SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - The Cal Poly Pomona men's cross country team opened its 2026 season with a commanding victory at the Coyote Challenge on Saturday, placing five scorers among the first nine finishers at the CSUSB Cross Country Course.
 
The No. 17 ranked Broncos totaled 27 points to finish first in the 13-team field, winning by 39 points. CPP's five scoring runners combined for a time of 2:05:15 and averaged 25:03 over the eight-kilometer course.
 
Reigning All-American Ricardo Vargas led the Broncos with a runner-up finish, completing the race in 24:17.9 to finish as the top collegiate runner. His performance was the fastest by a CPP runner in the program's three appearances at the Coyote Challenge, surpassing the previous meet-best mark of 25:21.6 set by Evan Franco in 2024. Vargas' time also ranks among the top 25 overall 8K performances in program history.
 
Cullen Gully made an immediate impact in his Bronco debut, placing sixth overall and fifth among scoring runners with a time of 25:09.7. Jimmy Guerrero followed closely in seventh at 25:10.6, while Micah Clemons finished eighth in 25:15.7. Nathaniel Sackett completed CPP's scoring lineup with a ninth-place performance in 25:21.6.
 
Luke D'Elia crossed the line in 11th at 25:27.3, and Micah Chandler gave the Broncos seven runners among the top 14 with a time of 25:35.3.
 
Leo Lorenzano placed 30th in 26:13.9, followed by Derek Ynfante in 35th at 26:19.4 and Daniel Cheyer in 37th at 26:21.9. Mason Colwell rounded out the CPP contingent, finishing 77th in 27:30.5.
 
Saturday's victory continued CPP's perfect team record at the Coyote Challenge. The Broncos have won each of their three appearances at the meet, previously capturing the title in 2018 and 2024.
 
 
Up Next
The Broncos will compete at the UCR Invitational on Saturday, September 19^th in Riverside.
 
 
Bronco Bits

• The Broncos currently have an 12-0 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 647-222 record since 2017.
• This is the 12th time CPP women's cross country has won a race since Bradford became head coach in 2017.