Final Results (PDF)
SAN FRANCISCO -- Led by a pair of freshmen, the Cal State East Bay men's cross country team posted an eighth place finish at Sunday's California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championships.Â
It was a warm, sunny morning by the time the starting gun went off for the 8k men's race at Golden Gate Park's Speedway meadows. The Pioneers finished with 241 points, falling just short of seventh-place Stanislaus State.
Chico State, ranked No. 2 in the nation, placed five of the top eight individuals to claim their 10th straight CCAA team championship. It was an impressive field of squads overall, with four of the eight teams entering the meet ranked in the top 25 nationally.
Freshman
Israel Sotelo was East Bay's top finisher for the fourth time this fall, placing 65th with a time of 27:19.3. The Porterville native has had an impressive rookie campaign, having already ran the second-fastest 8k time by a Pioneer since joining the CCAA in 2009.
Fellow freshman
Cameron Olson was right on Sotelo's heels in 66th place. He ran an extremely impressive race, crossing the finish line in 27:23.3 and taking a full minute and 13 seconds off his previous best 8k time.
Junior
Kyle Fetter (28:03.6) and sophomore
Zach Kanlong (28:10.7) ran near each other throughout the race, placing 72nd and 73rd, respectively. Â
The final trio of Pioneers finished all in a row, with junior
Noah Siegel (28:46.7) taking 78th place, freshman
Jesus Leon (29:10.9) finishing 79th, and senior
Orlando Ramirez (29:19.9) placing 80th.Â
The season continues for the Pioneers in two weeks, when they travel to Monmouth, Ore. for the NCAA Division II West Regionals on Saturday, Nov. 7.