Irvine, Calif.- The CUI men's and women's cross country teams competed at the UCR Invitational, showcasing their talent and determination against a tough mix of Division I and Division II schools. Even in the face of tough competition, several standout performances made an impact.

For the men's team, it was Noah Plaza with the race of his life, crossing the finish line at 24:17 to mark another personal best. This performance was able to set the pace for his co-pilots Fernando Aguirre 24:25 and Collin Bervig 24:58 to achieve their bests. Spencer Handoff (25:01) and Gavin Hellerstedt (25:57) also turned in solid times to round our the Top 5 finishers for the CUI men.

These individual accomplishments reflect the hard work and dedication that the men's team has put in during their training, even in the face of strong competition.

The women's team also held their own, finishing 19th overall and placing 6th among Division II schools. Emily Littlefield stood out with an impressive time of 21:01, placing 4th among D2 runners. Her performance also made her the third fastest runner in CUI history on that course.

Taylor Whitfield closely followed, finishing with a time of 21:11, which secured her 6th place out of the DII runners. Elizabeth King also made her mark, recording a personal best of 21:25 and finishing 50th overall and 10th among DII runners.The trio's strong finishes display the talent within the team. 

The women's squad would eventually boast a total of seven personal bests from the likes of Littlefield, Whitfield, King, Claudia Vera, Mariza Chavez, Audrey Barcenas and Priscella Gomez.  Littlefield left a big statement with a symphony of speed to run almost two minutes faster than her previous best time leading the charge towards team success.

Both the men's and women's teams left the UCR Invitational with valuable lessons and a fresh determination to improve. The experience highlighted areas for growth, and the teams are ready to learn and adapt as the season continues. With standout performances from Littlefield, Bervig, and Plaza, the future looks bright for CUI cross country as they aim to come back stronger in upcoming meets.

Come out and support your Golden Eagle's country teams in their next races on Saturday, September 28 at the San Marcos Cougar Challenge.

For the full CUI women's cross country schedule, CLICK HERE

For the full CUI men's cross country schedule, CLICK HERE