Fresno State Athletics
`Dogs Look to Continue Strong Showing
9/18/2014 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
By: Dayna Hill
daynah@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com September 18, 2014
FRESNO, Calif.-
SUNDODGER INVITATIONAL - MEET INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, September 20, 2014
Time: 11 a.m. - Women's 6K 11:35 a.m. - Men's 8K
Location: Lincoln Park, Seattle, Wash. - Parking: Free
Entries: College teams
Course Description: Start and finish on grass playing field. The course is a mixture of grass, dirt, light gravel, and bark chips. Competitors may wear spikes or flats.
Results: Available afterwards at gobulldogs.com and www.directathletics.com
Tentative Bulldog Entries:
Men: Uriel Cabanas, Nathan Esparza, Cooper Gill, Joel Gonzalez, Chriss Grimble, Matt Kwiatkowski, Efren Reyes, Esteban Vega
Women: Julianne Jacques, Mackenzie Landa, Brittany Laygo, Carina Mendoza, Meagan Paracholski, Taylor Samson, Annemarie Schwanz.
SUNDODGER INVITATIONAL UP NEXT
The Fresno State's cross country teams head to the University of Washington later this week for the Sundodger Cross Country Invitational that will take place on Saturday, Sept. 20. This will be the Bulldog's second appearance in the last three years at the event after a solid showing in 2012.
That season, Fresno State's men and women's teams both took second place. The men were led by current red-shirt senior, Olivier Bernard, who placed sixth overall. The women's top finisher was Lyndsie Etherton, who placed fourth in the 6K race and ran a time that was fastest enough to still rank third-fastest on the women's all-time list. The women's team will race a 6K at 11 a.m., and men will follow with an 8K at 11:35 a.m.
"The team is excited to head up to Washington this weekend", said coach Sean McManus. "It is great that we will be on a neutral site with lots of spectators. It will be nice environment for our athletes' first road trip. We are a very young team and for a handful of athletes this is their first time on a plane. Hopefully this trip will be the first step towards a successful remainder of the season and get us ready for the Stanford Invitational Sept. 27."
Both races will face a course that laps around Lincoln Park in Seattle, Wash. This will be the team's first test of the season racing distances of 6K for the women and 8K for the men. The `Dogs will compete against nationally ranked men's and women's team from Washington. The Husky women are ranked 14 in the nation, after finishing 17th at the NCAA Championships in 2013. The UW men are currently ranked 17 in the nation. Washington State, Seattle University, and Hawai'i will also be competing on Saturday.
SUCCESS AT SEASON OPENER
Fresno State's men's and women's teams debuted at the Fresno State Invitational (Sept. 5), finishing second and first, respectively. The races, marked at 6K and 4.2K, allowed the teams to feel out their legs in the first week of the season before hitting the more traditional distances. Individually, on the men's side a Bulldog underclassman led the charge as sophomore Matt Kwiatkowski finished in the No. 1 spot for Fresno State, placing second overall in the Division 1 race. Senior Chriss Grimble was two seconds back in third in a time of 18:40.40, and junior Nathan Esparza was the next person to score for the `Dogs (10th, 18:54.2). He was followed by freshman Efren Reyes (14th, 19:12.4) and sophomore Uriel Cabanas (15th, 19:15.6) who gave the Bulldogs' scoring five a 37-second margin. Other `Dog finishers included freshmen Michael Marquez (17th, 19:30.7) and Joel Gonzalez (19th, 19:39.8) and, sophomores Esteban Vega (20th, 19:49.2), and Cooper Gill (21st, 20:11).
Junior Annemarie Schwanz utilized a final mile push to win the 4.2K women's race (14:37.2), and was followed by redshirt senior teammate Carina Mendoza (second, 14:45.4). Junior Julianne Jacques followed in fourth place overall (14:58.1), the final two Bulldog scorers were freshman Mackenzie Landa (fifth, 14:59.2) and senior Meagan Paracholski (21st, 15:55.8). Other Fresno State finishers included sophomores Taylor Samson (25th, 16:07.9) and Brittany Laygo (26th, 16:12.6) and seniors Lyndsie Etherton (33rd, 16:50.4) and Kelly Duffy (37th, 17:18.9).
SIZING UP THE `DOGS IN 2014
Among the team's 11-person men's roster, `Dogs to watch include senior Chriss Grimble, junior Nathan Esparza, sophomore Matt Kwiatkowski and freshmen Joel Gonzalez and Efren Reyes. Likely front-runners for the 18-person Bulldog women's roster include redshirt senior Carina Mendoza, juniors Annemarie Schwanz and Julianne Jacques, and freshman Mackenzie Landa.
BULLDOG NEWCOMERS STEPPING UP
Cross country coach Sean McManus was pleasantly surprised by the performance of the team's newcomers at the Fresno State Invitational. Two new harriers stepped up as team scorers. Freshman Mackenzie Landa stood fourth for the Bulldogs, and fifth overall. Freshman Efren Reyes finished fourth for the `Dogs and earned 14 points to add to the team's score. McManus hopes to see more of his freshman class contribute once the `Dogs start running longer distances this season.
UP AHEAD IN THE DISTANCE
Next week for the `Dogs is the Stanford Invitational. At this meet last year, current junior Annemarie Schwanz was the top runner for the `Dogs and produced a then personal best time. Three weeks later the `Dogs will be splitting up the teams. The women's team will travel to the Indiana State Pre-National Invitational to get familiar with the course that will host the NCAA National Championships. The Bulldog men will travel to the Santa Clara Bronco Invitational. The 'Dogs kick off the championship slate by hosting the MW Championships on Friday, October 31st at Woodward Park.
MEET COACH MCMANUS
Sean McManus enters his seventh season leading Fresno State's cross country teams and the track and field distance squads. He has coached 63 All-Conference runners during his time here and seven Conference Champions. During his time at Fresno State McManus has coached 19 athletes to the Bulldogs' All-Time List. McManus has taken Bulldog student-athletes to the NCAA Championships in both cross country and track and field. He has also led 15 FSU athletes to the NCAA Regionals.
WOODWARD IS WHERE IT'S AT IN 2014
The season-opening Fresno State Invitational was also a preview of the same course for the 2014 Mountain West Cross Country Championships, slated for Friday, October 31. The historic cross country venue will also host the CIF state high school championships on Saturday, November 29.
ONLINE CROSS COUNTRY LINKS
Mountain West Cross Country: http://www.themwc.com/
NCAA West Regional Host: www.GoStanford.comNCAA
Men's Cross Country: http://www.ncaa.com/sports/cross-country-men/d1
NCAA Women's Cross Country: http://www.ncaa.com/sports/cross-country-women/d1
National / Regional Polls: http://www.ustfccca.org/team-rankings-polls-central/division-i-rankings
NCAA Division 1 Cross Country Handbook: http://www.ustfccca.org/assets/handbooks/d1-cc-handbook.pdf
IAAF: www.iaaf.org
United States Olympic Committee: www.olympic-usa.org
USA Track and Field: www.usatf.org
Track and Field News: www.trackandfieldnews.com
"Be Bold!" - The 'Dogs host the Mountain West Cross Country Championships on Friday, October 31st at Woodward Park.
