IRVINE, Calif. – Point Loma had a historic weekend in its first women’s cross country race of the year, winning first place both individually and as a team for the first time in
Jerry Arvin’s 26 years of coaching the program.
Hannah Benoit-Bucher won the individual title for Point Loma at the Biola Invitational to earn Runner of the Week honors. The other three weekly awards went to Notre Dame de Namur and Biola, including
Gabe Plendcio, who finished in second place in the men’s race at the Biola Invitational.
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
RUNNER OF THE WEEK
Hannah Benoit-Bucher, Point Loma
Sr. – Clovis, Calif./Buchanan/Biology
Benoit-Bucher won the first race of her senior season, covering the 5k course at the Biola Invitational in 18:10.58 to beat the rest of the field by 20 seconds. Her performance propelled Point Loma to a first-place team finish in the first meet of the season. Benoit-Bucher had an average mile time of 5:51.1 to become the first Sea Lion to win an individual title since joining the PacWest.
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Clara Haynes, Biola
Fr. – Yuma, Ariz./Gila Ridge/Nursing
Haynes finished the Biola Invitational in seventh place with a time of 18:52.93 to help Biola finish in third place out of seven teams. She averaged a 6:04.7 mile time in her first collegiate race and was the second freshman across the finish line.
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
RUNNER OF THE WEEK
Gabe Plendcio, Biola
Jr. – Ramona, Calif./Ramon/History
Plendcio took second place in his first race of the 2018 season to lead a group of five Eagles that finished among the top-10 runners as Biola won the team title at the Biola Invitational. Plendcio finished the 8k course in 25:29.45, which was within four seconds of first place. It is the second-consecutive year in which the Eagles won their home race.
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Anthony Garcia, Notre Dame de Namur
Fr. – Baldwin Park, Calif./Baldwin Park
Garcia finished in fourth place at the Kim Duyst Twilight Invitational, which was an 8k race at River Oaks Golf Course. The freshman finished the race in 25:40.6 to lead the Argonauts and be the first freshman to cross the finish line. Notre Dame de Namur finished in third place out of six teams. Garcia shaved more than a minute off his time from his first collegiate race, finishing ahead of two Stanislaus State runners who had beat him in the previous race.