By Lizette Diaz-Axomulco – Spear Reporter | The Spartans at the Saint Mary’s invitational on Sept. 18, 2026. (Photo by SJSU Athletics Photographer)
The San Jose State cross country team competed at the San Francisco State Invitational on Friday at Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park, with the women finishing sixth in the 6K and the men placing fifth in the 8K.
SJSU junior Amanda Challburg led the women’s team, finishing ninth in 22 minutes, 14.5 seconds. Freshman Charlotte Hofstetter followed, finishing 49th in 24 minutes, 1.5 seconds.
The Spartans scored 157 points in the women’s race, recording a team time of 2:00:54.8.
On the men’s side, sophomore Brandon Wofford led the Spartans with a 14th-place finishing in 25 minutes, 31.3 seconds. While, senior Will Bujake finished 29th, followed closely by sophomore Joel Nickerson in 30th.
The men’s team scored 113 points and finished with a team time of 2:13:18.9.
“They’ve been waiting for a while, so strategy-wise, they executed it how I wanted it,” SJSU head coach Charmaine Darden said. “There was a little bit of concerns about how intense the course was, but they came out here, and they did what they had to do.”
The Spartans will look to build on their performance at the San Francisco State Invitational, carrying determination and momentum into the final stretch of the season.
“I am very proud of them, and we’re looking to compete next week at the Bronco Invitational,” Darden said.
Led by strong individual efforts from Challburg and Wofford, SJSU will continue working toward its goals as the team prepares ahead.
The Spartans will return to competition Saturday, Oct. 18, at the Santa Clara Bronco Invitational in Santa Clara, California.
