RIVERSIDE -- Vanguard men's cross country took part in the UC Riverside Invitational Open on Saturday morning, and the Lions placed 14th as a team among the group of 20 that raced the on-campus course.  Ommar Arroyo was the top racer for the Blue and Gold, as his time of 25:35 was good for 26th, while Southern Utah took the team and individual honors.
 
What Happened?  Arroyo beat all but one runner from Biola, with VU was seven points behind the Eagles, who placed 13th.  Arroyo had his fastest career time regardless of distance on the packed-dirt circuit Saturday, as he had never been in the 25-minute range before.  Jesse O'Campo came across the line 62nd in a time of 26:01.4, while Ulysses Rios was next for Vanguard in 110th after finishing in 26:41.1, lowering his time from his first race by over 20 seconds.  Caleb Dickerson was hot on his heels with a 26:45.1 to end 114th, a season-best time, while the other freshman, Rudy Mendoza, placed 189th with a mark of 27:55.6, over 40 seconds quicker than his first collegiate race.  Rylan Starnes rounded out the group for the Lions with a 29:42 in 231st, bettering his time from the CSUF race by over a minute.  The squad lowered it's total time by three miutes from the Cal State Fullerton race by over three minutes.
 
What was Said? "I am very pleased with the performances of our athletes today," said Head Coach Bryan Wilkins.  "We raced with confidence, had solid race tactics, and we had several personal bests!  All-in-all, a really good step forward for us."
 
What's Next?  Another week of rest and practice before the squads build towards the TMU Invitational on October 3.