five seconds. Sofia Cuevas was close behind as well, running a 21:39.1, beating her previous best by 19 seconds. Anna Ranieri rounded out the field for the Gael's women, smashing her personal best by 26 seconds, finishing in a time of 22:42.7.
Saint Mary's finished 19th overall with their lowest score ever, as well as their fastest time time ever at the regionals. Their 19th place finish ties their highest finish at NCAA West Regionals. For the first time ever in a championship race, the Gaels finished above the Pac12's Cal Berkeley and University of Arizona.
KINSEY QUOTES
"The women ran so well. We had a few untimely Illnesses and an injury that shook up our top 5… but it's a testament to the team to have others step up and shine when we needed to. We knew we would be somewhere around 17-23 so to in 19th in the deepest field ever for the region it's pretty awesome. Great team effort I'm super proud of them!"
MEN ON A MISSION
On the men's side, the format was different than the women's, where the men had to race 10k instead of the usual 8k distance. Seven Gaels competed in the 10K, five of them competing in the distance for the first time in their collegiate careers.
Blaine Reynolds led the way for the men, finishing in 109th for the Gaels in a time of 30:45.3, burying his previous 10K best by over two minutes.
After pacing each other the whole race, Reynolds' teammate Curtis Volf finished just behind in 117th in a time of 30:53.9.
The next Gaels to cross the line were Sam Tyas and Richard McLain, who finished 156th and 158threspectively. Tyas finished in a time of 31:31.4, with McLain finishing in a time of 31:32.5. McLain finished in personal best fashion as well, smashing his previous best by 52 seconds.
Three more runners placed well for Saint Mary's in the 10k, as Thomas Osborne finished his first collegiate 10k in a time of 31:56.2. Noah Pagaran and Luke Bland rounded out the field for the Gaels, as the two finished 186th and 187th. Pagaran finished in a time of 32:06.6, with his teammate Bland just behind in a time of 32:09.8.
The men were able to claim 25th out of 31 teams.
#GaelsRise
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