SANTA CLARITA, Calif. - The men raced to a fifth-place team finish at The Master's University Cross Country Invitational at Central Park.
 
The Otters finished the 8K competition with 173 points, recording a combined time of 2:09:38 and an average of 25:55 among their five scoring runners. CSUMB finished ahead of Fresno Pacific and Cal Poly DC in a competitive field.
 
Freshman Oren Hill led the Otters across the line, placing 21st overall in 25:34.8 and contributing 20 team points.
 
Jake Walton was right behind, crossing in 26th place with a time of 25:38.8. Erik Bromley gave CSUMB a third runner inside the top 40, finishing 39th overall in 25:55.9.
 
The trio gave Monterey Bay a tightly packed front group, with just 21.1 seconds separating its first three finishers.
 
Andrew Pursley added a time of 26:28.3, while Hanival Osorio-Martinez followed closely in 26:28.9 to add to CSUMB's depth.
 
The Otters return to the trail on Oct. 17 when they head to the Bronco Invitational.