The Leopard cross country teams delivered impressive performances at the 2024 Pre-Nationals, hosted by Rose-Hulman on Oct. 4 in Terre Haute, Indiana. The meet featured top NCAA Division III programs from across the country, providing the Leopards with valuable competition and experience.
On the men’s side, sophomore Fernando Cortez Jr. led the Leopards with a personal record of 25:37, cutting 12 seconds off his previous best. His effort placed him 60th out of more than 330 runners. La Verne’s men’s team finished 24th overall out of 46 teams.
Sophomore Finn McClure followed Cortez with a time of 26:22, while teammates freshman Destino Soto and graduate student Jared Albaugh both crossed the line at 26:50. Junior Zyeir Shabete (26:55), junior Thomas Taniguchi (27:31), and senior Roberto Reynoso (27:33) also contributed to the team’s solid performance.
For the women, sophomore Marissa Hehir led with a time of 23:03. Sophomore Lizbeth Garcia set a new personal record, finishing in 24:29 and shaving more than a minute off her previous best. Junior Ryleigh LaRue (25:33) and junior Madison Bravo (25:35) finished closely behind, while junior Peyton Carrera (26:03), freshman Emily Guzman (26:30), and sophomore Jenna Schwarz (26:37) rounded out the team’s finishers. The women’s team placed 36th out of 44 teams.
The Leopards will return to action with an 8 a.m. start time Oct. 19, at the UC Riverside Highlander Invitational. The Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships are scheduled for Nov. 2 at Carbon Canyon Regional Park in Brea.
—Jonas Holt
Jonas Holt is a senior journalism major with a concentration in print and online journalism. He is sports editor of the Campus Times, a staff writer for La Verne Magazine and staff photographer for both publications. He has previously been a staff writer for the Campus Times.
