HONOLULU – 2018 was another year of growth for both the Chaminade University men's and women's cross country teams. Returning runners for both squads showed improvement from 2017 while the newcomers impressed throughout the season.
On the women's side, returnees
Riley Hallman (Renner, S.D./Tri-Valley) and
Olivia Mariucci (Templeton, Calif./Templeton) were constantly among the Silverswords' top finishers. The arrival of freshman
Morgan Sharman (Palm Coasta, Fla./Matanzas) was also a boon for the 'Swords. Mariucci and Sharman were twice the No. 1 team finishers each while Hallman accomplished the feat once.
Jaycie Dennison (Lake Elsinore, Calif./Lakeside) suffered through an injury-plagued senior year which resulted in her participating in just two races.
Allyson Alvarez-Stratton (Atlantic Beach, Fla./Bishop Kenny) had a steady junior year and had a fourth-place team finish at the Hawai'i Hilo Invitational, her best since her freshman season. Fellow junior
Alicia Dugan (Renton, Wash./Peninsula College/Kentridge HS) made a successful transition from the running the basketball court to a race course and had four fourth-place team placings.
On the men's side,
Beau Larsen (Papillion, Neb./Daniel Gross Catholic) followed up his sensational freshman season with an even better sophomore campaign. Not only did he finish as the 'Swords' first runner in all five races – giving him nine No. 1-team career finishes – but Larsen made history by becoming the first Chaminade men's runner to capture medalist honors by winning the 8-k UH Hilo Invitational.
Meanwhile two newcomers had excellent debut seasons. Freshman
Justin Berry (Honolulu/Kalani) had an outstanding debut season as the team's second finisher in all five races while transfer
Joseph Yoakum (Gibraltar, Mich./Wayne State Univ./Carlson HS) came in third each time. Another first-year runner,
Elijah Bernardo-Flores (Waipahu, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Kapalama), came in fourth four times with a third-place team finish mixed in.
Matthew Schmidt (Hanalei, Kaua'i, Hawai'i/Hawai'i Technology Academy) suffered a mid-season foot injury, limiting his participation to just three races but came back in time to run in the Pacific West Conference Championships in Fresno, Calif. He also remained as a dual-sport student-athlete as a member of the men's soccer team.
Antonio Bonnetty (Vicksburg, Miss./Moanalua) completed his running career as the team's lone senior.
With both teams returning all of their top runners, head coach
Shadrack Nabea is hoping for a solid recruiting class that might help the 'Swords into the next level and contend for a conference title.
