By Samantha Campion, Oct. 15, 2024
The Cal Poly Pomona men’s and women’s cross-country teams finished second overall, with the women finishing first among Division II programs at Dallas Baptist University’s Old Glory Gallop Oct. 5.
Seven student-athletes from the women’s team set personal bests in the team’s second place out of 46 teams, finishing first among Division II programs behind Rice University and defeating No. 22 DBU.
Junior Vivian Martinez set the pace for the Broncos for the second-consecutive race with a sixth-place finish and personal best of 17:24.
Martinez’s finish marked the third-fastest 5k time in program history and the fastest time since 1986.
With newfound confidence after the UCR Invitational, Martinez said she took on the challenge of pushing herself while also remembering she is competing for her team.
“My team and I, we’re fired up,” Martinez said. “We haven’t been this close to other teams in the conference in a very long time. It’s that mentality of working together as a team and pushing ourselves to reach our goals and what we want to do this season.”
Jade Kingston finished in 15th with a personal best of 17:53, and Galilea Jimenez rounded out the top 20 in 19th place with a time of 18:07.
Kingston and Jimenez joined Martinez in the program’s top 25 history books, ranking ninth and 19th respectively in the 5k.
The program’s first NCAA appearance looks within reach as the women’s team received a No. 4 regional ranking, moving up two spots after the weekend.
The nationally ranked men’s team finished second place out of 41 teams, falling 20 points behind No. 8 East Central Oklahoma University.
Tom McDonnell led the Broncos for the first time this season with a sixth-place finish and personal best of 24:15 to earn his first CCAA Runner of the Week award.
“Toms had to battle a lot of injuries that he’s overcome, but he’s always had that talent and ability,” said head coach Chris Bradford. “He’s very dedicated, and it’s great for him to finally see the fruits of all that labor he’s put in. We’re very proud of him and what he’s been able to accomplish.”
McDonnell qualified for the National Collegiate Athletics Association and was named an All-CCAA finisher for his 12th-place finish at the championships last season, despite battling injuries and competing in only three races.
“One thing I always think about when I get on the starting line of any race is all the workouts and months of training I’ve done leading up to that race, and it calms me down knowing I’m ready for the race ahead,” said McDonnell.
Despite feeling disappointed in his finish at the University of California, Riverside Invitational a few weeks ago, McDonnell pushed through the training block workouts and relied on his teammates to challenge him during the race, running beside Juan Ramos for the last two miles.
Ramos rounded out the top 10, finishing in seventh place with a personal best of 24:17, and Evan Franco followed closely behind in 11th place with a personal best of 24:26.
McDonnell (14th), Ramos (18th) and Franco (23rd) entered the CPP history books for the fastest 8k times in program history.
Bradford spoke to the team’s depth this season, as the coaching staff reminds the student-athletes it’s anyone’s opportunity to be the team’s lead runner.
“We’re not a young team, but we are a new team in a lot of ways,” said Bradford. “We’ve got some new people we are relying on who haven’t been in these positions before, and they’re really stepping up.”
All three student-athletes have led the team this season in different races. Franco took home the victory at the Coyote Challenge to earn CCAA Runner of the Week Sept. 5-8.
Ramos ran his first 8k in under 25 minutes for a 61st-place finish at the UCR Invitational, helping the Broncos to the second-highest finish among Division II schools.
The men’s team came in at No. 18 in the United States Track and Field and Cross-Country National Coaches Poll this week, and the women’s team earned a No. 19 ranking.
Both teams’ rankings mark a historic achievement for the department, as all five sports are nationally ranked within the top 20 for each sport’s respective polls.
The men’s and women’s cross-country teams are set to compete at the Pomona-Pitzer Invite Oct. 19 for the last regular-season race in preparation for CCAA Championships Oct. 25.
Feature image courtesy of CPP Athletics