SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The San Diego State women's cross country team concluded their season with a 21st-place finish at the NCAA West Regionals on Friday morning. It is their highest placement at an NCAA regional meet since 2005, when they finished seventh.
SDSU's overall team time of 1:47:38 is a new program-best at the NCAA West Regionals since the race became a 6k back in 2000. Overall, it ranks as the third-fastest team time of any 6k in school history.
In her final collegiate cross country race, Jessica Kain paced the Aztecs once again with an 83rd-place finish. Her time of 20:56.3 bests her previous personal best time at the Haggin Oaks Golf Course by 50 seconds and marks a new Aztec record on the course. It is also the third consecutive season, the Scotts Valley native has led her team at the regional meet.
Vanessa Cabello was the second in Scarlet and Black to cross the line with 6k season-best of 21:05.9 for a 94th-place finish. Not far behind was Eva Rethmeier at 21:12.6, finishing just outside the top 100. Their times rank as the second and third fastest on the Haggin Oaks Golf Course among the 34 Aztecs to have raced on it.
Amber Elias crossed the line in 22:10.3, just shy of her season-best while Maddie Heller finished with a time of 22:12 as the fifth Aztec finisher. Maddy Parrone (23:22.1) and Bella Peretti (23:36.4) rounded out the San Diego State scoring.
Stanford claimed the team title with 77 total points ahead of Oregon's 109 points. Both teams will move on to the NCAA Championships. Individually, Oregon State's Kaylee Mitchell claimed the title with a time of 19:08.4 finishing four seconds ahead of the second-place finisher.
In the team standings, the Aztecs topped a pair of Power-5 programs in Arizona and USC.
San Diego State wraps up their cross country season as one of their best in recent years, posting two of the three best team times for any 6k meet in program history along with their best MW Championships finish in over a decade and now their best NCAA West Regional finish in almost two full decades.
Aztec Finishers
1. Kaylee Mitchell, Oregon State – 19:08.4
2. Greta Karinauskaite, California Baptist – 19:12.4
3. Grace Fetherstonhaugh, Oregon State – 19:15.6
83. Jessica Kain, San Diego State – 20:56.3 (SDSU course record)
94. Vanessa Cabello, San Diego State – 21:05.9 (season-best)
101. Eva Rethmeier, San Diego State – 21:12.6
171. Amber Elias, San Diego State – 22:10.3
174. Maddie Heller, San Diego State – 22:12.2
225. Maddy Parrone, San Diego State – 23:22.1
232. Bella Peretti, San Diego State – 23:36.4
Team Standings
1. Stanford – 77 points
2. Oregon – 109 points
3. Washington – 115 points
4. California Baptist – 126 points
5. Gonzaga – 173 points
21. San Diego State – 616 points
Cross Country Wraps Up Season at NCAA West Regionals
