SAN FRANCISCO, CA — The University of La Verne cross country teams turned in another strong performance at the San Francisco State Invitational, competing against a deep field of Division I, II, and NAIA programs. The Leopard men finished sixth out of 14 teams, while the women placed 11th out of 13; both squads were the lone DIII competitors in their respective races.
Men's Recap – Pack Running Powers Leopards to Sixth
The Leopards executed their race plan, running together in one of their tightest packs of the season.
"We really emphasized the team attack this time out, which is definitely a strength of ours," said University of La Verne Cross Country Head Coach Rob Lander. "Our 1–5 pack was an impressive 33-second spread on a tough course."
Finn McClure led the way with a strong 25:53.9 to pace the Leopard squad. Dante Shabete continued his strong season with a season-best 26:09, six seconds faster than his time at UC Riverside. He was followed closely by Fernando Cortez Jr. (26:22), Thomas Taniguchi (26:24), and Nicolas Saenz (26:26).
"Fernando took a huge step in the right direction. Help from seniors Thomas and Nic glued our pack together," added Lander.
Logan Ciszek recorded a 17-second personal record (26:31), while Sebastian Ruiz added a 28-second PR (27:00), both running their best races of their young collegiate careers. Rounding out La Verne's strong team effort were Eamon Wright (26:46.2), Isaac Stockton (27:08.9), Joseph Chavarria (27:13.6), and Sasha Hale (34:54.0).
Women's Recap – Three Lifetime Bests Highlight the Day
On the women's side, the Leopards finished 11th out of 13 teams while competing without two key runners. Despite the absences, several Leopards rose to the occasion, setting lifetime bests on a course that ran 30–45 seconds slower than UC Riverside's.
Emily Guzman (26:07) lowered her personal best by 23 seconds, Daisy Sanchez (25:37) trimmed eight seconds off her career mark, and Chloe Chong (26:36) smashed her previous best by an impressive 1:12.
"Those three all impressed me with their performances, running lifetime bests on a tough cross country course," said Lander.
Kaliah Ramirez (27:36.0), Mariah Huizar (27:59.9), Jessika Paulson (30:10.0), and Kalialani Jimenez (30:48.4) rounded out the lineup, giving La Verne valuable depth across the board.
Up Next
The Leopards will continue their fall campaign as they prepare Highlander Invite on Saturday, October 18 back at UC Riverside.
