RIVERSIDE INVITATIONAL
Sept. 21, 2024 • Riverside, Calif. (UCR Ag Ops Course)
7:15 a.m. PT – Women's Invite 6k • 7:50 a.m. PT – Men's Invite 8k • 8:25 a.m. PT – Women's Open 5k
COVERAGE
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FRESNO, Calif. — For the fourth straight year, the Fresno State cross country teams will return to the Riverside Invitational. Races on Saturday will begin at 7:15 a.m. PT.
'DOGS ON THE COURSE
WOMEN: Molly Bizik, Gianna Chiaramonte, Diana Cortes, Hannah Garrity, Khushleen Khakh, Chiara Pedol, Janae Penner, Crystal Raya, Jennifer Recinos, Corie Smith, Kylie Ward
MEN: RJ Estrada, Noah Graffigna, Marcus Jauregui, Guillermo Lopez, Enrique Loredo, Emilio Nunez, Christian Santana, Jaden Tungate, Elijah Williams
A LOOK BACK
For the second straight year, Khushleen Khakh was the Bulldogs' top finisher at the team's opener, the USF Invitational. The sophomore finished 17th overall and moved into sole possession of the 19th on the program's all-time list in the 6k with a time of 21:51.0. Freshman Chiara Pedol finished in 21:56.0 which ranks No. 23 all-time at Fresno State.
ITALIAN DEBUT
In her first race for the Bulldogs, Chiara Pedol, native of Chies d'Alpago, Italy, became the first Bulldog freshman to debut with a time inside the program's Top 25 since Sydney Fox in 2018 when her time at the USF Invitational came in at No. 23.
HISTORY IN RIVERSIDE
Fresno State has found success recently at the UCR Invitational. In each of the last three trips, an individual on the women's team has posted a time that ranked inside the program's Top 20. Current athlete, Corie Smith locked a time of 21:47.5 in 2022 which ranked 17th on the list. She was 10 seconds faster in 2023.
BULLDOGS IN 2024
The women's team features 15 athletes this season while the men have nine.
Twelve of the 15 women are back from 2023, including seniors Gianna Chiaramonte, Shaylee Grimm, Morgan Hutchison, Mia Jauregui, Ashley Ochoa, Crystal Raya, Jennifer Recinos and Corie Smith.
The men's team sees six new faces this season. Returning are senior Christian Santana and sophomores Emilio Nunez and Elijah Williams.
IN THE FRESNO STATE TOP 25
Quite a bit of movement occurred in the program's Top 25 in the women's 6k last year. Four Bulldogs entered the list with a fifth lowering her time.
It is the most movement to the list in one season since 2007.
The first came when current sophomore Khushleen Khakh moved into a tie for 19th at the Pacific Invitational with a time of 21:51.
Four more came at Baylands Regional Park in the Bronco Invitational. Corie Smith took sole possession of ninth with a time of 21:16. Gianna Chiaramonte (T-21st – 21:55), Ashley Ochoa (23rd – 21:59) and Mia Jauregui (T24th – 22:01) each jumped into the Top 25 with their performances.
THE SCHEDULE
Fresno State's first four meets of the year will be run within 400-miles of one another with two in Northern California (USF Invitational, Bronco Invitational) and two in Southern California (Riverside Invitational, The Master's University XC Invitational). The fifth will see that distance more than double with the Mountain West Championships being hosted by Air Force in Colorado Springs, Colo. on Nov. 1. The NCAA West Regional will follow two weeks later in Pullman, Wash.