SportsCross Country

ULV harriers tune up for SCIAC meet

The damp earth and the steep terrain created a quite challenging 5-mile course for the Leo harriers. Sophomore William Donald charges the hill, attempting to pass a Cal Lutheran Kingsman. Despite the foggy weather and rugged landscape, the Leos improved their times and both teams defeated Cal Lu in the eight-way meet. / photo by Starr Carroll
The damp earth and the steep terrain created a quite challenging 5-mile course for the Leo harriers. Sophomore William Donald charges the hill, attempting to pass a Cal Lutheran Kingsman. Despite the foggy weather and rugged landscape, the Leos improved their times and both teams defeated Cal Lu in the eight-way meet. / photo by Starr Carroll

by Andrea Gardner
Staff Writer

With the SCIAC championship meet just two weeks away, the University of La Verne cross country team prepared itself in the preliminary SCIAC eight-way meet at La Mirada.

Both the men’s and women’s teams finished seventh out of eight schools. Cal Lutheran finished last.

“Our women did well. Our men, we were hoping would do a little better,” said coach Pat Widolff. “They [the women’s team] all improved 10 to 15 seconds from their best times, where the men pretty much stayed the same.”

Junior Gilbert Gomez was the top men’s finisher in the five mile race, with a time of 28:44, placing 24th overall.

For the women, junior Kelly Perkins finished first with a time of 20:48 in the 5,000 meter race, placing 20th.

Freshmen Jeremy Gonzales and Stephanie Lesniak were also top finishers. Lesniak finished second for La Verne with a time of 21:51, coming in 32nd place. Gonzalez finished with a time of 30:03, placing 45th.

“Jeremy Gonzalez has done really well. He went beyond what we expected him to do,” said Widolff.

Other finishers for the Leopard men were sophomores Brian Ward, who placed 31st with a time of 29:22, William McDonald, who finished 42nd with a time of 29:59 and Manuel Estrada, who finished 53rd with a time of 31:08.

Finishing for the Leopard women were freshman Eren Piceno and junior Julie Meiss, who both finished with a time of 22:36; freshman Jamie Corley, who placed 50th with a time of 23:03; and freshman Jessica Rios placed 52nd with a time of 23:07.

The Leopards competed against teams from Occidental, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, Pomona-Pitzer, Caltech, Whittier, Redlands and Cal Lutheran.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps won the women’s meet and Occidental dominated the men.

These eight teams will compete in the SCIAC Championships on Oct. 28. This is La Verne’s second and most important meet of the season, behind the regional competition.

When asked about the goal of the season, Widolff said, “Just to improve meet to meet, that’s all we can do.”

Andrea Gardner, Managing Editor
Andrea Gardner
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Starr Carroll, Photography Editor
Starr Carroll
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