UCLA
George Kyte Classic
Cross Country Impresses in Season Opener
September 02, 2017 | Cross Country
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. โ The UCLA cross country team opened the 2017 campaign at the annual George Kyte Classic at Buffalo Park, with the Bruin men taking home a second-place finish and the women finishing third.
The men's 4.5-mile race kicked off the competition, and UCLA had a great showing, placing four runners in the Top 10.
Veteran Jackson Marshall paced the Bruins with a sixth-place finish and a time of 23:22.7. Sophomore Garrett Reynolds, redshirt freshman John Carter Blunt, and redshirt sophomore George Gleason combined to take the 8-10 spots for the Bruins. Reynolds finished at 23:34.1, Blunt in 23:42.0, and Gleason rounded out the Top 10 with a time of 23:46.8. Redshirt freshman Chris Morzenti was the final scorer for the men, finishing 16th and posting a time of 24:11.7 to solidify the second-place finish.
"I was very pleased with the effort from the men who were on the start line today," assistant coach Devin Elizondo said. "This was a great introduction to the 2017 season. The opportunity to compete against the defending NCAA Champions [Northern Arizona] on their home turf at 7,000 feet will serve us well as we head into the remainder of the season."
Seniors Richard Ho and Myles Smith completed the Top 7 for the Bruins Saturday, with Ho crossing the line 17th at 24:15.0 and Smith taking 23rd with a time of 24:54.0.
Also toeing the line for the men's squad were junior Arturo Sotomayor, who finished 26th with a time of 24:59.6; redshirt freshman Tyler Janes, who took 30th with a 25:08.9 mark; senior Max Davis, who ran 25:23.8 to finish 33rd; and redshirt freshman Riley Kelly, who finished 42nd with a time of 28:25.2.
"I am proud of the attitude we displayed in a daunting environment," Elizondo said. "We have many lessons to carry forward from the day."
The UCLA women were also impressive on Saturday in their 2.6-mile race, taking third overall and placing their five scoring runners in the Top 20. Three of the squad's Top 7 were true freshmen.
"They really came ready to run today," said UCLA assistant coach Jennifer DeRego. "They had a mindset that was just really solid and focused on pack running, and that's exactly what they did. I think this year, we're going to be turning some heads as far as what we're going to accomplish."
Senior and team captain Emily Scharmann led the way for the Bruins with a fifth-place finish and a time of 15:44.3. Freshman Erika Adler was not far behind, running a 15:49.3 time to take seventh in her first collegiate race. Sophomore Cassie Durgy placed 15th and posted a time of 16:20.4, and redshirt sophomore Jackie Garner finished 18th, running 16:28.7. True freshman Marisa Villegas rounded out the Bruins' top-5, finishing 20th overall at 16:46.4.
DeRego was also very encouraged by Adler's performance in particular, remarking, "We had a freshman [Adler] who had never run this caliber of competition, and then she comes out being the number two finisher for our team. She's ready to roll."
The Bruin Top 7 was filled out by senior Jessica Cushing-Murray (22nd) and freshman Christina Rice (24th), who finished with times of 16:53.1 and 17:00.4, respectively.
Also competing on the women's side were true freshmen Kira Loren, who finished with a 17:16.6 time; redshirt freshman Lily Schmidt, who ran 17:27.1 for 31st place; sophomore Kelly Bernd, who posted 17:29.8 to take 30th; and junior Taylor Taite, who finished 33rd at 17:32.0. Additionally, senior Roni Yamane was 35th with a time of 17:40.7. Freshman Paige Carter followed to take 36th at 17:42.6, sophomore Grace McCauley finished 38th with a time of 17:47.8, and freshman Jacquelyn Hill posted an 18:02.0 time to take 43rd in her first collegiate race.
The Bruins will be back in action on Saturday, Sept. 23 when they travel to St. Paul, Minn. for the Roy Griak Invitational.
Players Mentioned
