SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - In a truly dominating and inspiring performance, both Concordia University Irvine cross country squads won the Coyote Challenge on Saturday to open their seasons with a strong start.

The CUI men celebrated their first win as a team at the NCAA DII level.  According to school records, it is also the first time the CUI men's squad posted this type of team win since the 2007 GSAC Championship.

In addition, the CUI women's squad also earned its first team victory since 2009 at the Southeastern Classic at the University of Louisville.

"(Saturday) was a team day. Both teams executed their plans so well," said CUI head coach Keegan Bloomfield.  "To get both team wins and one individual win was special. It's our first win as a team in a long time."

Newcomer Noah Plaza and captain Juan Sebastian Garcia led the pack on the men's side to give CUI that 1-2 punch across the finish line. The pair was part of a nine-man group that held strong the entire race and set the tone for the entire field.  Plaza ultimately out-kicked Garcia down the stretch to win the event in his CUI debut.

The CUI men saw their top seven runners all finish in the Top 11 in the field.  Joining Plaza and Garcia were sophomores David Berardi and Colin Bervig who placed sixth and seventh respectively. Upperclassman Jason St. Pierre (eight place) followed close behind along with Owen Beam and Joshua Scheetz who catapulted the Golden Eagles past all the other participating schools in points.

The sophomore trio of Dustin Berger, Fernando Aguirre and Isaiah Duport all galloped their way into the Top 21.  Meanwhile, freshmen Gavin Hellerstedt, Marcus Shin and Tyler Renteria joined returner Michael Vaquilar in the Top 30.

"The men ran so well," added Bloomfield. "They stayed patient and let the race come to them. Noah and Juanse went toe-to-toe for the win and Noah came out on top. I'm really happy for those guys. They solidified their hard work over the summer with a strong win."

The ladies opened the day and were all smiles after the race, taking first place as a team out of eight schools.  Jori Paradis (second overall), Maddie Jahshan (third), Sara Feitz (fourth) and Porshe Eismann (fifth) all secured top five finishes to start their season in impressive fashion.

Hayley Killion (eighth) and Adriana Gil (ninth) scored their first-ever Top 10 finishes as CUI runners and Alana Hurley rounded out the scoring by placing eleventh overall.

Freshmen runners Elizabeth King and Riley Norris were close behind and finished 12th and 13th respectively in their collegiate debuts. Madilyn Herrera and freshmen Darla Medina and Brittany Widerburg cracked the Top 20. 

"The women were patient through the first mile," explained Bloomfield. "They were in second place as a team but they followed our plan. Moving up over the last two miles as a team was fun to see. From here we move towards bigger competitions and faster races but this was a GREAT way to start!

Both cross country squads look to build on this fantastic outing next Saturday, Sept. 17 when the Golden Eagles make their way to the UC Riverside Invitational.

CLICK HERE for the full CUI women's cross country schedule

CLICK HERE for the full CUI men's cross country schedule