2016 SF State Speedway Duals Results
Men's 7.25k | Women's 5.8k

SAN FRANCISCO – Chilly and wet course conditions would not stop Academy of Art University cross country from performing well against four other teams at the Speedway Duals in Golden Gate Park on Thursday. Highlighting the day were second place finishes by graduate student Joshua Thorson and sophomore Chandler Johnson as the Urban Knights topped host SF State on both sides with third for the men and fourth for the women.

 
In a matchup of No. 23 SF State (ranked fifth in the West Region) and ART U (ranked seventh in the West Region), the 7.25k men's race saw three Knights place among the top six. Thorson was up front battling with Gabe Arias-Sheridan of NCAA Division I St. Mary's for the entire race and it would come down to mere fractions of a second in the end. After numerous moves, Thorson was in front for much of the final stretch, but his competitor just barely edged him with the final step despite their identical 22:41 times.

Grad student Pierre Fontanarosa closed hard against SF State's Drew Feldman, but ended up taking fifth (23:19) by a second and grad student Gatien Airiau followed three seconds later in sixth (23:22). Grad student Kris Everett was the seventh Division II finisher in 24th overall (24:08) and freshman Marvin Thomas rounded out the Academy of Art top five with a time of 24:40 in 33rd.

With all of its finishers among the top 14, St. Mary's earned the team title over Division I Santa Clara by more than a minute. ART U was third by five seconds and ahead of fourth place SF State by nearly almost a minute.

The women's 5.8k race may have been won by Abby Bolt of St. Mary's, but it was Johnson who followed after legging out a second place result with a 22:11 that was one second ahead of Division I Sacramento State's Carmela Albano. It was a dramatic finale to a race that had seen that trio contend for the lead throughout. Senior Kaelyn Harbison also made a strong push in the final straightaway to snag 10th overall at 22:57.

Redshirt junior McKaela Christenson challenged two runners from SF State, delivering nearly identical times of 23:06 for a 15th place finish. The fourth Knight to cross the line was freshman Jessica Wunschmann in 25th overall (23:46) before junior Jamie Morris closed the ART U top five in 26th overall (23:50).

St. Mary's doubled its team victories with a convincing win on the women's side, topping Sacramento State by more than three minutes. Santa Clara was third, but only by 15 seconds over Academy of Art in fourth.

For the first time in program history, ART U will next head north for Sacramento State's Capital Cross Challenge at the Haggin Oaks Golf Course on Oct. 1.