• Cal State Bakersfield's Wrestling team hosted the Third Annual Chippewa Challenge over the weekend, where they faced off against American, Central Michigan, and Campbell.
• Guillermo Escobedo led the way for CSUB, going 2-1 on the day.
• The `Runners will head on the road for the remainder of the season. Next up will be a dual meet with Cal Poly to resume Pac-12 competition. 

CSUB 3, Central Michigan 40 – Sunday, Jan. 14

• Auggie Gracia celebrated senior day with a win. The 174 pounder won by decision (8-2) over Central Michigan’s Alex Cramer. 

CSUB 8, American 36 – Sunday, Jan. 14

• Moving on to the next dual with in the tournament, the `Runners scored a season-high eight points against American.
  • Sophomore Devyn Flores-Che grabbed CSUB’s first win of the second dual against American wrestler Kaden Milheim, winning by major decision (10-2).
  • Escobedo kept the momentum moving into the 165 bout, winning by major decision (10-1) against Ryan Zimmerman. 

CSUB 3, American 39 – Sunday, Jan. 14

• Bakersfield wrapped up the day with a dual against Campbell
• Escobedo showed out for the `Runners for the second time on Sunday, winning by decision (4-2) against Brant Cracraft.

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One school record fell during the first indoor meet of the 2024 season, with the women’s indoor track and field program seeing multiple personal bests at the Friday Night Axe ‘Em Open hosted by the Lumberjacks of Northern Arizona. Click here for the full results.

CSUB at Friday Night Axe ‘Em Open 

• The Roadrunners had multiple top-10 finishes and personal bests from the NAU meet. In total, 8 CSUB athletes earned PBs in their respective events. 
• Bakersfield native Julie Johnson came back home with a big personal best and new CSUB school record with her 10th place finish in the 300m. Her time of 41.20 broke recent record holder Julia Stein's time from last month. Stein also competed with Johnson in the event and went under the record with a new PB of 42.97. Both women look to continue to build on their momentum. 
• In the women’s weight throw, senior Jessi Solis had the best overall finish for a Bakersfield athlete at the meet. Solis competed in the event and placed 6th overall with a new #5 CSUB all-time mark of 53'3.5". 
• Jaztyn Greer finished the 60m hurdles with a PB time of 9.41. 
• A pair of `Runners finished the 60m with career bests - Jahnyl Donaldson-Howden (7.97) and freshman Aariana Harrison (8.15). 
• The `Runners saw a strong performance by Nerissa Thompson and Harrison in the 200m. Thompson finished the race in 25.93 and a tenth-place finish and Harrison ran a 26.98. 
• CSUB will be back in action when they head to Albuquerque, NM for the UNM Team Open on Jan. 25th. 

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• The Roadrunners have racked up three MPSF Swimmer of the Week honors this season: two for Vili Sivec and one for Kylie Ney.
• Bakersfield’s swim and dive team is in its last season as a member of the MPSF. The `Runners will join the rest of the Athletics Department in The Big West next season as the conference announced it would be adding Swimming and Diving as a sponsored sport in 2024-25.
• Sophomore Vili Sivec continues to rack up an impressive resume as the Croatian’s quest to become an Olympian looks more and more likely each week.
• At the Big Al Invitational in December, Sivec and Co. rewrote the CSUB record books. In total, six men and eight women tallied marks in CSUB’s Top 5 all-time lists.

Sivec @ TYR Pro Series in Knoxville, Tenn.

• While the squads were off this week, one `Runner was in action as sophomore Vili Sivec traveled to Knoxville for the TYR Pro series meet, a tune-up meet for international competition this summer.
  • Sivec, a native of Croatia, is in prime position to represent his country at the 2024 Olympics Games in Paris.
• Sivec recently became the fastest Croatian in history, setting the country's 200-meter butterfly record while at a meet in Princeton, N.J.
• The TYR meet featureed some of the world's top swimmers, including superstars Katie Ledecky and Caeleb Dressel.
• Sivec qualified for the evening finals in both of his events, the 200 Fly and the 100 Fly. He placed 11th overall in the 200 on Thursday before clinching a 17th-place mark in the 100 on Friday.
• The sophomore shaved time in each of his swims and outperformed his seed time, swimming past dozens of swimmers in elite competition.
• Sivec is scheduled to compete at more TYR Pro Series meets in March and April when he will be rested and shaved, looking for a time that could send him to the Olympics.

