By Jacob Norling
October 21, 2022
 
(FULLERTON, Calif.) Westmont's top-25 Men's and Women's Cross Country teams were in action on Friday night in Fullerton, where they competed in the Titan Invitational. In Westmont's final race before the GSAC Championships, the 12th-ranked women took third out of 17 schools, while the 22nd-ranked men tied for the top-spot with The Master's out of 16 schools.
 
In the women's 5K, freshman Annie West finished 10th overall with a time of 18:00.0, leading the way for the Warriors. Next to finish for the Warriors were sophomores Kari Anema and Landon Torres, who came in 14th and 19th, respectively. Anema completed the race in 18:06.0, while Torres finished in 18:15.12.
 
Abigail Hundley and Gretchen Scherrei rounded out Westmont's top-five in 28th and 29th, posting times of 18:41.5 and 18:43.2.
 
Overall, the Warriors came in behind only the Valor Track Club and The Master's, while coming ahead of schools such as Cal St. Fullerton, UC Irvine, and Biola. Westmont also came in well ahead of Hope International and Vanguard.
 
"The women's team ran their best and most competitive race of the season," offered head coach Russell Smelley. "Led by Annie West, the top-five had their best team spread of the season at 00:43, all coming in under 19:00. Gretchen Scherrei had a standout race to finish fifth for the team."
 
In the men's 8K, Zola Sokhela finished third overall, posting a time of 24:09.6. Danny Rubin and Andres Leon were the next Warriors to cross the finish line, posting times of 24:36.0 and 24:44.7 in 10th and 11th place. Westmont's fourth and fifth runners were Garrett Miller and Adam King, who posted times of 24:56.6, and 25:12.4 to come in 16th and 24th place.
 
While Westmont tied with The Master's at 46 points apiece, Westmont's fifth runner came in ahead of TMU's, which officially placed the Warriors ahead of the Mustangs on the leaderboard. Westmont's strong showing saw them not only measure-up against The Master's, the defending GSAC Champions, but also saw them come in ahead of Vanguard, Hope International and Biola.
 
"The men's team showed their full-potential today," said Smelley. "It was a sensational race from start to finish for the team, with the one-through-five spread being 1:03. Both teams are encouraged and confident going into the end of the season."
 
Next up on the schedule for the Warriors is the much-anticipated trip to Rocklin, where the Warriors will compete in the GSAC Championships on Saturday, November 5. Following the GSAC Championships, the top-25 Warriors are hopeful for the chance to compete in the NAIA National Championships on November 18 in Tallahassee, Florida.