MONMOUTH, Oregon –  The California men's and women's cross country teams kicked off the 2019 postseason at the Pac-12 Championship on Friday at Ash Creek Preserve. The men's team finished in seventh-place while the women notched a ninth-place finish.
 
Mina Anglero continued her strong 2019 campaign in Friday's event as she paced the way for California in the Women's 6K Championship Race. Anglero set a personal best with a mark of 20:21.6 to finish 22nd.
 
"I'm beyond proud of her effort," head coach Bobby Lockhart said. "This was only her third time taking the field as a cross country runner. She's worked extremely hard to get to this point of the season, and she proved it again today."
 
After much anticipation, Brie Oakley took the field for California in the competition and officially made her season debut.  The 2017 All-American and Pac-12 Freshman of the Year clocked in at 21:12.0 for the Bears in Friday's event after missing a majority of the year due to injury.
 
"Brie is truly the ultimate competitor, it was nice to see her come back," Lockhart said. "At the beginning of the year, we weren't really sure if we were going to see her this season. She's had only two on-ground workouts this season. Our trainers have done an absolute fantastic job in bringing her back. She wouldn't be where she was without them. She's going to continue to get better. It was nice to see her out there. I'm very proud to have her on the line representing our program."
 
Annie Boos was next to cross the line for the Bears, taking 49th in the competition at 20:59.1. Marea Zlatunich finished at 21:11.9, respectively, while Jordan Colter finished at 21:20.3 to round out the top-five scorers in the competition.
 
"We we're definitely hoping to run a little better on the women's side, but I'm proud of the way they competed throughout the entire competition," Lockhart said. "I would've liked to have finished in a higher spot or two, but, that's how you race. These are the nation's best. And, this isn't the last time we'll see them this season. We have our work cut out for us at regionals, but I remain confident in this group."
 
Colin Fitzgerald led the way for the men's team in the 8K Championship Race, finishing just inside the top-50 at 24:36.1. Trevor Woodward crossed the line in 24:42.2, while Steven Khan notched a time of 24:42.5. Ben Harper followed just behind him at 24:45.6. Andrew Cooper capped the scoring as he took 63rd with a time of 25:08.9.
 
"The men had a great day," Lockhart said. "I'm proud of the way they ran together most of the way. In last year's competition, the men finished in seventh, so we matched our place. We graduated all of our top-scorers from last year's men's team. That says something. Our youngsters, who have never had to be relied on to score in conference competition held their own today. These guys stepped up and came through when they needed to. I know down the line, they're going to be that much better. I'm excited for the future."
 
The Bears will return to action in two weeks on Friday, November 15th the NCAA West Regional in Colfax, Wash.