UCSD junior Mimi Hodgins flew across the finish line in sixth place at the Willamette Invitational in Salem, Ore., on Oct. 2, just 39 seconds behind the 5K race’s leader, elevating the Triton women’s cross country team to a third-place finish in a 31-team field. The men’s team, led by senior Robert Eap, took 11th place out of 28 entered teams in the 8K race. Chico State dominated both the men’s and women’s field, with first-place finishes in both.
The top-five Triton finishers on the women’s side, whose performances are included in the team’s scoring, crossed the finish line among the first 27 competitors in the field of 271, earning the team 92 points, just 10 points off of the second-place Edinboro College team score of 82.
Hodgins’ time of 17 minutes, 54 seconds was the second-fastest ever recorded by a member of the UCSD women’s squad at the Willamette Invitational, and was the all-time fifth-fastest race for any Triton at the race on either the men’s or women’s side.
Freshman Diane Dunn took second among the UCSD women, completing the course in a time of 18:06, good enough for 14th place. Freshman Katie Olson ran in third position for the Tritons, placing 21st overall with a time of 18:20, followed by freshman Emily McGregor in 24th place, who finished in 18:27. Rounding out the scoring for the Triton women was junior Erin O’Donnell, who finished 27th with a time of 18:29.
On the men’s side, Eap finished top among the Triton men, crossing the line at 24:45 for a 15th place finish in the 261-competitor field.
Sophomore Dan Holligan was the second-fastest UCSD runner, finishing the race in 26:09, meritting 65th place, followed by freshman Kevin Klein at 26:20 for 73rd place. Rounding out Triton scoring were sophomore Jad Mulgrew, crossing the line at 26:44, and freshman Ryan Becijos at 26:59, earning 92nd and 104th places, respectively.
Chico State won the event in the men’s division, as seven Wildcat runners completed the eight kilometer course in the top-fourteen places.
The Tritons return to La Jolla on Oct. 9 for the UCSD Triton Classic, the only meet at home this season.
