CSUB Cross Country Falls to Pepperdine in opener

MALIBU, Calif. — The CSU Bakersfield cross country team got its season off and running on Thursday with a 15-44 loss to Pepperdine at the Malibu Oceanside Open.

Cecilia Lopez (Jr. Bakersfield, Calif., North HS) led the way for the Roadrunners, clocking a 5K time of 20 minutes, 13.13 seconds to place sixth overall. Jazmin Lopez (Jr., Baldwin Park, Calif., Mt. San Antonio College) crossed the finish line in seventh place iwth a time of 20:31.01 and Megan Thompson (So., Fellows, Calif., Taft HS) placed eighth with a 20:37.63.

The meet was the first with CSUB head coach Ashley Benson. Benson said it was a good experience for her team and she is looking forward to the remainder of the season.

“We didn't really execute that well. We went into it without a running plan and let the girls go out so we could look for strenghts and weaknesses and everyone went out hard on the first mile and got excited a little bit. Everyone went out a little hard,” Benson said. “It is a good starting point and a place for us to grow from and to work off of and to figure out where everyone needs to go from here.”

Melisa Cruz (Jr., Bakersfield, Calif., West HS) finished in 12th place (20:52.51), Judith Mata (Sr., Riverside, Calif., Riverside CC) placed 13th (21:01.12), Monica Guzman (So., Bakersfield, Calif., Garces HS) took 14th (21:56.62), Johanna Montes (Sr., Riverside, Calif., Riverside CC) placed 15th (23:27.67) and freshman Claudia Cuevas (Bakersfield, Calif., South) took 16th (25:29.55) in her CSUB debut.

Pepperdine's Aneasha Lawrence captured first place in the meet with a time of 19:12.04.
The Roadrunners will be back in action on Sept. 10 at the Asics/UC Irvine Invitational in Irvine.

~www.GoRunners.com~

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