CROSS COUNTRY — Returning from a two-week break, UCSD’s cross country teams bolted into action on Oct. 4 when the Tritons competed in the Pre-National Invitation at Cooper’s Lake Campground in Slippery Rock, Pa. In the fourth event of the season, the men claimed their third team title while the women seized a fourth-place finish.
Sprinting toward the finish line with a time of 25:24, senior Jake LeVieux led the pack of Triton victors with a fourth-place finish. It was the fourth straight time LeVieux has led the Triton runners and finished among the top five.
Not far behind LeVieux were junior Jesse Morrill and senior Gabe LaMothe, finishing fifth and eighth respectively, helping the Triton men claim their third team title. UCSD won first place, trumping Lock Haven University by 17 points. Lock Haven proved a worthy competitor as the Eagles’ Nick Hilton and Tim Gatz took second and sixth place, respectively.
“During the race, Jake and I were trying to run [Lock Haven] down,” Morrill said. “So at the end when we beat them, we were pretty proud.”
Helping to secure that victory were seniors Greg Goldmine and Kevin Klein, collecting 15th and 20th place, respectively.
“We came into this race talking about what we needed to do, and the runners, man to man, took that up,” head coach Nate Garcia said.
The women’s team opened up its 6,000-meter run with freshman and twice-named California Collegiate Athletic Association Female Runner of the Week Bre Schofield anchoring seventh place with a time of 22:41.
Nine seconds later came senior captain Ashleigh Montgomery to round out the 11th-fastest time of the day. Freshman Elena Inouye also turned in an excellent run as the third Triton finisher with a time of 23:30. Ultimately, the Triton women earned a total time of 116:46 and 125 points to claim fourth overall. Surpassing UCSD by 18 points, Cal State Los Angeles and Slippery Rock University tied for first with 107 points.
UCSD’s next race looks especially exciting for the harriers as both teams return home to compete in the Triton Classic on Oct. 11. According to Morrill, two major prospects will remain on the forefronts of the Tritons’ minds.
“Alaska Anchorage — they’re one of the teams on our radar that we are watching out for at the Triton Classic,” he said. “And of course we want to win the division.”
