College cross country: UCI women win Invitational title

HUNTINGTON BEACH - UC Irvine had five runners finish in the top 21

scoring spots to claim the women’s title in the UCI/Asics Cross Country

Invitational at Central Park in Huntington Beach Saturday.

The Anteaters won the 18-team event with 61 points, Arizona State was

second with 64 and Northern Arizona placed third with 75.

UCI junior Tessa Cendejas finished sixth with a time of 18:41.5 over

5,000 meters. Junior Amanda Armstrong was 10th in 18:57.0, sophomore

Julie Manson placed 11th in 19:00.8, sophomore Kim Ramirez finished 20th

in 19:22.2 and sophomore Jenna Keith was 23rd in 19:23.4.

Freshman Kaleena Yee (26th in 19:27.0) and junior Lisa Massoth (29th

in 19:30.6) rounded out the Anteaters ‘ top seven runners.

Former Anteater standout Kareen Nilsson, running unattached, won the

race in 17:58.4.

Northern Arizona successfully defended its men’s title in the

invitational with 33 points in the 16-team field. Arizona State was

second with 46 and Cal Poly SLO finished third with 58.

UCI placed ninth with 240 points.

Juan Reyes of Arizona State won the 8,000-meter race in 25:22.6, with

Northern Arizona’s Henrk Anhstrom (25:31.3) and Travis Laird (25:33.3)

finishing second and third, respectively.

Junior Travis Morisoli led the UCI men with a 21st-place finish of

26:50.4, while senior Jon Doroski was 40th in 27:23.7.

Junior Brian Harrison finished 52nd (27:50.4), freshman David Santos

was 63rd (28:10.9), freshman Thomas Harley placed 82nd (28:43.3), senior

Mike Arp was 83rd (28:46.3) and junior Rob Evans finished 87th in 28:53.2

to complete the Anteaters’ top seven performers.

Both UCI teams will travel to San Diego for the Aztec Invitational

next Saturday (Sept. 15).