SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos women's cross country team began the 2014 season with several key losses from a squad that placed eighth in the nation the year prior.  However, the young CSUSM team was able to continue the Cougar tradition with a seventh place finish at the NAIA National Championships. 
 
Senior Kate Bouvatte led the Cougars by capturing three first- and three second-place finishes in the regular season.
 
The women's squad debuted at No. 11 in the NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll and continued to climb reaching as high as No. 3 (Oct. 29) this season.  The Cougars concluded the year No. 7 in the postseason poll released Dec. 3.
 
The Cougars began their 2014 campaign with their annual trip to Mammoth Lakes, Calif. and capped the week off with a race on Aug. 18 against Vanguard, which they won by forfeit. 
 
CSUSM put together an outstanding performance from top to bottom on Sept. 13 as the Cougars captured their fourth consecutive UC Riverside Invitational title. CSUSM collected 27 points on the 5K course, beating out CCAA powerhouses Cal Poly Pomona (52) and UC San Diego (104), both future conference opponents. Four Cougars finished in the top 10 with Bouvatte leading the way with a second place finish, coming in behind a non-collegiate runner.
 
The Cougars only loss of the regular season was to NCAA Division I Sacramento State at the Mustang Challenge hosted by The Master's College on Sept. 20. Bouvatte placed second with a time of 18:12 while sophomore Raelyn Werley captured eighth at 18:35.  Freshman Natalie Rodriguez finished in the top 20, taking 16th at 18:37.
 
On Oct. 2, Bouvatte was recognized by the San Diego Hall of Champions as one of the September Stars of the Month.
 
Competing in their only 6K race of the season, the women's squad collected their second win of 2014 on Oct. 4 at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational.  Bouvatte took top honors with Werley and Rodriguez placing seventh and ninth, respectively.
 
CSUSM dominated the Cougar Challenge, sweeping the top five spots for 15 points. Bouvatte tallied her second consecutive victory with a PR of 17:01. 
 
The CSUSM men's and women's cross country teams ended the regular season with a bang with both teams taking the team titles at Biola's NAIA West Coast Jamboree on Oct. 25. Bouvatte narrowly missed out on earning her third individual title of the season as Carroll's Leah Esposito outsprinted her in the final 10 meters to take first place. No worries though, Bouvatte got revenge the next time she faced Esposito when she finished ahead of her at the NAIA National Championships.
 
In very windy conditions and temperatures as low as 35 degrees, the third-ranked Cougars collected 43 points to claim second place at the A.I.I. Championships in Clinton, Iowa. CSUSM finished behind No. 1 British Columbia which CSUSM head coach Steve Scott described as "the best team I have ever seen in the NAIA". CSUSM, paced by Bouvatte's third place finish, collected seven spots in the top 15. Rodriguez took sixth place while junior Charlotte Kuzminsky finished 10th.
 
All ten Cougars competing at the A.I.I. Tournament earned all-conference nods with Bouvatte, Rodriguez and Kuzminsky collecting first team honors.  Cristen Lane, Raelyn Werley, Terra McGinnis, Bailey Smith, Anahi Soriano, Paula Stonehouse and Salena Gallardo were named to the second team.
 
At the 2014 NAIA National Cross Country Championships, the CSUSM cross country teams placed fourth in the combined team competition after both squads collected seventh-place finishes.
 
Bouvatte and Rodriguez were named NAIA All-Americans after placing in the top 30, finishing sixth and 13th, respectively.