CSUSM Teams Preparing for National Championships
November 17, 2009

This fall has been one of the most successful seasons in the history of Cal State San Marcos Athletics, and it will peak this Saturday as three Cougar teams compete at NAIA National Championship events.

First, CSUSM's #4-ranked men's cross-country team will compete in a field of the 32 best teams in the NAIA at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in Vancouver, Washington.  Led by newcomer Muluken Beressa and returning track start Dave Edwards, the Cougar men have really come together this fall and performed beyond what was expected of them.  Earlier this month, they pulled a minor upset by winning the Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.) Conference Championship on their home course against two other teams ranked nationally in the top-15. 

A top-10 finish at Nationals would be a strong result for Coach Steve Scott's squad, but if they get a great effort from Chris Strasheim or Bernardo Bahena to fill the #5 spot, they could threaten the top-5. 

That 8-kilometer race starts at 10:30 AM, and an hour later the women will take the course for the 5K.  Ranked #2 in the nation, the Cal State San Marcos women's cross-country team has been a juggernaut throughout this season, culminating in a conference championship earlier this month.  The Cougars are led by their top-three runners:  Dallon Williams, Cady Villarreal, and Jessica Sandoval.  A track & field national champion and cross-country All-American, Williams holds the CSUSM school record in the 5K and is looking to end her Cougar career with a bang.  Villarreal has turned in an unbelievable sophomore season that she's looking to cap off with a potential top-6 finish at Nationals, and Sandoval, a junior, has been rock solid throughout the year and has a great shot to finish in the top-20 at Nationals.

With those top three, and good performances from #4 runner Kelly Thompson and #5 runner Lindsey McKown, this team has a very realistic shot of topping last year's school record-tying third place finish at Nationals.

Finally, at 2:00 PM the Cal State San Marcos women's soccer team will face off against 8th seeded Vanguard University in Costa Mesa in the 2009 NAIA Women's Soccer National Championship Opening Round.  After starting this season with a modest 3-4-3 record, Coach Ron Pulvers' squad has caught fire in the second half of the season.  The team has won six consecutive games and is unbeaten in its last eight - a streak that includes the A.I.I. Conference Tournament, which the Cougars won as the #3 seed.

Should Cougar women's soccer win against Vanguard, they would advance to play at National Championship Tournament in Decatur, Alabama, from November 30 to December 5.

The CSUSM men's soccer team narrowly missed qualifying for Nationals themselves, losing in the A.I.I. Conference Finals against the #3-ranked team nationally, Simon Fraser.

Follow all the results via the web at CSUSM Athletics' homepage, www.csusmcougars.com.  Go Cougars!