CSUN Women Qualify for National Meet

The Cal State Northridge women’s cross-country team, paced by Gina Jaurequi and Heather Brookes, tied for third in the NCAA Division II West regionals at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on Saturday.

The Lady Matadors tied Cal State Los Angeles with 94 points to qualify for the Division II championships in Clinton, Miss., Nov. 19.

Top-ranked San Luis Obispo, the six-time defending Division II champion, placed 5 runners among the first 6 and scored 19 points. UC Davis placed second with 71 points.

CSUN was a disappointing ninth in the men’s race with 244 points.

Cal State L. A., the defending champion, squeaked past Cal Poly Pomona, 57-58, for the men’s title. San Luis Obispo placed third with 68. The top 3 teams automatically qualify for the Division II meet.

Jaurequi placed 10th in the women’s race, running 18 minutes, 21 seconds over the 5,000-meter course. Brookes was 13th in 18:24.

Tammy McCarty (27th), Megan Warner (28th) and Georgia McLean (31st) rounded out the Lady Matadors’ scoring.

Freshman Jeff Gilkey placed 32nd for Northridge in the men’s race, clocking 33:28 over the 10,000-meter course.

Jorge Castro, a Division II All-American last year, placed a disappointing 70th in 37:23.