FRESNO, Calif. - The men's and women's cross country teams competed in a solid effort in the Cal Pac Championships.

It is evident times are changing for our distance program here at Simpson University as we are just getting started.

This year we improved our team standing by three places from last year, clearly showcasing many days and nights of hard work, determination, and resolve to be different.

Abigail Oosterhout took the lead again going head-to-head with Embry-Riddle's Women's team who is a regular qualifier for NAIA Nationals. 

She posted 5th overall earning a spot on the 1st Team All-Conference selection while posting a person best in the 6k race. 

This also means that she qualified to race at the NAIA Cross Country Nationals that is being held in two weeks. 

Joy Taylor gave another solid performance as she consistently showed heart for the team. Taylor Placed seven spots higher than she did a year ago while also posting a personal best by two and a half minutes in the 6k. 

Delaney Milsaps, our resident 800m runner proved she belongs with the distance runners, placing two spots behind her fellow teammate Taylor.  From the start of the season until now Milsaps has improved her race pace by nearly 30 seconds per mile.

Jewelia Zaragoza and Wendy Macias helped contribute and add to our team's numbers. Zaragoza and Macias showed a lot of grit as Zaragoza appeared in just one previous race while Macias participated in her first meet. 

This was an incredible feat for both runners as Zaragoza recorded a seven-minute personal best from her previous 6k race. 

On the men's team, Dylan Virrueta-Torres defines the program with resilience and a desire to compete no matter the odds. After spending time off and recovering at the end of the season Torres pushed through and competed in the 8k course to solidify his first season. 

Every single member of the team had immense improvements from start to finish this year, and we are looking forward to seeing Abigail Oosterhout's performance at the National Tournament.