SAN FRANCISCO – The University of California, Merced cross country teams competed in the SF State Invitational at Golden Gate Park on Friday afternoon. Kitto Gonzalez anchored the men to a third-place finish in his season debut, while Emma Drelinger finished runner-up to lead the women. Both Bobcats also set program meet records.

Gonzalez placed tenth overall in the men's 8k field of 116 runners with a time of 25:19.0. Along with hitting the program's fastest ever SF State Invite time, Gonzalez now ranks seventh all-time in program history with his result.  Also of note, Gonzalez is the first Bobcat to finish top ten or better in a men's 8k since Sharvin Manjrekar in the Cal Pac Championships on October 28, 2024.

Buffalo Soito was next for the Bobcats with a 31^st place finish in 26:23.6. Sharvin Manjrekar crossed the finish line in 35^th with a time of 26:33.9. Jorge Mandujano followed in 26:35.7 to place 36^th, while Cole Rommelfanger rounded out the scoring with a time of 26:40.4 to place 38^th. Soito, Manjrekar, Mandujano, and Rommelfanger now hold the program's fifth-eighth fastest times in program history at the SF State Invite.

The men's third-place finish is their best since the Cal Pac Championships in October 28, 2024.

Drelinger crossed the finish line in 21:37.4 to earn a runner-up finish, the Bobcats first runner-up finish or better since Elizette Ysais and Leslie Aquino in the 2024 Cal Pac Championships. Drelinger was the meet's top scorer as the meet winner ran unattached. Friday marked Drelinger's second career race and she has broken the Bobcats women's 6k meet record in both. 

Aquino placed 21^st with a time of 22:51.0, which is the second fastest SF State Invite time in program history. Gabriela Zarat Ruiz was the Bobcats next finisher, recording a 38^th place finish in 23:36.9. The freshman's time is the fourth fastest by any Bobcat all-time at Golden Gate Park. Maitha Alradaei placed 46^th in 23:56.8 and Mariah Dhillon was the Bobcats fifth runner finishing in 77^th at 25:06.2. Alradaei's time was the eighth fastest meet time in program history.

Other notables include Draven Grondona (57^th/27:40.9) making his season debut with the men and Itzel D. Alonzo-Andrade (81^st/25:27.2) turning in a personal-best time in the women's 6k.

Looking ahead, UC Merced returns to the race course at the Bronco Invitational on Saturday, October 17. The Bronco Invitational will be held at Baylands Regional Park in Sunnyvale, Calif.