The Pasadena University of California Pioneers men’s and women’s cross country teams continue their season of growth as they prepare for the upcoming CAL-PAC Cross Country Championships. All 10 runners achieved personal bests at the San Francisco Invitational on October 9, marking significant progress for the young teams.
Under first-year head coach Antonio Robles, the men’s team is composed entirely of freshmen, while four of the five women are competing in collegiate cross country for the first time. At the San Francisco Invitational, Jonathan Rodriguez led the men with an 8K time of 30:16.07, followed by teammates Stephen Tasker and Rylan Heier. On the women’s side, Ashley Hamilton led with a time of 30:37.17, alongside teammates Haley Grimes, Chloe Craig, Kaloince Lemond, and Paw Du, all of whom have made notable strides.
The Pioneers have spent three weeks training since the invitational, with Coach Robles encouraging his runners to push their limits and leave everything on the course. He acknowledged the possibility of individual qualifiers for nationals but emphasized focusing on the conference race ahead.
CSB Take
The Pasadena University of California Pioneers men’s and women’s cross country teams have shown promising development under a first-year head coach, with all runners posting personal bests at a key invitational. Their youth and rapid progress set a foundation that could lead to increased competitiveness within the CAL-PAC Conference. The upcoming championships will offer valuable experience and an opportunity to measure how far the team has come this season.
Source: Original report
More coverage: Pacific Union College Pioneers.
