The University of Redlands cross-country program jumped into action with Saturday's Redlands Invitational on campus and throughout nearby Sylvan Park. In the first meet of the 2013 campaign, the Bulldogs introduced their refreshed roster that includes 10 freshmen between the two teams and returns a slew of talent from the previous season.
The Redlands women impressed with five competitors crossing the finish line among the race's top 20. After using a reserved start to the 4500-meter course, senior Vanessa Anchondo (Oceanside, CA) made a move toward the front of the pack. She headed up a strong trio of Bulldogs with her leading time of 17:59.50, placing her 10th overall. In her final season with the Maroon and Gray, she shaved off 10 seconds from her effort in 2012. Junior Della Lyle (Buffalo, WY) was right in step with Anchondo, completing the race just 0.70 later. Freshman Jessika Snincsak (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) shined in her Redlands debut with a 12th-place performance of 18:11.20.
Sophomore Lauren Roberts (Portland, OR) and freshman Kacie Williams (Porterville, CA) wrapped up the Maroon and Gray's top-five runners with additional sub-19-minute times.
In addition, juniors Brittney Brandt (Santa Maria, CA) and Amber Stansbury (Upland, CA) recorded back-to-back finishes at 20:37.00 and 20:50.10, respectively. Freshman Carolyn Demaree (Portland, OR) and junior Amanda Pierce (Foster City, CA) also competed in the first meet of the season, completing the race around the 22- and 23-minute marks.
Overall, the women's race saw sophomore Chloe Carlson of Biola University clock the winning effort with a time of 16:49.60. She was closely followed by six teammates among the top 10 finishers.
With a larger team of runners, the Bulldog men placed five among the top 25, also revealing their depth and talent for a promising 2013 capmaign. During the 6000-meter race, Redlands' best finisher came off another patient start that resulted in a solid sixth-place effort by freshman Scott Oseguera (Beaumont, CA) in 19:43.90. Junior Chris Bolt (Reno, NV) joined him among the Bulldogs' fastest on the day, with his 11th-place time of 20:02.20, which was nearly eight seconds better than a year ago.
Rounding out the Bulldogs' scoring five, freshman Kobi Lee (Carmel Valley, CA), and sophomores Nathan Meier (Riverside, CA) and Ian Lee (Las Vegas, NV) completed the course in less than 22 minutes. In addition, senior Derik Harrison (Aurora, CO) posted a solid time of 21:55.40.
Multiple others represented the Maroon and Gray with their contributions during the season opener.
During the men's race, Biola senior Danny Ledesma pulled away from the leading pack for a first-place time of 19:11.10, which was more than 15 seconds ahead of his teammate, Andrew Daelder. Ledesma improved upon his fifth-place showing from a year ago but ran slightly slower.
The Bulldog cross-country teams look forward to competing at the UC Riverside Invitational on Sat., Sept. 14, beginning at 7:30 a.m.
