TEMPE, Ariz. – The Sun Devil cross-country team hosted the 2015 ASU Invitational on Friday, Oct. 23 at Papago Golf Course with the men and women’s team sweeping the event.
Arizona State ran six men and six women, with redshirt sophomore Cody Brazeal taking second place with a time of 20:49.23 for the men, and redshirt senior Shaina Corbin also taking second place in the women’s race with a time of 17:54.01 as the Sun Devils’ top finishers.
“I think for the men that was the big theme for our group since Wisconsin – let’s not fear anything and go out and be resilient,” head coach Louie Quintana said. “Today we did a great job.”
Brazeal started towards the back of the pack of the four-mile men’s event, pacing himself for the final stretch, and he said it worked in his favor.
“I felt like today I just did what was planned and stayed patient,” Brazeal said. “Our freshman who’s redshirting, Simon Paige, I was able to tuck in with him the first couple laps. He was able to help keep me relaxed.
“When you make that last turn, there’s a little tiny uphill so I thought the finish was a lot closer so I just went for it and passed some guys…got over the hill and heard there was 400 (meters) to go and I was just gassed. I just had to hang on.”
The five scoring Sun Devils finished in the top-11, as redshirt freshmen Brandon Boys and Nick Dale took seventh and eighth with times of 21:13.45 and 21:14.03 respectively. Senior Riley Wattier rounded out the top-10 with a time of 21:28.06 and redshirt freshman J.P. Nelson followed at 21:32.27 in eleventh.
Corbin started at the front of the pack off the start, pacing the event with Arizona’s Kayla Ferron with redshirt junior teammate Kaitlin Kaluzny along side. Freshman Hannah Benoit-Bucher on their heels.
“Today I just wanted to go out and execute a good race plan,” Corbin said. “I feel lately I’ve been struggling in big meets because they are big meets, so I just wanted to relax and follow a race plan that I would normally do for a Pac-12 race…it was definitely a confidence booster.”
As the race progressed, Corbin continued to stay at a consistent pace and even took the lead for a small part of the three-mile trek. She kept Kaluzny right with her as she would follow seconds behind Corbin with a time of 18:00.50 in third place. Like the men, all the Sun Devil women finished in the top-11, as Benoit-Bucher took fourth with a time of 18:21.50, redshirt freshman Lea Patek crossed in eighth at 19:12.20 and redshirt senior Madison Davis rounded out the scoring in eleventh at 19:23.36.
UP NEXT
Both men and women head for Colfax, Wash. for the Pac-12 Championships on Friday, Oct. 30 with a chance to claim points in the Territorial Cup against Arizona and earn a spot in the NCAA Championships.
Women’s Results
1. Arizona State - 28 points
2. Arizona - 43 points
3. Northern Arizona - 54 points
4. Dine College - 100 points
2. Shaina Corbin - 17:54.01
3. Kaitlin Kaluzny - 18:00.50
4. Hannah Benoit-Bucher - 18:21.50
8. Lea Patek - 19:12.20
11. Madison Davis - 19:23.36
17. Mia Townsend - 20:20.60
Men's Results
1. Arizona State - 38
2. Arizona - 54
3. Northern Arizona - 59
4. Bacone - 61
5. Dine College - 151
6. ASU Running Club - 155
2. Cody Brazeal - 20:49.23
7. Brandon Boys - 21:13.45
8. Nick Dale - 21:14.03
10. Riley Wattier - 21:28.06
11. J.P. Nelson - 21:32.27
21. Jack Balder - 22:27.79