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Long Beach State’s Marikay Schwab was named Big West Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Week, after leading the field at the Pepperdine Waves Invitational on Aug. 31.
Schwab, a graduate of Marina High in Huntington Beach, ran the 4K course in a time of 13 minutes, 4 seconds and defeated Cal Poly San Luis Obisbo’s Nicole Bridges by more than two seconds. Schwab’s win was the first individual victory by an LBSU women’s runner since Ryley Fick won the 2022 UC Riverside Invitational.
Schwab is in her second season with the Beach, after transferring from Cal State Fullerton, via Golden West College. Last year, Schwab competed in five meets in 2023 season and ran a lifetime best time of 18:18.2 in the 5K at the Big West Conference Preview. She ran a lifetime-best of 21:16.7 in the 6K to help lead the Beach to a first-place finish at the Highlander Invitational. She represented the Beach at the NCAA West Regionals, running a 21:35.6.
Schwab graduated from Marina High in 2021 after lettering in both cross country and track and field all four years. She was cross country team MVP in her freshman and junior seasons and was all All-County in both those year as well. She was also made the Sunset Conference All-Academic team all four years in high school.
Her first place run at Pepperdine helped the Beach take second in the team standings. Bridges was followed by teammate, and third place finisher, Renae Searls. Long Beach State junior Leia Jones was fourth, but Poly had five runners finish in the top 10 to grab the team title by a score of 30-50, over the Beach. USC was third overall. The next Big West teams were Cal State Northridge and CSU Bakersfield in 6th and 7th, respectively.
The Beach resumes action on Sept. 21 at the UC Riverside Invitational.
