Lopes show year-over-year improvement in 1st meet

Saturday, August 31

Flagstaff, Ariz. / Buffalo Park

M - 1:30 p.m. | W - 2:30 p.m.

Grand Canyon

George Kyte Classic

8/31/2024 4:15:00 PM | Cross Country

Results

Houlihan's 1st race at GCU sees Akers, Hall pace Lopes

By: Josh Hauser

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — In the first meet of the 2024 campaign and first under new head coach Shayla Houlihan, Grand Canyon showed year-over-year improvement in its times in the George Kyte Classic at Buffalo Park on Saturday.

GCU's five placers on the men's side averaged a time of 23 minutes, 57 seconds in the 4.5-mile run, which was over 30 seconds faster than the Lopes' average performance in the same meet last year. The Lopes had three men's runners post times under 24 minutes after having none break that mark last year.

On the women's side, the Lopes' five placers finished the 2.5-mile run with an average time of 16:20.4, which was eight seconds faster than last year's average at the same meet.

"The men started things off very strong for us," Houlihan said. "They packed up and followed the race plan to run under control for the first half of the race."

In his first race for GCU, Mesa Community College transfer Greyson Akers paced the men's team with a time of 23:35.4 to finish 17th among point scorers.

"Greyson timed the course perfectly as he cinched down the pace over the last 2 miles," Houlihan said. "True freshman Alex Saldamando was very impressive as our fifth man today. (Freshman) Spencer Desmond was also very impressive in his first time wearing the Lopes jersey. This men's squad is very interchangeable at this point as we build toward the next race at Riverside."

The men's top five was rounded out by Desmond (23:55.1), senior Alex Rafferty (23:59.5), junior Mac Eliason (24:09.0) and Saldamando (24:10.5).

GCU finished fourth out of nine teams, including outpacing Arizona State.

Back in her hometown of Flagstaff, redshirt junior Hana Hall crossed the finish line first for the Lopes with a time of 15:58.5. Her time, which placed 18th among point scorers, was 26 seconds quicker than what she ran at the same meet last season.

"The women followed suit by packing up early so they could push over the last mile of the race," Houlihan said. "We may be small, but we are a mighty squad ready to put in some more work to build toward the rest of the season."

The women's top five was rounded out by graduate Niki Hemmerlin (16:12.7) and the freshmen trio of Selah Akers (16:18.5), Eva Johnson (16:36.1) and Taylor Hansen (16:36.2).

"I was very impressed by Hana and the focus she showed out there leading the women," Houlihan said. "Niki held the team accountable to follow the race plan so all of them could execute the plan. Selah, Eva and Taylor ran like pros in their debut collegiate races."

The Lopes will have three weeks off from competition, resuming on Sept. 21 at the UC Riverside Invitational in Riverside, California.