ROCKLIN, Calif. -- The California men's and women's cross country teams both turned in strong performances at the Sac State Invite on Friday morning at Johnson-Springview Park. 

The men's squad took first overall, finishing in front of seven other teams with 37 points. Four Golden Bears finished in the top-10 with sophomore Carrick Denker crossing the line in a personal best time of 24:48.3 to take fourth-place. Right behind him in fifth-place was sophomore Cole Sawires Yager who set a personal record time of 24:49.8 in the 8,000-meter race. 

Next to cross the line for the Bears was sophomore Gabe Abbes, who finished in seventh-place with a personal best time of 25:01.7. Freshman Garrett MacQuiddy finished ninth to help the squad secure first-place. 

Also setting personal bests on the men's side were junior Daniel Winek (25:21.3) and redshirt junior Jaden Rosenthal (26:17.7). 

"Watching this young group of men race with such poise and grit is inspiring," Cal Head Coach Bobby Lockhart said. "It's exciting to see what's in store for the future."

On the women's side, the Bears finished with 89 points and two top-10 finishers. Seniors Meredith Corda and Jessica Nye led the way, finishing in ninth and 10th place, respectively.

Three women ran personal bests, including sophomore Piper Wilson who crossed the line in 22:23.6. Fellow sophomore Claire Yerby also finished with her personal record (22:33.6), as well as junior Lauren Calcagno, who ran the 6,000-meters in 23:34.6. 

"The leadership from upperclassmen Meredith Corda and Jessica Nye is invaluable to the team," Lockhart remarked. "I'm happy with how we raced as a team. They continue to learn a lot about themselves, their limits, and what's possible. That's really what it's about. This was a good step for the program and we're that much more prepared for when it counts." 

Up Next:
The Bears will split for their next weekend of competition, running at both the FSU Pre-Nationals Invite on Friday, Oct. 15 and the Santa Clara Bronco Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 16. 

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