After getting first of six at the Coyote Challenge meet, the Concordia cross country team kept the momentum going for the UC Riverside Invitational on Sat., Sept. 17. 

Instead of just six schools competing, this competition had a staggering thirty schools. Racing against not just Concordia’s conference schools, but Division 1 schools, the cross country team knew that they were in for good competition. 

For the men's invitational 8K, Concordia finished eighteen out of thirty. This is quite an accomplishment considering that they finished above Division 1 schools such as Fresno State, Sacramento State, Pepperdine, Cal State University Northridge and University of San Diego.

The men's cross country team captain, senior Jason St. Pierre, had a few comments about the UC Riverside invitational and said, “It was faster, we planned on running as a pack. Although that did not turn out exactly how we wanted, two guys ran times faster than ever before.”   

Though St. Pierre chose to be humble and shine the spotlight on freshman Noah Plaza for running a jaw-dropping sub 25 minute 8K, St. Pierre ran a very impressive 25:12 time. St. Pierre hopes that this momentum that the team has gained can lead them into regional rankings.      

Culture is key to success for the team. According to St. Pierre, “The guys are all bought into our core values which are respect, excellence, competitiveness, connectedness and discipline.”   

St. Pierre has ran cross country for eight years (since his freshman year of high school). His love for the sport is at an ultimate high explaining how he is fully bought into this season. Being a Resident Assistant the previous year, he knew that this year had to be different because he needed to put his full attention and focus on the team since he is the captain.

The momentum this talented group of runners gathered does not end here. With St. Pierre leading the team, their next meet is the Cougar Challenge at Cal State San Marcos on Sept. 24.   

On top of the Cougar Challenge, a short three days later will reveal regional rankings for men's cross country. St. Pierre hopes to lead the team to make an impact and said, “We all have a common team goal which is to see Concordia as ranked in the top 10 of the region.” 

The cross country team is looking difficult to beat, and with their fighting and competitive spirit, they can find themselves not just in the regional rankings, but maybe even leaving their mark on the national stage. For more information visit cuigoldeneagles.com.

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