Toros defend home course to remain perfect in Fall cross country season
Hartnell Women Continue Hot Streak
SALINAS - Running at Toro Park for the first time since November 2019, the Hartnell College women continued to show they are the top team in Northern California. With six runners in the top 14, the Panthers won their fourth straight meet, taking first at the Toro Park Invitational last Friday.
Freshman Sofia Camacho, who prepped at North Salinas High School, is starting to the show the form that made her one of the best track runners in the Central Coast Section. Camacho lead nearly the entire race chased by the Norcal Preview runner-up Mannat Gill of De Anza College and teammate Valeria Lozano-Gomez, the winner of the Norcal Preview. Gill caught Camacho with under a half mile to go but a final sprint saw Camacho come from three seconds behind with 300 meters to go to winning by three seconds. Camacho covered the 3 mile course in 19:01, her fastest time ever at Toro Park. Gill held on to second in 19:04. Lozano-Gomez was a close third in 19:09, running very close to her debut time on the course from 2019. Freshman Andrea Villegas finished fourth in 19:44 and was the only other woman in the field to run under 20 minutes. Fellow freshman Ashley Ochoa continues to excel and finished tenth in 20:30, her fastest time of the season. Faith Mora (20:47) and Jazmin Mora (21:02) placed thirteenth and fourteenth. The Panthers scored 29 points to and have yet tally a score for their top five runners over 30 points. Mariah Changco also competed (21:33) but was at less than full strength.
The Panthers continue their streak of races with the Crystal Springs Invitational on Friday, October 8. This will be an opportunity for the women to compare their college performance to times posted on the 2.96 mile course while in high school.
Toro Park Good to Panther Men
SALINAS - Much like the women's team at Hartnell College, the men are enjoying a fine return to normal competition this fall. The Panthers are undefeated during the 2021 season adn on Friday they added a victory on the home course at the Toro Park Invitational. Facing a field of nine full teams and two of the top individuals not just in the conference and region but the state, the Panthers were able to place six runners in the top ten to record their fourth straight victory.
The men's race was won by Stanford grad student Mile Smith in 20:01, a 1:49/3:51 runner, but the race behind him among the developing runners was one of the best displays of community college racing so far this season. Evan Franco of DeAnza College was the top finisher at the State Meet Preview in week one and Jacob Lawrence of Chabot College was fresh off a 14:53 5000m track debut last week and were joined by a pack of six runners from Hartnell College before heading into the hilsl at Toro Park. Sophomore Isaac Gensel experienced an unfortunate fall in the "alley" and lost valuable seconds just before the most difficult part of the course. With frosh Eli Ainsworth enjoying his best race to date, the Panthers began a charge that saw them move their pack of six into the top eight overall by the finish line. Gensel would rally to finish as the top Panthers in 20:31, just 9 seconds behind a solid performance by Lawrence in 20:22. Ainsworth maintained all the way tot the finish in 20:34. An additional surprise occured right behind Ainsworth as sophomore Francisco Maciel finished fifth in 20:36 beating Franco, a recent 14:48 5000m performer. Marco Perez of San Joaquin Delta would barely split up the Panther top five with his 20:50 as Esteban Deniz (20:52) and Ricky Diaz III (20:55) were right behind. Frosh Mario Avila (21:12) and Daniel Correa (21:44) both cracked the top 14. The Panthers scored their lowest point total of the season with just 24 points. Chabot College was second in 94 points and Central Valley Conference representative Clovis Community College was third with 96.
The Panthers will run their longest race of the season next Friday, October 8 at the Crystal Springs Invitational. The men's community college course in 4.195 miles and is the longest running course history the Panthers have records for.
(Hartnell College Athletics)