TURLOCK, Calif.--- After more than a month away from competition, the Stan State men's cross country team returns to racing this Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Bronco Invitational hosted by Santa Clara University at Baylands Regional Course in Sunnyvale.

The Warriors, coached by Darren Holman, will compete in their final regular-season meet before beginning postseason competition in November. The Men's Invitational is scheduled for 8:45 a.m., followed by the Women's Invitational at 9:30 a.m., Men's Open at 10:15 a.m. and Women's Open at 11 a.m.

Ninth in the West Region
Stan State enters the Bronco Invitational ranked ninth in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division II West Region rankings. The Warriors have held the No. 9 position for three consecutive weeks.

Chico State leads the West Region rankings, followed by Western Washington, Cal Poly Pomona, Western Oregon and Cal State San Marcos. Stan State is one of four CCAA programs among the region's top 10, joining Chico State, Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State San Marcos.

National Rankings
The Stan State men's cross country team remains unranked in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division II national coaches' poll. The Warriors continue to hold the No. 9 position in the West Region rankings for the third consecutive week.

Chico State is the highest-ranked West Region team nationally at No. 8, followed by No. 10 Western Washington. Cal Poly Pomona dropped four spots into a tie for No. 18, while Western Oregon remained No. 23.

Stan State is one of four CCAA programs ranked in the West Region top 10, joining Chico State, Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State San Marcos. Chico State and Cal Poly Pomona are the conference's two representatives in the national top 30.

Last Time Out
The Warriors last competed Sept. 12 at the Kim Duyst Twilight at River Oaks Golf Course in Ceres, placing third with 51 points in the 10-team field. Stan State was the top NCAA Division II finisher, trailing only NCAA Division I programs UC Santa Barbara (41 points) and CSUN (49).

Jackson Oliveira led the Warriors with a runner-up finish in the 8K race, clocking 24:05.5 as the top collegiate finisher. His twin brother, Mason Oliveira, placed fourth in 24:29.6, while Gurdave Pandher finished 12th in 24:52.1, giving Stan State three runners among the top 12.

For his performance, Jackson Oliveira was named the FloCollege/CCAA Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week.

Quentin Clarke placed 24th in 25:22.4, while Tanner Gerhart rounded out the scoring five with a 29th-place finish in 25:35.8.

The Kim Duyst Twilight marked the second consecutive meet in which Jackson and Mason Oliveira were Stan State's top two finishers. Jackson also led the Warriors at the season-opening USF Invitational, placing 11th in 24:30.0, while Mason finished 30th in 25:00.9.

Bronco Invitational
The Men's 8K Invitational will feature a competitive field that includes NCAA Division I programs Stanford, UC Davis, Fresno State, Long Beach State, Nevada, Northern Colorado, Pacific, Pepperdine, Sacramento State, San Francisco, San Jose State, Santa Clara and Saint Mary's.

Other participating programs include CCAA opponents Chico State, Cal Poly Humboldt, Cal State East Bay and Cal State Monterey Bay, along with Fresno Pacific, UC Merced, American River and Cal Poly distance club entries.
Nine Warriors are entered in the Invitational race: Jace Campos, Quentin Clarke, Tanner Gerhart, Patricio Kearney, Andrew Morales, Jackson Oliveira, Mason Oliveira, Gurdave Pandher and Larson Wejmar.

Stan State will also have four runners competing in the Men's 8K Open race: Jason Arriaza, Diego Cisneros, Austin Hein and Julian Hernandez. The Open race will feature runners from several CCAA programs, including Chico State,
Cal Poly Humboldt, Cal State Monterey Bay and San Francisco State, along with other collegiate and club competitors.

The meet will provide Stan State with its final opportunity to compete before the CCAA Championships as the Warriors prepare for the conference and NCAA postseason.

Up Next
Following the Bronco Invitational, Stan State will begin postseason competition at the CCAA Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Nov. 7, at the CSUSB Cross Country Course in San Bernardino. The men's race is scheduled for 10 a.m.

The NCAA Division II West Regional will follow on Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Arcade Creek Cross Country Course in Sacramento, with the men's race scheduled for 9 a.m. The NCAA Division II National Championship is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 4, at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence, Kansas.