SDSU Men Win Aztec Invitational for the First Time

The San Diego State men’s cross-country team won the Aztec Invitational for the first time in 17 years Saturday at Balboa Park.

SDSU’s top finisher, Matt Clayton, ran the 10-kilometer course in 30 minutes 26 seconds for second place, 20 seconds behind defending champion Matt Giusto of the University of Arizona.

Other top finishers for the Aztecs were Juan Naranjo (sixth, 30:48), Paul Greer (eighth, 30:58) and Ken Flint (21st, 31:35).

SDSU totaled 66 points. The UC Irvine A team was second with 73 points, and Arizona was third with 80 points.

Arizona freshman Marc Davis, the national cross-country champion a year ago at San Diego High School, finished 15th in 31:19. He was the Wildcats’ third finisher behind Simon Gutierrez, who finished fifth in 30:44.

MiraCosta College finished 17th, and the University of San Diego was 18th. Neither school had finishers among the top 25.

The SDSU women’s team finished 11th and failed to place a runner among the top 25 finishers.

Sylvia Mosqueda of Cal State Los Angeles was the top woman finisher on the 3.1-mile course in 16:59. Utah’s Celsa Bowman was second in 17:18, and Darcy Arreola, a former Grossmont High runner competing for Cal State Northridge, was third in 17:26. UC Irvine, which won the team championship, was led by Buffy Rabbitt (fourth, 17:30) and Jill Harrington (fifth, 17:32).

MiraCosta finished 14th.