Ryan Nunez Bobcat Invitational preps Cal Maritime for 2021's homestretch

MERCED, Calif. – Senior Katherine Nguyen and junior Sarai Alonso each posted PRs in Saturday's Ryan Nunez Bobcat Invitational, hosted by UC Merced, as the pair completed the 5k on-campus course in 23:48.82 and 35:00.91 to finish 20th and 29th, respectively.

By clocking a 25:06.66, Julia Mast ended her morning in 23rd place, and Katherine Nguyen completed Cal Maritime's contingent of women's cross country runners by finishing 28th with a time of 30:22.93.

Isaiah Sulivan led a group of nine Keelhaulers who tackled UC Merced's 4-mile course, which helped prep every Cal Maritime harrier for the remaining weeks of the 2021 season. 

Sulivan (23:29.82) and Nick Yarusso (23:39.27) were the first Keelhaulers to finish; the pair were responsible for the 25th and 26th-fastest times. Trevor Hodges (24:18.58) and Kye McKeown (24:23.86) were the next pair of teammates to finish right after one another and captured 29th and 30th place.

Following Harry Bragg's 33rd-place result (24:38.88), Andrew Scannell (25.43.96) finished two places after his teammate. Reid Zieber (27:07.89), Justin Storrs (28:15.92) and Jacob Gutierrez (28:26.00) ended their morning in 36th, 38th and 39th.

Cal Maritime will compete in its second meet, in as many weeks, when it heads to Rocklin on Saturday, Oct. 23, to run in the William Jessup XC Warrior Invitational. Once they return home, both cross country teams will have just over a week to prep for the Cal Pac Cross Country Championships, slated for Monday, November 1 in Fresno.

"Today was a good opportunity for our younger runners to gain vital experience," said head coach Jeff Ward. "This meet will help everyone prepare accordingly for next week's race, which is the final tune-up before the Cal Pac championships."