NIPOMO, CALIF. (Oct. 27, 2023) – UC Santa Barbara ran their last meet of the regular season today at the Big West Championships, delivering a satisfying finale to the successful year. The Gauchos flew over the rolling hills of the course, finding their stride and claiming their place among the Big West. 

Sophomore Ethan Godsey finished out his unbelievable season with yet another show-stopping performance, placing third overall and clinching his second straight podium finish. He crossed the finish line first for the Gauchos with a time of 23:45.2 and beat out 66 other runners for the bronze. 

The men ran a stunning race, finishing second overall thanks to outstanding performances by the team. Manan Vats had a stellar day, finishing just outside the top 10 in 12th place with a time of 24:22.0. Parker Simmons and Nate Osborn then ran under the banner in back to back finishes, placing 22nd and 23rd to anchor the score of UC Santa Barbara. 

Freshman Manny Correia also came through for the Gauchos, using tenacity and resolve to push himself up the ranks to 27th place. His efforts secured the second place finish for the Gauchos in a triumph over Cal State Fullerton who finished closely behind. 

"Cannot be more pleased with how well the men raced. They rose to the occasion on a day when Cal State Fullerton and UC Riverside had phenomenal races," Coach Jason Zarb-Cousin said. "It was a true team battle and I'm so proud of the men for climbing through the field to get 2nd." 

The women also showed up for the Gauchos during their final meet of the year. They finished 7th out of 10 teams, with Stina Johannsson blazing the trail for the Gauchos once again, as she has done in all four races she has run this season. She placed 12th overall, out of 84 runners, with a time of 21:27.4. Johansson was followed by Ashling Carr, who came in 43rd and Sierra Ransweiler in 45th. Finally, Isabella Abusaid and Maya Lacamp made their marks as the final women to score. 

"We came into the Championship really shorthanded but pleased with the effort the women gave to get 7th," Zarb-Cousin said. "Stina Johansson had the best day of her season and just came up a little short of All-Conference. But has another opportunity in a couple weeks to close out her Gaucho career on a high note."

Results for the meet can be found here, and the post game on ESPN+.