ROCKLIN, Calif. - The future of Jessup Cross Country was on full display this year, as a batch of new young runners mixed with a veteran group teamed up to deliver an impressive year of accolades for the program. These accolades include an all-PacWest team member, a broken program record, and four NCAA regional participants.

It was the dawn of a new era for Jessup's Cross Country program, as their second year in Division II would also be the first season under new head coach Garrett Seawell, a major transition for the program after the departure of longtime head coach Jeff Magley. After their season debut at the Kim Dyust Invite in Turlock, CA, the Warriors would compete in the Jessup Invitational at their home course on campus. This home invitational would see the emergence of two young freshmen, who would go on to set a new bar for Jessup Cross Country in their debut seasons. Angela Gladysh would record a time of 18:43.10 in the three-mile race, bringing home the win on her home turf. Not far behind her in third place was Juliet David, who recorded a time of 19:50.50. On the men's side, a dynamic duo of its own was forming, as the meet was highlighted by Travis Brown, who finished in sixth place in the four-mile run, and Zachary Heberlein, who finished seventh. Despite the great finishes for these four, the Jessup Invite was just the beginning of their journeys this season.

From a team perspective, their next two meets would be a major stepping stone as they would compete against multiple Division I opponents at the Pacific Invitational, hosted by the University of the Pacific, and the Bronco Invite, hosted by Santa Clara University. The women's team took a fourth-place finish at the Pacific Invitational, while the men finished sixth. At the Bronco Invite, the women's team finished tenth amongst a stacked field. Atop the leaderboards for the Warriors once again was Angela Gladysh, who logged fourth and sixth-place finishes in the two meets, respectively.

Next up was a trip to Hawaii for the PacWest Cross Country Championships. Against a stacked field, both teams put up solid performances, with the women's team finishing 10th of 12 teams, and the men finishing 9th of 10. Individually, it was Angela Gladysh in the spotlight once again, finishing 20th out of 100 participants with a time of 22:35.80. This finish also earned her All-PacWest Third Team honors, which is the program's first all-conference selection in their PacWest era. On the men's side, they were led once again by the duo of Travis Brown and Zachary Heberlein, who finished 54th and 57th overall.

After the PacWest Championships, the team had one more race to run, with four athletes qualifying for the NCAA West Region Championships in Monmouth, Oregon. A record-setting day was in store, once again headlined by Angela Gladysh. Gladysh ended her freshman season with a bang, setting a 43-second personal record with a 21:36.93 time in the 6K race. This time also put her in the record books, as she broke the program record for the fastest 6K in school history. Not only did she make her mark on Jessup, but in the West Region as well. Gladysh finished 48th overall and 10th overall among freshmen, signaling a very bright future for the young runner.

This season truly saw the dawn of a new era for Jessup Cross Country, as a new coaching staff, new batch of talented runners, and consistent finishes among the best of the PacWest and Division II show a very bright future for the years ahead, both from an individual and team perspective.
   
Jessup University is a provisional member of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division II and the PacWest Conference. For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Instagram & X).