CLAREMONT, CA — The University of La Verne men's cross country team posted one of its best finishes in recent years, taking third at the 2025 SCIAC Cross Country Championships.
The Leopards entered the meet ranked No. 7 in the West Region behind No. 6 Redlands. La Verne outpaced the Bulldogs to claim the podium spot. The Leopards placed three runners before Redland's top four and five before the Bulldogs' top five.
Finn McClure and
Zyeir Shabete led the Leopards with All-SCIAC performances. McClure took 12th (25:42), and Shabete (26:02) finished 19th to claim Second Team All-SCIAC spots.
The top three finish is the Leopards' best performance since 2022, when they also secured third place. La Verne has finished in the top five at the last five SCIAC Championships.
Thomas Taniguchi (26:22) followed close behind in 22nd, and
Eamon Wright (26:31) finished next in 25th.
Diego Herrera (26:33) took 27th, and
Logan Ciszek (27:06) rounded out the top six in 41st.
"We beat Redlands with a commitment to the pack. We had had super clutch, team efforts, and it showed in the results," said Head Coach
Rob Lander.
No. 14 nationally ranked Pomona-Pitzer won the team title, and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, which is receiving votes in the national poll, took second.
The Leopards will be back on the same course on Saturday, November 15, for the NCAA West Region Championships.
