Cal Poly Cross Country has swept the Big West Championships for the fourth consecutive year after their performance in Honolulu, Hawai’i on Friday, Oct. 31.
This is the first time in Big West history in which a cross country program took first place as a team in both the men’s and women’s races simultaneously for four straight years.
This is also the eighth time in program history in which the Mustangs have swept the Big West Championships.
Despite the men lacking their top-three runners and only having three returners of 10 from the year prior, the Mustangs boasted a point total of 27. They finished with a 20-point margin between themselves and runner-up UC Davis.
Six of the men placed within the top 10, including a second-place effort by redshirt senior Spencer Pickren, who finished with a time of 24:22.3. Redshirt freshman Eddie Sion, who tailed Pickren by two seconds, finished fourth with a time of 24:25.9.
The Mustang women were just as dominant, if not more. The top four Cal Poly runners in last year’s championship run did not make a return. Cal Poly posted a point total of 31 and enjoyed a 44-point margin between themselves and runner-up UC Davis.
Four women finished within the top 10, three of whom finished within the top five. Sophomore Nikki Bridges finished second with a time of 20:49.5. Junior Kelli Gaffney followed in third with a time of 20:58 and sophomore Renae Searls placed fifth.
The Mustangs will travel north to prepare for the NCAA West Regionals. The race will begin on Friday, Nov. 14 in Sacramento.