Meet: Cougar Challenge
Location: San Marcos, Calif.
Date: Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024
Team Invite Finish: 2nd out of 13 teams
Top CSUSM Finisher: Sankalp Shastri (4th, 24:21.1)
Winner: Salt Lake's JaQuavious Harris (23:59.0)
 
COURSE REPORT: The Cal State San Marcos men's cross country team recorded its best Cougar Challenge finish since 2019, taking second place with a score of 71. The Cougars were led by fourth-place finisher Sankalp Shastri and 11th place Alan Jimenez.
 
FINISH LINE

• Shastri's 8K time of 24:21.1 was his second consecutive PR time, taking fourth out of 155 runners.
• Alan Jimenez was the next Cougar to cross the line with a CSUSM PR time of 24:32.0.
• Renton McGregor took 22nd with a time of 25:05.6 while Ataklty Gebru placed 31st at 25:21.2.
• Ziggy Nacco, Jacob Brown and Braden Oberg rounded out CSUSM's scoring seven with 33rd (25:22.0), 36^th (25:28.7) and 37th place (25:29.0), respectively.
   

THOUGHTS FROM COACH OLSON
"The men's team competed today short two key competitors in Nick (Melanese) and Chas (O'Bear). The guys stepped up well in their absence, with San (Shastri) and Alan (Jimenez) leading the way with very strong performances in the front. It was great to see Renton (McGregor) rounding back into form behind them as well."
 
WHAT'S NEXT
CSUSM will take next weekend off before heading to Alabama for the UAH Chargers Invitational on Oct. 12.   

TEAM RESULTS

1	Salt Lake	17
2	Cal State San Marcos	71
3	Mt. SAC	103
4	San Diego Mesa	128
5	Cal State Monterey Bay	171
6	Cal State East Bay	171
7	UT San Antonio	222
8	San Bernardino Valley	223
9	San Francisco State	238
10	Chapman	270
11	Soka	284
12	Hawaii Pacific	352
13	Academy of Art	371
DNP	UC San Diego	---
DNP	CUI	---
DNP	Whitter	---

CSUSM INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

4	Sankalp Shastri	24:21.1
11	Alan Jimenez	24:32.0
22	Renton McGregor	25:05.6
31	Ataklty Gebru	25:21.2
33	Ziggy Nacco	25:22.0
36	Jacob Brown	25:28.7
37	Braden Oberg	25:29.0
47	Mark De Haro	25:45.0
59	Jayson Oliver	25:43.1
74	Mathew Musa	26:19.8
102	Aidan O'Toole	27:06.5