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Cal State Fullerton Sweeps Team Titles at Mark Covert Classic for First Time Since 2003

Published by
DyeStat.com   Sep 1st 2019, 4:35am
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Ashlee Powers becomes first female repeat winner since 2013-14, only fourth in meet history; Vahagn Isayan produces fastest men’s performance since 2012, elevates to No. 6 all-time at event, with host Titans capturing both team titles for only second time in 35 years

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

For all the excellence accomplished Saturday by post-collegiate athletes Ashlee Powers and Vahagn Isayan at the 35th Mark Covert Classic, the most memorable achievement at Carbon Canyon Regional Park came from meet host Cal State Fullerton.

For the first time since 2003 and only the second occasion in meet history, the Titans swept the men’s and women’s team titles in their annual season opener, an even more gratifying outcome after rival Cal Poly San Luis Obispo won the men’s and women’s competitions at last year’s meet, followed by sweeping both team crowns at the Big West Conference Championships eight weeks later at the same venue.

RESULTS  | PHOTOS | INTERVIEWS

Cal State Fullerton won the women’s competition for the first time since 2016 and the seventh occasion overall with a 41-60 victory over Cal Baptist, which also placed second last season by one point behind Cal Poly.

The Titans secured their second men’s victory in the past three years and the program’s sixth overall with a 60-76 win over Cal Coast Track Club. Loyola Marymount took third with 111 points.

Powers helped Cal Coast Track Club finish third in the women’s 5-kilometer race with 76 points, repeating as champion in 17 minutes, 44.8 seconds. Powers, who is preparing to compete Oct. 13 at the Chicago Marathon, became the first female athlete since Loyola Marymount graduate Grace Zamudio in 2013-14 to earn back-to-back Mark Covert victories.

Powers, who elevated to No. 6 on the all-time performance list last year by clocking 17:25, also became only the fourth women’s competitor in meet history to win in consecutive years, joining Zamudio, former Cal State Fullerton standout Heather Killeen (1993-94) and Arizona star Amy Skieresz Wilson (1996-97).

Isayan, who competed at Glendale Community College and Cal State San Marcos, produced the fastest men’s 8-kilometer performance since 2012 and No. 6 overall in meet history by running 24:24.3.

Cal Baptist junior Ivo Balabanov, a Bulgarian talent competing unattached, took second in 24:31.9.

In the women’s race, Cal State Fullerton had junior Trinity Ruelas finish second to Powers in 17:51.9, followed by Cal Coast Track Club’s Sara Van Dyke in 17:57.4.

Embry-Riddle AZ sophomore Ariana Anderson took fourth in 18:04.7, the fastest time achieved at the meet by a non-Division 1 college athlete since 2007.

Loyola Marymount fifth-year senior Kyla Danforth took fifth in 18:05.3, with UC Irvine sophomore Hannah Chau taking sixth in a personal-best 18:05.8.

Alyssa Block (18:17.8), McKaylie Caesar (18:18.5) and Sarah Hollis (18:20.9) were seventh, eighth and ninth for Cal State Fullerton, followed by five Cal Baptist athletes separated by one second.

Sophomore Anna Mate, a Hungarian talent, placed 10th in 18:23.9 for the Lancers, who are in their second year as an NCAA Division 1 program following a move from Division 2 after placing third at nationals in 2017.

Kelsey Carroll (18:32.8) was the fifth scorer for Cal State Fullerton in 15th place. Freshman Jamie Levin was the top two-year college athlete in the field, finishing 43rd in 19:28.9 for Glendale.

Erik Gonzalez, an Arizona State transfer, made an impressive debut for Cal State Fullerton in the men’s race, taking third in 24:55.9. With Sam Pimentel (24:48.4) leading the Titans last season, it marked the first time since 1991-93 that Cal State Fullerton had athletes eclipse the 25-minute barrier in consecutive years.

Daniel Harrigan-Cota led Cal Coast Track Club by placing fourth in 25:03.7 and Pepperdine sophomore Karl Winter took fifth in 25:11.

Cal State Fullerton had Jacob Smith (25:13.2) take sixth, Anthony Alfaro (25:16.2) finish eighth, Uriel Medina (25:42) place 21st and Edgard Villa (25:51.5) secure 30th to support Gonzalez.

Loyola Marymount senior Koby Pederson, competing unattached, was seventh in 25:15.6, with Embry-Riddle junior Grady Kerst securing ninth in 25:18.5 and Pepperdine’s Kyle McCabe placing 10th in 25:19. Zachary Alexander of Mt. San Antonio College was the top two-year college athlete, finishing 20th in 25:41.8.



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