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CSUB 64, UC Santa Barbara 66 – Thursday, Jan. 11

• Bakersfield led the game for 39:04, with a lead being as large as 10 points.
  • CSUB played a defensive game forcing 19 turnovers, which translated into 10 pointsfor the Roadrunners.
• UCSB was efficient in the second half shooting 59% from the field, and making possessions count as the second half closed out.
• Naseem Gaskin settled in after Kaleb Higgins exited the game with an injury scare.
  • Gaskin had 8 points (4-6 FG), 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, and 4 steals.
• Bakersfield forced overtime as Marvin McGhee III knocked down a free throw as regulation came to an end.
• The Gauchos took the lead with 2 seconds left on a Jason Fontenent II free throw.
• Tom Mark had 8 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks on the night. 
• Corey Stephenson had 12 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals.

CSUB 71, UC Irvine 78 – Saturday, Jan. 13

• The `Runners traveled up to Davis after an overtime loss to UC Santa Barbara which saw all around production from the Roadrunners.
• Bakersfield jumped out to an early 22-13 lead, the Roadrunners went into the half down by 8 points.
• Coming out of the half the two teams began to exchange and it became a back-and-forth battle.
• UC Davis knocked down a three-pointer with 29 seconds left in the game forcing CSUB into another overtime game.
• Overtime opened up with a Naseem Gaskin dunk, but the Aggies would immediately answer back.
• UCD knocked down another huge three-pointer expanding their lead by six and making two free throws to put the game on ice.
• Bakersfield saw great production again from Naseem Gaskin (14 PTS 5-9 FG, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, a block, and two steals), Corey Stephenson (10 PTS 4-8 FG, 5 rebounds, an assist, and two steals), Tom Mark (10 PTS 5-9 FG, 7 rebounds, an assists, and a steal), and Kaleb Higgins (17 PTS 6-19 FG, 6 rebounds, two assists, and two steals)

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• The Cal State Bakersfield women’s basketball team experienced a pair of undesirable results last week, losing two more Big West matchups despite valiant comeback attempts in both games.
• Shaunae Brown collected two more double-digit point games while setting a new career high for single-game blocks with three against the Gauchos while Garrisen Freeman (9 REB) and Julia Riley (8 REB) both reset career-high numbers as well.
• Bakersfield’s best offensive quarter in each game was the 3rd period, as the `Runners totaled 42 points between the two games during those ten minutes. However, a rough start in both contests was unable to be overcome in the end.
• The `Runners now have some work to do in the conference standings, currently sitting 9th with a 1-4 record against Big West opponents. They will now look towards a pair of road games next week, hoping to get back to that winning feeling.

CSUB 54, UC Santa Barbara 75 - Thursday, Jan. 11

• From the onset, UC Santa Barbara opened the floodgates with a 13-0 run to start the game. However, after a strategically placed timeout by Greg McCall, the `Runners were still able to pull the deficit back to end the first quarter down just 18-10.
• Heading into halftime, the Gauchos separated themselves again to gain a double-digit lead. The `Runners came roaring out of the break with a huge run that saw them suddenly cut the deficit to just 5 points in the waning moments of the third quarter.
• UCSB responded with one of its finest quarters of the season, dropping 26 points in the fourth to pull far ahead and secure the road victory.
• The Gauchos provided three double-digit point scorers, including a 20 PTS, 8 REB performance from one of the conference’s best: Alexis Whitfield.
• On the home side, Shaunae Brown led the offense once again with another double-digit effort as set a new career high for steals with three, while Nseije Ortiz (11 PTS) came within two points of resetting her single-game high.
• Despite one of the best third quarters this season, the `Runners were unable to exact revenge from last season’s Big West Semifinals matchup.

CSUB 46, UC Davis 62 - Saturday, Jan. 13

• UC Davis’ defense was the difference in the weekend matinee, as the `Runners were held to just 13 first half points and shot just 32.1%.
• Led by one of the conference’s most consistent scorers, Evanne Turner (22 PTS), the Aggies jumped out to a massive lead and never quite looked back. Even so, the `Runners put together two fantastic quarters in the second half.
• Dominating off the boards and taking advantage of fast break opportunities, Bakersfield was able to keep up with and even surpass UC Davis offensively at times, including a 15-11 fourth quarter.
• A major crux for the `Runners was their difficulty shooting from the line, as CSUB missed out on 7 potential points while shooting 46.2% on free throws.
• Bakersfield’s typical three-point success was not found against the Aggies, and the `Runners shot just 20% over twenty downtown attempts. Even so, two `Runners (Garrisen Freeman and Julia Riley) managed to reset their single-game rebound numbers.

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