By: Alex Kline, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
KENOSHA, Wis. – Cal Poly Pomona men's cross country earned a sixth-place team finish at the Lucian Rosa Invitational 8K on Saturday, totaling 200 points behind a strong effort led by junior
Ricardo Vargas. This was the Broncos' first time competing in Kenosha since 1997, and it is also famously the site of men's cross country's only national title in 1983.
Vargas paced the Broncos with an impressive fifth-place individual finish, crossing the line in 24:30.8 at a 4:56 per mile pace. The performance marked another standout showing for Vargas, who has finished Top 5 in both races he's competed in so far this season.
Senior
Daniel Echeveste provided a key second score for CPP, finishing 36th overall (33rd scoring) in 25:33.1. Freshman
Micah Clemons followed close behind, placing 47th (41st scoring) in 25:48.1.
Rounding out the Broncos' scoring five were senior
Jacob Shirota, who clocked 26:02.9 for 65th (58th scoring), and senior
Francisco Zavaleta, who crossed in 26:07.3 for 70th (63rd scoring).
Additional depth came from junior
Juan Ramos (26:17.7, 80th/72nd) and junior
Jimmy Guerrero (26:17.8, 81st/73rd), who finished side-by-side, while senior
Chris Razo rounded out the Bronco runners in 26:49.1.
As a team, the Broncos recorded a combined time of 2:08:02, showcasing a balanced lineup of veteran leadership and emerging talent. The tight pack between the second and seventh runners — a spread of just 44 seconds — exemplified the depth that continues to define CPP's program.
"It was really important for both our teams not only to see the course we are working toward at the NCAA championships, but also to race against this field," said head coach
Chris Bradford. "These are some of the top teams in Division II. We had some individuals in Vivian and Ricardo really represent us well. We have a lot of things to learn from this race, and will be ready for championship season next month."
Up Next
The Broncos will race in the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational next Saturday, October 4th, in Claremont. The CCAA Championships will then take place on October 24th in Chico.
Bronco Bits
- The Broncos currently have a 41-8 record this season. A "win" is a team they finished ahead of, while a "loss" is teams they finished behind.
- Head coach Chris Bradford's teams have a 572-202 record since 2017.
- Saturday was Ricardo Vargas' seventh top finish for CPP in a race, tying for seventh-most all-time.
- This was the fourth time CPP had ever raced in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Their first time competing there was in 1983, when the team won the national title. CPP's '83 title remains the most recent West Region school to take home the trophy in men's cross country.
