SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – The University of California, Merced cross country teams returned to the course over the weekend and competed in the Master's XC Invitational at Central Park.
The men's team placed eleventh among a field of 26 squads, while the women finished 14th.
Jonathan Chavez highlighted the morning collecting a ninth-place finish in the large men's field of 233 runners. His first top ten finish of the season saw him cross the finish line in a season-best time and he also neared a course program-record time in 24:40.6.
Behind Chavez, Sharvin Manjrekar finished in the top fourth of the field logging a season-best time of 25:38.5 to place 47th. Derrick Pickrel was the third finisher for UC Merced and he ran the 8k in 25:59.2 to finish 73rd. Joshua Riley was close to Pickrel and stopped the clock in 26:04.1 for 76th place. Cole Rommelfanger rounded out the scoring group placing 119th with a time of 26:54. Jorge Mandujano, Kevin Pedroza, Sergio Vivar Jr., and Alberto Guevara set personal best's.
Elizette Ysais led the women's team taking 38th in the field of 230 finishing the 6k race in a season-best 23:13.4.
Irene Martinez finished second for UC Merced with a time of 24:06 crossing the finish line in 81st place. The Bobcats other top five runners included Jaydah Aguilar (119th/24:50.9), Leslie Aquino (124th/24:59), and Jailyn Batis (163rd/26:09.7). Aguilar's time was a season-best. Kasia Holland and Mia Abonza also put together their top 6k time of the campaign. Natalie Hernandez Martinez made her collegiate cross country debut.
Up next, UC Merced will return to action on Saturday, October 19th, for the Bronco Invitational at Baylands Regional Park in Sunnyvale, Calif.
