Men's Cross Country | September 04, 2024
AIKEN, S.C. – For the second consecutive season, USCA will take part in the Elon Opener Friday evening.
Head coach
Marshall Leonard's men's cross country team recorded a 12
th-place finish at the race a season ago, but he returns an experienced team with a tremendous number of talented individuals on this year's roster.
Graduate student
Riley Campbell returns to the mix and is coming off his best season. He posted a top-20 effort once last year and established a school record at the NCAA Southeast Region Championship in the 10k.
Seniors
Julian Mendoza and
Julio Rojas are back as is junior
Tyler Blowe. Mendoza garnered a top-20 effort once last season while Rojas picked up PBC Runner of the Week accolades after setting the school record at the Blue Bear Invitational a season ago.
Blowe missed much of the season due to an injury but should be ready to improve upon his 75
th-place finish at the Elon Friday Night Lights Meet in 2023.
Leonard added graduate student
David Cruz, junior
Luis Cruzado, sophomore
Evan McLeod and freshmen
Jacobo Garcia-Rivera,
Zachary Haase and
Jase Wilson to his team.
Cruz accounted for a time of 26:38 in the 8,000m and a mark of 20:11 in the 6,000m. Cruzado competed at Pasco Hernando State College. There, he posted a 27:03 at the JUCO National Championships for the 8k. In high school, Cruzado established the third-fastest 5k time in school history and led his program to a pair of first-place finishes in the district.
McLeod attended Columbia College as a freshman, posting a time of 29:10 in the 8k. Garcia-Rivera registered a time of 16:22 in the 5k at West Florence H.S. Haase picked up all-state honors in cross country while Wilson was a four-time all-district selection at Coppell H.S. There, he notched a time of 17:02 in the 5k as a senior and was an all-region honoree his junior campaign.
USCA was selected sixth in the PBC Preseason Poll.
The Pacers take part in the event Friday, Sept. 8.
