UNIVERSITY PARK, Wash. - For the first time in the NCAA era, Azusa Pacific had a cross country team compete at Nationals, as the men's team competed in the 10K. In the women's 6K, Eline Pinter raced for the Cougars after she earned individual qualification following her All-West region performance a couple weeks ago.

MEN'S 10K

Azusa Pacific finished 21st, with the Cougars averaging a time of 31:30.2, and a total team time of 2:37:30.9.

Salvador Capetillo was the Cougars' top finisher, as he claimed 67th place with a time of 30:55.3. "Sal did a great job of working his way up throughout the race," said head coach Sean Smith, "He fought really hard. At one point, he had worked himself up into the 40's, with the goal being top 40. He was right on track. In the final 600 meters, he hit a bit of a wall, but he kept pushing and fighting. It took him out of All American contention but I am so proud of how he fought for it."

Joining Capetillo in the top 100 finishers was Riley Burns, who was 80th (31:01.6), and Nixon Korir, who crossed the finish line at 93rd (31:12.3). "Riley ran really well today," said Smith, "He is a smart, patient runner, and he showed that again today. He knows his abilities and his limits, and he really listened to his body in the early going. I think this was his best race of the season and he deserved every bit of it."

Felix Perrier was the fourth Cougar to finish, running a time of 31:44.3 for 141st place. Dider Sandoval (205th - 32:34.7), Michael Schneider (228th - 33:03.3), and Eric Perez (242nd - 33:45.8) also raced and finished for Azusa Pacific.

The Cougars' qualification for and their appearance at the 2022 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships was historic, as it marked the first time in Azusa Pacific's NCAA era that a cross country team competed at Nationals. 

"I am really proud of this group's season," said Smith, "It was a huge accomplishment for them to be the first team in the NCAA era to qualify for Nationals. They fought all season long. When things were going well, they stayed true to the process, and when things did not go well, they kept pressing forward and learned from each experience in order to keep progressing towards a chance to compete at the national level. This year has laid the groundwork for big things to come in the near future for this program."

WOMEN'S 6K

Eline Pinter represented Azusa Pacific in the women's 6K, as she earned an individual qualification spot after she placed ninth at Regionals a few weeks ago. 

This morning, Pinter placed 104th overall, finishing with a time of 22:06.4.

Pinter's qualification for Nationals capped off a season in which she was a two-time PacWest Runner of the Week, and a All-PacWest First Team and All-West Region performer. "Eline had a break-through season this fall," said Smith, "I have been very impressed with all of the little things she has worked on this season to be the best she can be. She is paving the way for the younger ladies on the team, and next year, we should have a full team at nationals who had a chance to watch and learn."

Despite Nationals occurring nearly 1,500 miles north of Azusa Pacific's campus, the Cougars had a significant group of supporters for both races. "We had many of our athletes who did not compete today find their own way up here to Seattle," said Smith, "This speaks volumes about the culture of our program… to have teammates go that far out of their way to support one another shows what they mean to each other, and also the commitment and dedication they have to the team. Not only did we have athletes, but we also had parents and families there to support and it meant alot to those racing today."

The 2022 cross season is officially finished, and it was a great campaign for both the men's and women's teams. Capped off by a Nationals appearance, the men's team was ranked No. 25 in the nation to start the season, and the Cougars rose to as high as No. 17, which is the program's best ranking in the NCAA era. On the women's side, Azusa Pacific was ranked in the top-25 nationally in five of the seven weeks during the regular season, and the Cougars were just a few spots outside of National qualification. 

The future is bright for both programs, with the majority of this year's runners set to return for the fall of 2023. In the meantime, the Cougars will turn their attention towards the upcoming spring track season, where Azusa Pacific is seeking to win seven consecutive PacWest team titles on both the men's and women's side, while the Cougars also intend to show once again that they are on of the nation's top track & field programs.