By Alex Guzman – Spear Reporter | (Photo Courtesy of SJSU Athletics)
San Jose State’s cross country teams competed in its second meet of the season at the Saint Mary’s College Invitational on Friday at Newhall Park in Moraga, Calif.
The Spartans left the invitational with the men’s team finishing 10th of 13 teams with a score of 298. The women’s team finished 13th of 15 teams with a score of 411.
The men’s team finished in the top 10 for the first time in program history at the Saint Mary’s invitational.
First in for the Spartans was junior distance runner Amanda Chalburg, who led SJSU with the fastest time of the day, clocking 22:06.3 and finishing 56th overall in a field of 160 runners.
SJSU assistant coach David Verburg believes the women’s squad made progress at a good point in the season.
“On the women’s side, you had four athletes come through with big PRs, which is a great place to be this time of the season,” Verburg said.
Contributing to the final score of 411, freshman Charlotte Hofstetter finished 85th with a time of 24:06.3, while junior Malia Seki clocked in with a time of 24:19.2 and finished 88th. Freshman Esha Gurusamy took 93rd with a time of 25:16.9. Gurusamy was followed by junior Samantha Villavicencio, who finished 95th with a time of 26:10.1.
In a field of 140 runners, sophomore Joel Nickerson led the Spartans men’s team, cracking 50th overall in the 8k race with a time of 24:47.7.
Following close behind Nickerson was senior Will Bujake, who took 51st with a time of 24:49.4, and senior Alexander Walker came 52nd with a time of 24:50.6.
Walker continues to improve his time by dropping nearly a minute from his 25:48.5 finish at the University of San Francisco State Invitational and recording a personal best.
Verburg believes the men’s side had several breakthrough races as well.
“The men’s side had five performers, had big PRs, four of them under 25 [minutes] in the 8k, which is a big mark,” Verburg said. “Today the San Jose State Spartans cross country team had a phenomenal performance.”
SJSU will continue to carry this momentum into the San Francisco State Invitational on Friday, Oct. 9, at Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, Calif.
