Friday, August 30
Malibu, Calif.
4:30 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
vs
Waves Invitational
Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics
CSUN Opens 2024 Cross Country Season at Waves Invitational
8/29/2024 1:32:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN kicks off its 51st season of men's cross country and 48th season of women's cross country this Friday at Pepperdine's Waves Invitational. The men's and women's races will be he held at Alumni Park in Malibu, Calif.
The men's 6k race will open the invitational at 4:30 p.m. followed by the women's 4k beginning at 5:15 p.m. Live results can be found here.
Other Big West teams competing at the meet will be Cal State Bakersfield, Cal Poly and Long Beach State while other schools include LMU, Pepperdine, San Diego State, USC and Westmont.
A GLANCE AT THE CSUN MEN'S TEAM
On the men's side, the Matadors return six letterwinners from last year's team and add six true freshmen. Daniel Rodriguez and Ramiro Mateos are the team's lone seniors while juniors Cesar Cuevas, Ja'Patrick Smith, Kai Smith and Camilo Torres all return to the program this season. The Matadors' freshman group consists of Thomas Achten (Beckman HS), Caden Bazo (Saugas HS), Alec Flores (Granada Hills Charter HS), Darrick Jacob, Jr. (Agoura HS), Giovanni Moreno (Cathedral HS) and Diego Rodriguez (Santa Paula HS).
Daniel Rodriguez returns for his fourth season with the cross country team in 2024. Among the returning group, Rodriguez posted the best finish in the Big West Championships last season by running an 8k time of 25:26.5 to finish 42nd. He also recorded the fifth-best 8k time in team history (24:33.7) at the Santa Clara Invitational along with the 10th-best 6k time in school history (19:08.7) at the Big West Preview in 2023.
Torres paced CSUN at the 2023 NCAA West Regional Championships by running a 10k time of 32:05.5 while he finished 43rd at the Big West Championships with an 8k time of 25:28.6. In his CSUN career, Torres holds the 10k school record set at the 2022 NCAA West Regional (30:57.7) along with the second-best 8k time recorded at the 2022 Bronco Invitational (24:30.4).
Cuevas, Mateos and Kai Smith each bring experience to CSUN in 2024 after competing at the Big West Championships and NCAA West Regional Championships last season.
As a team, CSUN finished eighth at the Big West Championships and 26th at the NCAA West Regionals in 2023.
A GLANCE AT THE CSUN WOMEN'S TEAM
The CSUN women's team field an eight-member roster with four returners. The four newcomers on the team consist of three junior college transfers and one true freshman. Three seniors are on the roster, which includes three-year letterwinners in Elin Markarian and Leann Hamilton while Sakura Divecchio returns for her second season with CSUN. Junior Unique Ford also returns after a strong 2023 campaign. CSUN's junior college transfers consist of Savannah Ganter (Riverside City College), Ami Jacobsen (El Camino College) and Emily Ramirez (Santa Monica College). Noelia Ortega (James Monroe HS) is the team's lone freshman.
Ford competed in CSUN's final three races last season after she spent her freshman season at Cal State Fullerton. In her debut, Ford recorded the third-best 6k time in school history with a mark of 21:03.2 at the Santa Clara Invitational. She also led CSUN at the Big West Championships, finishing 29th overall with a time of 21:55.3 and at the NCAA West Regional Championships (21:09.8) where she finished 99th.
Markarian set a personal best and the seventh-best 6k time in school history at last year's Santa Clara Bronco Invitational (21:51.9). She went on to finish 52nd at the Big West Championships (22:48.1). Hamilton also competed at both the Big West Championships (24:18.0) and the NCAA West Regional (23:40.4) a season ago.
The women's team looks to build on last year's showing at the Big West Championships when the team finished ninth. The Matadors also placed 33rd at 2023 NCAA West Regional.
THE ROAD AHEAD
In 2024, CSUN will compete at the Master's Invitational on Oct. 5 before making a trip to UC Riverside on Oct. 19 for the Highlander Invitational. This year's 2024 Big West Championships will be hosted by UC Riverside on Saturday, Nov. 2. The NCAA West Regional is set for Friday, Nov. 15 in Colfax, Wash.
