The University of Redlands men's and women's cross country teams competed at a high level throughout the season, as highlighted by senior Abhinav Nagpal (Cypress, CA) becoming the first men's runner to qualify for the NCAA Championship since 2013. This year also brought about two All-Conference nods, five All-Region honorees, and multiple top-20 showings among Redlands' all-time lists. Filled with youthful talent, the women's team finished in fourth place among the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC), before taking eighth at the NCAA West Regional. The men's team moved up a spot in SCIAC by taking home fifth place this year and improved three places at the regional championship with a ninth-place effort.
The teams kicked off the 2016 campaign by hosting the Redlands Invitational and produced quality marks, with the women taking first and men finishing second in the team standings. In addition, junior Sean Unger (Carlsbad, CA) registered the best individual finish for the Bulldogs by taking fourth with a time of 19:35.0 on the 6k-course. For the women, one of the highlights included freshman Sarah Shipway's (Lafayette, CA) collegiate debut that placed her 13th with a time of 18:16 in the 4500-meter race.
Redlands then traveled the short distance to the UC Riverside Invitational, where the Bulldog women fired off seven lifetime bests and three of the fastest times in their 5k history, and the men recorded nine personal bests on the 8k-course in an impressive outing. Senior Jessika Snincsak (Rancho Cucamonga, CA), freshman Maria Ramirez (Orange, CA), and junior Kaylee Jorgensen (Claremont, CA) headlined the strong performances with career-best marks that landed among the Bulldogs' all-time list. For the men, Nagpal ran the fastest 8k-time of his four-year career by crossing the finish line in 26:27.96. Sophomore Benjamin Casey (Highland Park, IL) also impressed with a career-best performance in 26:39.85, while Unger posted his first-ever, sub-27-minute mark in the 8k at 26:56.42.
On October 1, the Bulldogs competed in the SCIAC Multi-Duals at La Mirada Park, earning mixed results between the teams. The women went 5-3, while the men earned a 2-6 record against conference foes. Snincsak led all Redlands runners with her eighth-place time of 22:41.06 on the 6k-course. While competing in their first collegiate 6k-race, freshmen Carly Veasy (Camas, WA) and Shipway each put together quality showings with times of 24:36.23 and 24:41.37, respectively. For the men, freshman Nolan Ridgeway (Long Beach, CA) uncorked the best time of his young career at 28:41.92 as the fifth Bulldog to complete the 8k-course.
Following a pair of fifth-place team finishes at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational, Redlands returned to conference action with the SCIAC Championships at Prado Park on October 29. With a pair of First-Team All-SCIAC runners leading the charge, the Bulldog women finished fourth overall with an average time of 25:21. Ramirez enjoyed a solid showing by taking first place for the Bulldog women and ninth-place overall, with a time of 24:06.7. Snincsak quickly followed with her 10th-place mark of 24:16.0 to complete her four-year SCIAC experience on a positive note. In addition to her All-SCIAC finish, Snincsak received the Celia Peterson Character Award for best exemplifying the conference's high ideals of athletic ability, leadership, sportsmanship, and academic pursuit during her association with SCIAC cross country.
On the men's side, Redlands took fifth place behind the SCIAC's quartet of nationally ranked foes. Casey led the Bulldogs with his time of 27:07.3 for 23rd place, just outside of the All-SCIAC selections. Senior Erik Chazin (Hollis, NH) turned on the gas in the final few meters to record a time of 28:19.5 in the final conference meet of his four-year career.
Two weeks later, 14 Bulldogs headed to Salem, OR, to compete in the NCAA Division III West Regional Championships in hopes of qualifying for nationals. Ramirez, Snincsak, and Jorgensen paced the Maroon and Gray women, as they finished with quick times of 23:35.9, 23:40.8, and 23:50.9 to take 27th, 31st, and 34th place, respectively. Due to the fact that these women finished among the top 35, all three were named to the All West-Region squad, a first achievement for each. In addition, sophomore Ellie Ramsey (Waterbury, VT) and senior Carolyn Demaree (Portland, OR) returned to Regionals for their second year with respective times of 25:19.8 and 26:04.5.
Nagpal ran an outstanding race that placed him 23rd with a solid time of 26:53.4, while Casey quickly followed in 27:03.2 for 30th place, resulting in All-Region awards for each. Due to Nagpal's stellar performance at Regionals, he was selected as the only SCIAC individual to compete at the NCAA Championships.
Nagpal and Head Coach Mike Schmidt headed to Louisville, KY, for the national meet on Saturday, November 19. Nagpal demonstrated that hard work and determination pay off by running his second-fastest 8k-time of his career at 26:19.2 to finish an impressive career at Redlands.
Although the loss of this talented senior class is significant, the Bulldog cross country teams look forward to a bright future that stems from incredible momentum established during the 2016 season. Under the direction of Schmidt, the talented youth of the squad promises to further develop into quality competitors for continued success.