SAN FRANCISCO --- After a week away, Biola Cross Country is back in action this week as Friday afternoon the teams compete at the San Francisco State Invitational, held at Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park.

THIS WEEK: San Francisco State Invitational - Speedway Meadow at Golden Gate Park (San Francisco, Calif.) - Friday, Sept. 21, 2018 at 3:30 p.m. (8k first)

SF STATE INVITATIONAL: Friday Sept. 21 at 3:30 p.m. \\ Live Results
This week Biola makes its first appearance in the San Francisco State Cross Country Invitational after a few years of going up to the bay to compete in the Gators' annual track & field competition. The event is the first real exposure Biola will have to this year's PacWest competition as both fields feature Academy of Art, Dominican, Holy Names and Notre Dame de Namur. The head-to-head competition with Academy of Art will definitely be fun to watch, since both teams in one way or another have been favored to win the PacWest this year. The field also features the hosts, San Francisco State, NCAA Division I member Santa Clara and a smattering of other schools. Biola will look for a repeat of its first weekend of competition, where both teams finished top-3.

MEET ENTRIES

NOTE: Cars are directed to park along JFK Drive near Speedway Meadow.

NCCAA TOP TIMES: Despite only having one meet under its belt, Biola leads the National Christian College Athletic Association with the fastest team time in both genders so far in 2018. The men's 2:09:29 at the Biola Invitational was good enough to edge second-place Cedarville (Ohio) by about two minutes. The women's 1:35:13 is also right at about two minutes quicker than the second-place team, which also happens to be Cedarville. Gabe Plendcio has the top individual time in the NCCAA by 11 seconds 25:29.45. There are five Eagles in the top-10, making it look like the men would have a shot to repeat as titlists this year. Mackenna Mason's 18:33 is the best time by a Biola woman so far this year and is good for third-best in the NCCAA. She, Clara Haynes, Emily Ransom and Mandy Reyes all fall within the top-11. No other institution has more than two women in the top-11.

RUNNERS OF THE WEEK: For their performances in the season-opener, Gabe Plendcio, Mackenna Mason and Clara Haynes were each honored by either the PacWest or the NCCAA, or in Plendcio's case - both.

NEXT EVENT: TMU MUSTANG INVITATIONAL - Central Park (Santa Clarita, Calif.) - Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018 at 7:45 a.m. (8k first).