UCI women make a big statement

Steve Virgen

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- After finishing second in the Big West

Conference the past two years, the UC Irvine women’s cross country

team is motivated to move up a notch. The quest for that feat began

with a UCI/J.L. Design Invitational title Saturday morning at Central

Park in Huntington Beach.

“We feel we’re the top team (in the Big West),” said UCI junior

Julie Manson, who finished fourth (18:45.8) on the 5,000-meter

course. “Winning the Big West, that’s our goal this year. It started

today. I’m really proud of how the team did.”

The UCI women’s team, led by Manson, had five runners in the top

18. The Anteaters finished with 51 points, while second-place

Southern Utah had 62 and new Mexico State followed with 106 in the

12-team field.

New Mexico State’s Rachael Cuellar captured the individual

championship, finishing in (18:23.1). However, the Aggies settled for

third, while the steady pack for the Anteaters led UCI to the win.

Because of his Anteaters’ performance, Coach Vince O’Boyle is

leaning toward redshirting Tessa Cendejas, who finished eighth in the

Big West Championships last year. O’Boyle said he will make a

decision on that within the next two weeks.

Cendejas, who might use her senior season this year, finished

eighth Saturday, as an unattached runner, coming in at 19:18.0.

Senior Amanda Armstrong, who started running April 1 after being

out with an ankle injury for three months, made a successful return

to cross country competition.

She finished sixth (18:58.5), and said she did not feel any pain.

“I was very pleased with how I ran,” Armstrong said. “Our team did

real well. A lot of the girls stepped it up. We have a good chance of

winning conference. That’s our main goal. We’ve finished second the

past two years and we don’t want that to happen again.”

UCI senior Veronica Herrera finished 12th (19:28.5), sophomore

Janelle Del Soldato was 14th (19:34.2) and junior Jenna Keith grabbed

the 18th spot (19:42.2).

In addition to Armstrong’s comeback, Del Soldato also made a

notable return. Last year, she did not run, as she had surgery on her

feet.

“Right now she’s running where we’re expecting her to run,”

O’Boyle said of Del Soldato.

O’Boyle also said the Anteaters intensified their motivation with

their training in Mammoth last month.

And, in the past nine days, the Anteaters have been training hard.

Rounding out the top seven for UCI were sophomore Kaleena Yee

(21st, 19:45.9) and senior Lisa Massoth (23rd, 19:46.9).

The Anteaters return to action Saturday in the Aztec Invitational,

hosted by San Diego State.

UC IRVINE/J.L. DESIGN

INVITATIONAL

Team -- 1. UC Irvine, 51 points; 2. Southern Utah, 62; 3. New

Mexico State, 106; 4. Azusa Pacific, 119; 5. Cal State Northridge,

127.

Individual -- 1. Cuellar (NMS), 18:23.1; 2. Bates (Santa Clara),

18:33.5; 3. Carstensen (APU), 18:37.1; 4. Manson (UCI), 18:45.8; 5.

Talarico (CSN), 18:53.1; 6. Armstrong (UCI), 18:58.5; 7. Bezansom

(So. Utah), 18:59.2; 8. Cendejas (unattached), 19:18.0; 9. Hart (So.

Utah), 19:24.5; 10. Gagliardi (NMS), 19:24.9.

Others: 12. Herrera (UCI), 19:28.5; 14. Del Soldato (UCI),

19:34.2; 18. Keith (UCI), 19:42.2; 23. Massoth (UCI), 19:46.9; 26.

Fuller (UCI), 19:51.3; 27. Chan (UCI), 19:57.0; 29. Vanderburg (UCI),

20:145.8; 35. Hansen (UCI), 20:23.4; 39. Liou (UCI), 20:31.8; 58.

Harris (UCI), 20:58.5; 68. Patteson (UCI), 21:14.3; 89. Ragudo (UCI),

22:24.0.