Saint Mary's men's cross country competes in Lodi on Friday, Oct. 2, after a second-place team finish at its own invitational.
The Gaels will run the men's 8K at 4 p.m. at Micke Grove Golf Course in the Pacific Invitational, a meet they won in 2024 and placed third at last season. SMC Athletics listed a dozen runners on the travel roster.
The trip follows a standout showing at the Saint Mary's Invitational at Newhall Park in Concord, the program's first home meet since the 2021 West Coast Conference (WCC) Championships. Redshirt senior Joseph O'Connell led the way in his Gaels debut, finishing second overall in a field of 140 runners with a time of 23:05.6. The performance earned him Saint Mary's Student-Athlete of the Week.
O'Connell wasn't alone at the front. Senior Jacob Moffett crossed third in 23:19.8, and Damian Frausto, also making his Saint Mary's debut, placed ninth in 23:29.6. Three top-10 finishers anchored head coach Marty Kinsey's squad in its second-place team result.
Dennis Cheruiyot, another Gael making his debut, finished in 24:14.1. Joel Fischer rounded out the top five at 24:14.9. Fischer had led Saint Mary's at the USF Invitational earlier this season, finishing 48th in a field of 189 runners in 25:14.5 as the team placed 10th of 17 squads.
Friday's roster features a mix of experience and newcomers. Junior Aiden Tarantino owns the group's fastest 8K mark, a 25:12.0 he posted at the 2024 Pacific West Conference Cross Country Championships while competing for Azusa Pacific. Senior Moss Michelsen and juniors Emmanuel Moes, Luis Muradas and Andrew Perez round out the upperclassmen. Perez finished 11th overall at last year's Pacific Invitational in 25:48.8.
Sophomores Luke Davis, Quinn Davis and Nick Shoemaker join freshmen Noah Barthel, Matteo Byrd, Joshua Sonoda and Shane Sparks on the travel squad.
The mostly flat course at Micke Grove features 2K loops. The Saint Mary's women's team will also compete in Lodi, with their 6K race set for approximately 5 p.m.
