Team Scoring
Invididual Results

SAN MARCOS, Calif.— In a showdown between the NAIA's top two women's cross country programs, the second-ranked British Columbia Thunderbirds knocked off the reigning A.I.I. Conference and NAIA National Champion Cougars Saturday morning at the Mangrum Track and Soccer. British Columbia led the six-team field with 25 points, with the Cougars finished second with 38, and Jamestown taking third with 84.

Having watched the Cougars win 10 of their last 11 races, three consecutive national championships, and four straight A.I.I. Conference Championships, the defeat came as a surprise to many, even though the Thunderbirds had been running consistently strong and have held the No. 1 ranking for a large portion of the season.

With the Cougars having triumphed over British Columbia at the Santa Clara Invitational earlier in the season, it now sets the tone and possibly relieves some pressure for what promises to be another close and exciting race at the NAIA National Championships in two weeks. Only once over the course of their past three titles have the Cougars been ranked No. 1 heading into the competition.

The key to the British Columbia's success Saturday was their team depth, as the Thunderbirds placed all seven of their runners in the top 12, getting their seventh runner in before CSUSM's final scorer. However, as we have seen in races this season and in the past, the Cougars have the talent and depth to win another national championship should the team execute on race day.

Sophomore Jackie Regan of British Columbia was the individual winner of Saturday's race, finishing in 17:12, six seconds ahead of her teammate Maria Barnard— who finished fourth at last year's National Championship.

Right behind in third and fourth were the dynamic duo of Chelsey Cortez and Kelly Thompson, who finished in 17:19 and 17:23. For Cortez, the result was a personal best time, and makes her the second fastest Cougar on the CSUSM course in school history. Thompson is currently tied for the third fastest time in school history with her performance in the Cougar Challenge two weeks ago, and was just three seconds off that mark Saturday.

Junior Ayded Reyes (17:52) turned in a fine performance in finishing seventh overall, joining Cortez and Thompson on the All-Conference Team. Freshman Meghan Hamlin (18:18) came up solid once again for the Cougars also made the All-Conference Team with her tenth place result. The final scorer for San Marcos was Ciera Stauffer, who had an excellent race to finish fifth in 18:48.

CSUSM will cap off the season at the NAIA National Championships in Fort Vancouver, Wash. on Saturday, November 17.