HILO, Hawai'i – The Chaminade University women's and men's cross country teams both placed medalist honors at Saturday's University of Hawai'i Hilo Invitational at the Naniloa Golf Course.
Maria Steinke (Columbus, Ohio/University of Dayton/Bexley HS) and
Peter Jan Ramos (Waipahu, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Waipahu) captured first-place finishes in their respective women's and men's races, marking the first time since records were kept that the Silverswords placed both individual champions in the same event.
The 'Swords' women registered 38 points, tying them with UH Hilo for the team title. Chaminade took the team title via tiebreaker on head-to-head placements.
Both teams were deadlocked with two higher overall finishers each. It was Chaminade's No. 5 finisher,
Jordyn Koki (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Kapalama) who broke the tie, ending the race in 14th place, out-pacing Vulcans' No. 5 runner, Alandra Nunez, who came in 15th overall.
Steinke, who also won last year's UH Hilo Invitational, earned her second medalist finish this season with a time of 23:56.4 in the 6-kilometer women's event. In all three races in 2024, the senior is the top Division II runner which included the season-opening University of Hawa'i Big Wave Invitational on Sept. 7 which featured several Division I runners.
Nikiji Dayse (Memphis, Tenn./Bartlett) finished as race runner-up for the second straight event with a time of 24:18.21.
Leila-Jayne Casison (Waipahu, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Waipahu) finished as the team's No. 3 finisher, crossing ninth overall at 28:35.00 followed by
Cassie Chong (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani) at 29:34.44, Koki at 30:40.33 and
Jaychelle Taitano (Sinajana, Guam/George Washington) at 31:57.21.
In the men's 8-k, the 'Swords finished with 34 points, second behind Hawai'i Pacific University's 21.
Ramos, a fifth-year senior, earned his first career medalist finish, crossing the finish line in 29:20.25, easily outpacing runner-up, Tyler Stoker of HPU, by 37 seconds.
Anthony John Bergancia (Saipan, Northern Marianas Islands/Marianas) was Chaminade's second finisher and sixth overall in 33:07.83.
Sebastian Castro (San Diego, Calif./Palomar College/Great Oak HS) was ninth overall in 39:24.32 followed by
Conor McMahon (Pacific, Calif./Archbishop Riordan) at 40:03.46.
Rounding out the Silverswords were
Mac Zawistoski (Coto de Caza, Calif./JSerra Catholic) at 40:04.15 and
Jacob Mantiply (Temecula, Calif./University of Saint Katherine/Great Oak HS) at 45:32.87.
Both Silverswords squads will close their regular season next Saturday, Oct. 12 at the HPU Invitational. It will be their final tune-up before the Pacific West Conference Championships in Irvine, California, on Oct. 26.
