RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Occidental College’s men’s and women’s cross country teams opened their 2026 season competing at the Men Open 8K and Women Open 5K events in Riverside. The men’s team finished 11th overall with 317 points, while the women’s team placed 17th with 452 points.
Jack Elfenbaum led the Occidental men’s team by securing a fourth-place finish in the 8K race with a time of 24:33.7. His teammate Gavin Jansen finished 85th with a time of 26:26.3.
On the women’s side, Victoria Vahi led the team with a 61st-place finish in the 5K at 18:52.1. Mia Zawisny also contributed with a 90th-place finish in 19:16.3.
CSB Take
Jack Elfenbaum’s strong individual performance in the season opener reflects promising talent within the Occidental College men’s cross country team. While both teams finished outside the top ten, the efforts of Elfenbaum and Vahi highlight potential building blocks for future improvement. As the season progresses, focusing on greater team depth and consistency will be key for Occidental to enhance its standings in SCIAC competition.
Source: Original report
