Cross country season is around the corner for one group of Concordia student-athletes.
The Concordia Eagles men’s and women’s cross country programs will begin their second official season in the NCAA Division II (PacWest Conference) Monday, Aug. 13.
The young teams are excited about the opportunities the season will give them. Leading the program is head coach Danny Bowman, now in his fifth year at Concordia.
“I am very excited about this coming season,” he said. “With the talent we have brought in and those returning, it should be one of our best seasons since in the last five years. We have two great assistant coaches, Coach Bloomfield and Coach Tuin, that will help this program achieve our goals.”
Concordia will look to improve on the men’s side from a year ago with a young sophomore duo leading the way. Hector Arteaga from Ocean View High School in Huntington Beach, and Angel Aguirre from California High School in Whittier will look to pace the team after stellar freshman campaigns.
Assistant Coach Keegan Bloomfield says, “Angel and Hector came in and led the team last year. They’ve put in some solid work throughout the spring and fall and should be ready to make big improvements on their finishes at PacWest and NCAA Regionals.”
Closely following will be senior Tyler Arnold, Crean Lutheran High School and Samuel Bautista, California High School.
Bloomfield added, “Tyler’s improved year in and year out. He’s one of the founding members of this NCAA team. He’s got a great combination of strength and speed and could surprise some people with how well he races this year. Sammy’s so strong and has the potential to be in our top five every race.”
Behind those four men, the Eagles have a group of new and old. The Eagles will look to seniors Shawn Trejo, El Toro High School and Jayson Baker, Costa Mesa High School, to add depth and wisdom.
Sophomore Anthony Ruiz, Great Oak, Temecula, will also be a large contributor this season. They will welcome five new freshmen into the mix. Being added to the team are local Orange County athletes David Brito, Ocean View and Nathan Aguinaga, Pacifica, Garden Grove.
The women’s team comes in with one of the largest rosters in school history at 17. The women will be led by a quartet of juniors. Rosalba Cabrera, California High School, Whittier, Bailey Wade, El Modena High School, Orange, and Anamauri Hernandez, Segerstrom High School, Santa Ana and Hannah Hopkins, Grace Brethren High School, Camarillo.
“The women’s team has a unique opportunity to race in a tight pack this year. Anamauri, Rosalba, Hannah, Bailey could all lead the way depending on the day and the type of course. That’s exciting for our program to see such a strong group of women racing together.” said Bloomfield.
The women’s team will also be welcoming six incoming freshmen. Local runner Katelyn Wilson, Esperanza High School, will be one of the six.
In addition to their success on the course, the Eagles plan to excel in many different avenues. The teams had nearly 70 percent of their roster on the Academic All PacWest list last season. “This staff is dedicated to help these young people grow into holistic persons…starting with their walk with Christ, achieving their academic goals, enhancing social skills, and reaching their athletic potential,” Bowman said.
The Eagles believe they are ready to have their best finishes ever at the PacWest conference and NCAA Regional meets. The team opens the season at the Vanguard Invite on Saturday, Sept. 8.
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