SAN DIEGO – San Diego State women's cross country continues their postseason competition in Sacramento, Calif. to compete in the NCAA West Regionals meet. The race will be a 6k beginning at 10 a.m. PT at Haggins Oak Golf Course.
SDSU is one of 39 teams that will compete in Friday's western regional. The top two finishing teams will automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships along with the top four finishers not on a qualifying team. The NCAA subcommittee will also select 13 at-large teams from across the six regional taking place as well as two individual at-large selections.
Aztecs making the trip:Vanessa Cabello, Sophia Nevin, Amber Elias, Maddie Heller, Jessica Kain, Maddy Parrone, Bella Peretti, Eva Rethmeier
Last Time Out
• The Aztecs finished 7th at the Mountain West Championships, their best finish at the conference championships since the 2010 season.
• Their team time of 1:49:07 was the fastest at the MW Championships in program history.
• Jessica Kain paced the team, finishing 28th with a time of 21:09.2. It is the highest individual placement by an Aztec since Marianne Hogan finished 23rd in 2012.
• Vanessa Cabello had her best race of the season with a time of 21:17.8 for a 33rd-place finish as the second SDSU finisher.
NCAA Regionals History
• San Diego State finished 26th at last year's regional meet with a team time of 1:48:26.0, their fastest at an NCAA West Regional in program history.
• The Aztecs raced on this same course (Haggins Oak Golf Course) two years ago for the 2021 regionals, finishing 23rd with a team time of 1:51:30. Three of the program's fastest eight team times in regional races have come on this course.
• SDSU's highest placement at this meet, since it became a 6k race in 2000, was a seventh-place finish in 2005. The highest individual placement in that span was a 21st-place finish, also in 2005, by Lital Azulay.
Individual Notes
• Seven of the eight Aztecs traveling have raced in a regional meet before. Kain, Heller (2021-22 with USD), and Rethmeier (2021-22 with CSF) will be running their third while Cabello, Elias, Parrone, and Peretti run their second. Kain, Cabello, Peretti, and Parrone all scored points for the Aztecs at the 2022 NCAA West Regionals.
• Jessica Kain has led the team in all four races this season, including her win at the Highlander Invitational. She owns two SDSU 6k course records, including the only sub 20-minute 6k which she ran at the Highlander Invitational.
• Eva Rethmeier was the third Aztec across the line at the MW Championships but has been the second SDSU finisher in their other three meets. Her 20:46.7 at the Highlander Invitational is the third fastest time by an Aztec at the UCR/Ag Ops Course.