Fresno State
Mountain West Championships
Bulldogs Cross Country competes at MW Championships
10/30/2015 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
By: Travis Blanshan
tblanshan@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
Men's MW Championship 8K Results 
Women's MW Championship 6K Results
Reno, Nev. - The Bulldog men's and women's cross country teams competed at the 2015 Mountain West Championships on Friday hosted at the Montreux Golf and Country Club finishing seventh and 11th, respectively.
"I am really proud of how our student-athletes competed," said head coach Sean McManus. "Conditions for this race were among the toughest I have ever experienced in 20 years of Division I cross country. 6000 feet of elevation and major hills, there were a lot of athletes suffering out there," said McManus.
"The men picked up some places in the last mile that helped us better our placing, which was our goal," said McManus. "I am proud of the way they kept fighting through the entire race."
The Fresno State men scored 205 points as junior Cooper Gill led the way for the 'Dogs placing 31st overall on the 8K course clocking a time of 28:05.05. Junior Matt Kwiatkowski, who was the 'Dogs top finisher at the Mountain West Championships in 2014, finished 39th in a time of 28:18.24.
Sophomore Efren Reyes was the Bulldogs third finisher, his fourth top-three finish of the season, running a time of 28:48.03. Fellow sophomore Joel Gonzalez (52nd - 29:21.97) and junior Clay Celum (55th - 29:55.01) rounded out the scorers for the 'Dogs. Junior Uriel Cabanas (57th - 30:25.30) and senior Nathan Esparza (60th - 30:32.38) also competed for the men.
On the women's side, sophomore Mackenzie Landa was Fresno State's first finisher placing 48th overall with a time of 25:21.78. It was Landa's fourth top-finish for the 'Dogs this season after finishing 33rd at the MW Championships in 2014.
Junior Cristal Rivera finished 63rd (26:18.43) and Brittany Laygo was 65th (26:26.96). Meagan Paracholski (80th - 27:57.52), Jennifer Viramontes (82nd - 29:01.64) and Raven Nunez (83rd - 29:40.45) also ran for the Bulldogs.
"The women have really been struggling with some illness and injuries this season and we simply were not able to prepare the way we would have liked," said McManus. "That really hurt us today, particulary in these extreme conditions, but they left it all on the course."
Air Force, ranked 26th in the country in the latest USTFCCCA poll, claimed the Mountain West championship on the men's side scoring 49 points with three runners placing in the top ten.
Rounding out the scoring for the men were Colorado State in second (53), Boise State in third (56), Wyoming (89) in fourth, New Mexico (120) in fifth, San Jose State (159) in sixth, the Bulldogs and Utah State (220). Colorado State's redshirt sophomore Jerrell Mock won the men's individual title leading the entire race finishing in a time of 26:16.26.
On the women's side, the top-ranked New Mexico Lobos claimed their eighth consecutive Mountain West championship scoring 24 points with six runners finishing in the top ten. Boise State, ninth in the nation, was second with 71 points and the field was rounded out by Air Force (98), Colorado State (106), Wyoming (129), Utah State (144), Nevada (149), San Jose State (218), San Diego State (267), UNLV (299) and Fresno State (312).
Boise State freshman Allie Ostrander claimed the women's individual title running a time of 21:49.97 beating the second-place finisher by more than 15 seconds.
The Bulldogs will be back in action in two weeks at the NCAA West Regional meet hosted by the University of Washington on Friday, Nov. 13 in Seattle, Wash., at the Jefferson Park Golf Course. The women's 6K will start at noon followed by the men's 10K at 1 p.m.
Men's 8K Results
Cooper Gill - 31st - 28:05.05
Matt Kwiatkowski - 39th - 28:18.24
Efren Reyes - 46th - 28:48.03
Joel Gonzalez - 52nd - 29:21.97
Clay Celum - 55th - 29:55.01
Uriel Cabanas - 57th - 30:25.30
Nathan Esparza - 60th - 30:32.38
Women's 6K Results
Mackenzie Landa - 48th - 25:21.78
Cristal Rivera - 63rd - 26:18.43
Brittany Laygo - 65th - 26:26.96
Meagan Paracholski - 80th - 27:57.52
Jennifer Viramontes - 82nd - 29:01.64
Raven Nunez - 83rd - 29:40.45
FINAL MOUNTAIN WEST CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
Men's Team Scores: 1. Air Force 49, 2. Colorado State 53, 3. Boise State 56, 4. Wyoming 89, 5. New Mexico 120, 6. San Jose State 159, 7. Fresno State 205, 8. Utah State 220
Mountain West Men's Student-Athlete of the Year: Jerrell Mock, Colorado State
Mountain West Men's Coach of the Year: Ryan Cole, Air Force
Mountain West Men's Freshman of the Year: Elijah Armstrong, Boise State
Women's Team Scores: 1. New Mexico 24, 2. Boise State 71, 3. Air Force 98, 4. Colorado State 106, 5. Wyoming 129, 6. Utah State 144, 7. Nevada 149, 8. San Jose State 218, 9. San Diego State 267, 10. UNLV 299, 11. Fresno State 312
Mountain West Women's Student-Athlete of the Year: Allie Ostrander, Boise State
Mountain West Women's Coach of the Year: Joe Franklin, New Mexico
Mountain West Women's Freshman of the Year: Allie Ostrander, Boise State
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Players Mentioned
