Season Review: Cross Country

For the second straight year, the Chaminade University men's and women's cross country teams found success throughout their 2024 seasons.
 
The Silversword women had another excellent year with not only team success but individually as well. Anchored by senior Maria Steinke (Columbus, Ohio/University of Dayton/Bexley HS) and sophomore Nikiji Dayse (Memphis, Tenn./Bartlett), the Silverswords captured the University of Hawai'i Hilo Invitational and two more second-place finishes.
 
But their most enjoyable event was at the Pacific West Conference Championships in Irvine, California, finishing ahead of in-state rivals Hawai'i Pacific University and UH Hilo to capture first-place honors in the PacWest Hawai'i Challenge for the second straight year.
 
Steinke wrapped up her two-year CUH career with two first-place finishes, giving her three career event wins, the most by a Silversword since Donna Kini's five which all came during the 1985 season. Her win at the UH Hilo Invitational was the second time she captured the event.
 
Dayse earned her first career medalist finish at the HPU Invitational on Oct. 12 and was the team's first runner to cross the finish line at the PacWest Championships.
 
And it was at the conference championships were Dayse and Steinke both ran the two fastest times in program history for a 6-kilometer event. The former set the record in 22 minutes and 31 seconds while the latter came in at 22:34.1. Both times broke the previous 6-k low of 22:37, held by Monique Mata who did it at the 1998 PacWest Championship then again at the 2000 conference race.
 
Cassie Chong (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani) was a key component for the 'Swords as their No. 3 runner down the final stretch of the season. Jordyn Koki (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Kapalama) had a significant role for Chaminade in its win on the Big Island as her finish was the key tiebreaker to allow them to earn the event win.
 
Joining Steinke as a departing senior was Leila-Jayne Casison (Waipahu, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Waipahu), the only four-year runner on the team.
 
First-year runner Emily Cooper (Mount Desert Island, Maine/Mount Desert Island) participated in all three O'ahu races and both postseason events on the mainland while freshmen Nicholas Gebbia (San Antonio, Texas/Lee) and Jaychelle Taitano (Sinajana, Guam/George Washington) ran two races each.
 
The ladies wrapped up their season at the NCAA West Regional in Billings, Montana.
 
On the men's side, Peter Jan Ramos (Waipahu, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Waipahu) wrapped up his four-year career as the Silverswords' top runner all season. In all four Hawai'i races, he was a top-three finisher and earned his first career victory at the UH Hilo Invitational.
 
Fellow senior Conor McMahon (Pacific, Calif./Archbishop Riordan) also finished his five-year career which included the restoration of his COVID year in 2020.
 
Both Ramos and McMahon competed as individuals at the West Regional.
 
Anthony John Bergancia (Saipan, Northern Marianas Islands/Marianas) was the team's No. 2 finisher in all four races.
 
The team also got a boost from outside, getting an assist from the 'Swords' baseball team with Sebastian Castro (San Diego, Calif./Palomar College/Great Oak HS), Jacob Mantiply (Temecula, Calif./University of Saint Katherine/Great Oak HS) and Mac Zawistoski (Coto de Caza, Calif./JSerra Catholic) joining the running corps.
 
Castro had three third-place team finishes while Mantiply and Zawistoski helped the Silverswords as the complimentary runners.