FULLERTON, Calif. - The CUI men's and women's cross country teams debuted in a great way Saturday in their first race of the season at the Biola Invitational. 
 
The women finished fifth out of 22 teams overall in the 5K race and in second place out of the eight PacWest schools that competed in the meet.  CUI compiled a total score of 181 points and wound up just two points behind the No. 1 ranked school in the conference which was the host school, Biola University. Cal State San Marcos finished in first place with 85 points (Just as in golf, the lower the score, the higher the finish).
 
CUI head coach Keegan Bloomfield was pleased with the overall performance of the Green and Gold.
 
"It's hard to pick out a top performer on the women's side as the whole team ran well, executing the race plan and running together, just as Coach (Jordan) Tuin and I asked," explained Bloomfield.  
 
While there may not have been a single standout performance, the team leader on the course was Rosalba Cabrera. She placed in the top 25 with a time of 18:50. Following closely behind was senior Bailey Wade who placed 29th with a time of 18:55 in the 5k. 
 
"It was hot because of the humidity, and there are a few hills on that course but it's one of my favorite courses because there's such a variety," said Wade. "I think it was good that we kept people on their toes and it was one of our better all-around races we've had in awhile. Everybody played a part and did what they had to do." 
 
Adriana Gil led the newcomers for the CUI Eagles with a time of 19:03, with Jori Paradis and Anamauri Hernandez following closely behind to round out the top five for the team. 
 
"While the entire women's team, from first place to last for the Eagles, showed grit and hard work today, we are excited to continue to strive for excellence as the season continues," added assistant coach Jordan Tuin. 
 
The men's team finished seventh overall with a total of 245 points. They finished third among six PacWest Conference schools that were present at the Biola Invitational. 
 
Junior Angel Aguirre was the first Eagle to cross the finish line with a time of 26:31 which put him 41st in the field. Less than a minute later, classmate Hector Arteaga finished second for the Eagles with a time of 27:07. 
 
Jose Munguia led the newcomers and his sprint to the finish helped him turn in a time of 27:13 for the 8k course. He was followed by a large group of teammates that included Matthew Fonseca, Jacob Dunagin, Trevor Branstetter, Jason St. Pierre, and David Brito. 
 
"From top to bottom, from the juniors to the freshmen, we ran really well," added Bloomfield.
 
Both the CUI men and the women's teams had impressive competition stacked against them. The race was a great precursor to the rest of the season as the Eagles will continue to race against many PacWest and DII schools in the coming weeks.
 
The Eagles look forward to two more weeks of training until their next meet in San Bernardino, Calif. for the Coyote Challenge hosted by Cal State San Bernardino on Saturday, Sept. 28.
 
For the full CUI cross country schedule, click here.