RIVERSIDE, CA — The University of La Verne men's and women's cross country teams turned in a stellar performance at the Highlander Invitational, combining for 13 personal records (PRs) out of 23 total runners — five for the men and eight for the women.

Men's Highlights

The Leopard men finished second among NCAA Division III teams, led by standout freshman Eamon Wright, who clocked a 25:14 for an impressive :15 PR. His time ranks him #3 all-time among La Verne freshmen and #9 overall in program history.

Finn McClure and Zyeir Shabete followed closely in 25:31, with Shabete's :17 PR earning him the #13 all-time spot at ULV. "Mr. Consistency," Thomas Taniguchi ran a strong 25:34, keeping the team tightly packed. Diego Herrera delivered a smart, patient race to close ULV's top five at 26:05 (:12 PR).

Isaac Stockton notched his lifetime best at 26:21 (:17 PR), marking a major step forward, while Benjess Masiya cut :26 off his previous best — his strongest race yet as a Leopard.

Women's Highlights

The Leopard women recorded an incredible eight PRs out of nine runners. Ryleigh LaRue led the charge with a breakout 23:13 in the 6K, a :35 PR that places her #8 all-time in La Verne history.

Jocelyn Cruz (24:27, :10 PR), Daisy Sanchez (25:07, :30 PR), and Jaiden Kelly (26:21, 6K debut) kept the pace strong. Chloe Chong matched Kelly's 26:21 (:15 PR), while Ximena Alvarado followed at 26:27 (:32 PR).

Mariah Huizar capped her hard work this season with a remarkable 1:08 PR (26:51), and Jessika Paulson closed out the lineup with a solid :20 PR (29:50).

Head Coach Rob Lander praised the effort, noting the depth of improvement across both squads. "We saw tremendous progress today, the team is hitting their stride at the right time," Lander said.

The Leopards look to continue their momentum as they prepare for the upcoming SCIAC Championships on November 1.