CERES, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay women's cross country team opened its 2017 season on Saturday at the annual Kim Duyst Invitational, hosted by Stanislaus State and serving as the preview meet for this year's California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championships.

The Pioneers placed fifth in a field that included CCAA squads Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State San Marcos, San Francisco State, and the host Warriors. They battled the heat as well as the opposition, with temperatures approaching the 90s at race time. 

Senior Cecilia Carretero ran a fast race despite the conditions, leading the Pioneers with a 14th place overall finish. She turned in a 5k time of 23:15.4, which stands as the 11th-fastest in program history. 

Fellow senior Dana Pollard placed 30th overall, crossing the finish line in 24:05.4. She ran along with senior Katherine Embody, who finished right behind her in 31st (24:09.4). Freshman Makenna Duda was close behind the pair, taking 34th in 24:21.0.

Senior Kandace Compton finished in 37th with a time of 24:46.2, followed by freshman Andrea Contreras in 40th (24:58.8). 

Sophomore Andrea Romero took 47th in 25:43.9, sophomore Brittany Duquette took 52nd in 26:32.4, sophomore Alondra Castro Ortiz placed 55th in 27:03.6, and freshman Rosalva Quevado finished 57th in 27:51.7 to round out the team's performance in Ceres. 

With a day of competition under their belts, the Pioneers will now take three weeks to train before running again in the SF State Invitational at Golden Gate Park on Sept. 22.