The women's team was led by a determined trio of Vaqs who made their mark at the VC Pirate Invitational. Elsa Ludena (SO) set the pace, crossing the line in 23:52 for the 5k, securing a 9th-place overall finish. She was closely backed by Maria Lodero (SO) and Fernando Barranco (SO), who battled through the course to place 12th (25:13) and 15th (25:34) respectively. With two more Vaqs joining the lineup at the WSC Preview Meet on September 12th, the women's squad is poised to bring even more depth and firepower.

The men's team delivered an impressive season opener, packing the front of the race. Andranik Margaryan (FR) stormed to a 3rd-place finish in 23:06, with Evan Ellersieck (SO) and Sebastian Perez (FR) right on his heels in 6th (23:41) and 7th (23:54). The scoring was rounded out by Andrew Kanzangian (SO) in 11th (24:03) and Tigran Tadevosian (FR) in 12th (24:22). With all five scorers inside the top 12, the men clinched the team title with just 27 points and a tight 1:16 spread—a statement performance to kick off the season.

Under clear skies and a calm breeze, the Vaqs showed they're ready to run with purpose. Their next challenge comes at the WSC Preview Meet, where they'll square off against last year's conference champions, Bakersfield, and runners-up, Moorpark.

PHOTO CREDIT- ASHLEY PUAC and ELSA LUDENA