#GoMatadors
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The men's 6k race will open the invitational at 4:30 p.m. followed by the women's 4k beginning at 5:15 p.m. Live results can be found here.
Other Big West teams competing at the meet will be Cal State Bakersfield, Cal Poly and Long Beach State while other schools include LMU, Pepperdine, San Diego State, USC and Westmont.
A GLANCE AT THE CSUN MEN'S TEAM
On the men's side, the Matadors return six letterwinners from last year's team and add six true freshmen. Daniel Rodriguez and Ramiro Mateos are the team's lone seniors while juniors Cesar Cuevas, Ja'Patrick Smith, Kai Smith and Camilo Torres all return to the program this season. The Matadors' freshman group consists of Thomas Achten (Beckman HS), Caden Bazo (Saugas HS), Alec Flores (Granada Hills Charter HS), Darrick Jacob, Jr. (Agoura HS), Giovanni Moreno (Cathedral HS) and Diego Rodriguez (Santa Paula HS).
Daniel Rodriguez returns for his fourth season with the cross country team in 2024. Among the returning group, Rodriguez posted the best finish in the Big West Championships last season by running an 8k time of 25:26.5 to finish 42nd. He also recorded the fifth-best 8k time in team history (24:33.7) at the Santa Clara Invitational along with the 10th-best 6k time in school history (19:08.7) at the Big West Preview in 2023.
Torres paced CSUN at the 2023 NCAA West Regional Championships by running a 10k time of 32:05.5 while he finished 43rd at the Big West Championships with an 8k time of 25:28.6. In his CSUN career, Torres holds the 10k school record set at the 2022 NCAA West Regional (30:57.7) along with the second-best 8k time recorded at the 2022 Bronco Invitational (24:30.4).
Cuevas, Mateos and Kai Smith each bring experience to CSUN in 2024 after competing at the Big West Championships and NCAA West Regional Championships last season.
As a team, CSUN finished eighth at the Big West Championships and 26th at the NCAA West Regionals in 2023.
A GLANCE AT THE CSUN WOMEN'S TEAM
The CSUN women's team field an eight-member roster with four returners. The four newcomers on the team consist of three junior college transfers and one true freshman. Three seniors are on the roster, which includes three-year letterwinners in Elin Markarian and Leann Hamilton while Sakura Divecchio returns for her second season with CSUN. Junior Unique Ford also returns after a strong 2023 campaign. CSUN's junior college transfers consist of Savannah Ganter (Riverside City College), Ami Jacobsen (El Camino College) and Emily Ramirez (Santa Monica College). Noelia Ortega (James Monroe HS) is the team's lone freshman.
Ford competed in CSUN's final three races last season after she spent her freshman season at Cal State Fullerton. In her debut, Ford recorded the third-best 6k time in school history with a mark of 21:03.2 at the Santa Clara Invitational. She also led CSUN at the Big West Championships, finishing 29th overall with a time of 21:55.3 and at the NCAA West Regional Championships (21:09.8) where she finished 99th.
Markarian set a personal best and the seventh-best 6k time in school history at last year's Santa Clara Bronco Invitational (21:51.9). She went on to finish 52nd at the Big West Championships (22:48.1). Hamilton also competed at both the Big West Championships (24:18.0) and the NCAA West Regional (23:40.4) a season ago.
The women's team looks to build on last year's showing at the Big West Championships when the team finished ninth. The Matadors also placed 33rd at 2023 NCAA West Regional.
THE ROAD AHEAD
In 2024, CSUN will compete at the Master's Invitational on Oct. 5 before making a trip to UC Riverside on Oct. 19 for the Highlander Invitational. This year's 2024 Big West Championships will be hosted by UC Riverside on Saturday, Nov. 2. The NCAA West Regional is set for Friday, Nov. 15 in Colfax, Wash.
#GoMatadors
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Players Mentioned
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
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