RIVERSIDE, Calif.
The Concordia University Irvine Golden Eagles men’s and women’s cross country teams competed at the UC Riverside Invitational on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at the UCR Agg Course, facing a strong multi-team field.
The women27s team finished 12th in the Women’s Invite 6K race with a team time of 1:46:59 and an average finish time of 21:24. Junior Ryann Smith led the Golden Eagles, placing 36th overall with a time of 21:01.7. Senior redshirt Ania Kapustka finished 50th in 21:10.7, and Brianna Hayes crossed 46th in 21:08.7. Their top three runners posted times within nine seconds of one another, supported by team members Mariza Chavez, Emily Littlefield, Adamara Esparza, Olivia Reed, Lizbeth Garcia, and Kimberly Cerny.
The men27s team secured a second-place finish in the Men’s Open 8K race, accumulating 57 points with a combined team time of 2:05:45 and an average time of 25:09. Sophomore Owen Stults finished third individually in 24:33. Logan Jones followed in ninth place with 25:05.9, while Spencer Handorf and Dante Maldonado finished 11th and 12th respectively. Quinten Brooks completed the scoring five with a time of 25:38. Additionally, Isaiah Garma, Caleb Hernandez, and Nathan Nguyen all finished within the top 50.
The Concordia University Irvine Golden Eagles will next compete at the Cougar Challenge hosted by Cal State San Marcos on October 3, 2026.
CSB Take
The Golden Eagles showed strong team depth and individual talent at the UC Riverside Invitational. The men27s second-place finish underscores their competitive standing in NCAA Division II, while the women27s close runner times suggest promising development as the season progresses. These results set a positive tone ahead of their upcoming meet at the Cougar Challenge.
Source: Original report
