CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Trinity cross country teams continued their championship seasons today at the DIII West Region Championships hosted by Pomona-Pitzer. Southern California, not typically known for its rainstorms, was treated to heavy showers and flash flood warnings just in time for the race. Through knee-deep puddles and mud-riddled grass, the Tigers fought tooth and nail with the biggest stakes of the season on the line.
The men raced first, vying to break their two-year streak of finishing in eighth place at the region meet.
Nathaniel Trevino (San Antonio, Texas / Central Catholic) led the Tigers today, finishing in 33rd to earn his first career All-Region honors.
Elijah Bliss (Garden Ridge, Texas / Davenport) was just three seconds off from making the All-Region team, finishing in 36th.
In the team battle, after more than 26 minutes of racing, it came down to a matter of less than a second. Trinity tallied 249 points, tied Whitworth University for seventh place. The tie breaker was decided by head-to-head matchups, which the Tigers lost by just one spot, a matter of just 0.3 seconds. For the third straight year, the Trinity men finished eighth place.
After the men's race, the skies opened up, turning an already ravaged course into about as close to a slip and slide as it could get. With a bid to nationals within grasp for the women, anxieties on the Trinity sideline were already at a peak. On a course that now favored chaos more than predictability, any sense of calm was completely gone.
The women entered today's race ranked fourth in the region and No. 28 nationally. A fourth-place finish would almost certainly send them to the D-III National Championship. A fifth-place finish could lead to a bid, but would not be safe. Anything less would not be good enough.
In a high pressure situation to say the least, the Tigers executed to perfection. They were patient, back in sixth place through two miles. When the time came to go, they went.
Gianna Keena (Lakeway, Texas / Lake Travis) led the pack, finishing 21st to claim her second straight All-Region performance. She was joined in the medal ceremony by
Sophie Munoz (Austin, Texas / Austin),
Kate Boone (Temple, Texas / Holy Trinity Catholic) and
Emerson Voldan (Arlington, Texas / Mansfield Summit), who finished in 28th, 29th and 31st, respectively. It was the first All-Region honors for all three.
Anne Snider (Waco, Texas / Live Oak Classical) finished just out of contention, finishing in 37th place.
The finish line was filled with an air of excitement, and yet double the anxiety that had surrounded the start. As results populated, it soon became clear how close the race would be. The Tigers held their breath until the voice over the PA finally announced the top five teams, with the Trinity Tigers sitting in fourth place. They had beat the University of California, Santa Cruz by just three points, and George Fox by just six points.
The final at-large bids won't be announced until tomorrow, Nov. 16, but the Tigers feel more than optimistic about their chances. The news will likely come tomorrow that the Trinity women have made their first national championship since 2017. If that's the case, they'll travel to Spartanburg, South Carolina on Nov. 22 to compete against the 31 other best teams in the nation.
Final Team Rankings (Women)
1. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps … 33
2. Colorado College … 83
3. Pomona-Pitzer … 102
4. Trinity … 146
5. UC Santa Cruz … 149
6. George Fox … 152
Final Team Rankings (Men)
6. Caltech … 236
7. Whitworth … 249
8. Trinity … 249
9. La Verne … 277
10. Redlands … 286
