SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State East Bay women's cross country team turned in a fifth-place finish Saturday morning at the Cougar Challenge, completing the 6K race with 171 points.

Natalie Goumashyan led the way for the Pioneers, crossing the finish line in 24th place with a time of 22:27.9.

Yamilet Deniz followed closely behind, finishing 26th overall in 22:29.2. Just 1.3 seconds separated East Bay's first two finishers.

Grace Veloza was the third Pioneer across the line, finishing 37th at 22:46.1. Jocelyn Uraje-Galindo followed in 64th at 23:41.2, while Melanie Rodriguez rounded out East Bay's scoring five in 72nd at 23:55.4.

The Pioneer lineup also featured Paulina Arias, who crossed the finish line in 73rd at 23:56.5, and Hope Brookins, who finished 80th with a time of 24:11.1.

East Bay's scoring five combined for a team time of 1:55:20 and an average time of 23:04 as the Pioneers secured fifth place with 171 points.

With three runners finishing inside the top 40, the Pioneers put together a strong team performance in their first 6K competition of October.