BERKELEY, Calif - The Cal cross country teams officially opened the Bobby Lockhart era with an impressive run on Saturday morning, with each team finishing first at the USF Invitational at Golden Gate Park.
 
Behind a resilient effort from the women's team, the Bears finished Saturday's event with a first-place finish and a winning mark of 38 points. 
 
"I'm really proud of their effort," Lockhart said. "They stayed determined and focused when the race started to look tough. To see them execute the plan and run with such poise and confidence towards the end was rewarding in itself. There's a lot to be said with that. I couldn't be more proud of them."
 
The women's squad finished with four runners in the Top 10. Cassy Haskell led the way for the Bears in her collegiate debut, crossing the line at 22:01.6 to finish in fourth place. Marea Zlatunich finished just behind her, taking sixth with a time of 22:02.4. Annie Boos followed with a 22:06.1 mark to take seventh and Meredith Corda ran 22:10.3 to finish tenth.
 
The men's team capped off an impressive morning for the Bears with a winning mark of 56 points to claim their second consecutive USF Invitational title, and seventh in the history of the race. Returning veteran Ben Harper was the top scorer for the Bears in the men's division, crossing the line at 25:40.3 to take fourth place. Colin Fitzgerald was the next top-scoring finisher with a time of 25:46.6 and an eighth-place finish, while Andrew Cooper finished tenth with a 25:57.4 mark in his Cal debut.
 
"I'm proud of the way they ran together," Lockhart said. "The execution was exactly what we wanted. We're able to walk away from this weekend a little bit better, and that's what we want."
 
Saturday's race also marked collegiate debuts for a number of newcomers on an underclassmen-heavy roster. The women's side saw Lauren Calcagno, Fatima Cortes, Cassy Haskell and Natalie Weiner each don the Blue and Gold for the first time
 
"The freshmen ran terrific. I was really pleased with how they practiced and executed the plan this last week," Lockhart said. "They maintained their composure, fought hard at the end and stayed gritty and tough throughout the race. I'm excited to see where this group takes us moving forward."
 
The Bears return to the course on Sept. 13 at the UC Davis Cross Country Invitational in Davis, Calif.