Mt. SAC women, Cuyamaca men grab 3C2A Cross Country Championships while Cuesta’s Greenelsh sets new course record to win men's race for second time
Complete results l Photos: Awards l Finish Line l Race Course
FRESNO - As forecasted, then proved, the Mt. San Antonio College women’s team dominated the 48th women’s race in the California Community College Athletic Association championships at Fresno’s Woodward Park. The scoreboard proved it - Mounties 50, Orange Coast College 115. On the men's side, Cuyamaca College found the first-place podium for the second time in school history and the first time since 1993 by edging Mt. SAC for top honors.
It was Mt. SAC’s 13th women’s cross country state championship. Of the 48 large school races, 29 have been won by OCC and Mt. SAC. The Mounties were led in scoring by Sophia Ebinar, 9th; Jocelyn Izarraraz-Rodriguez, 10th; Casey McConn, 13th; Kaitlin Reyes, 15th and Ariana Amezcua, 16th.
Winning the women’s individual honors and finishing an undefeated season was SoCal regional champ Maya Natarajan of Moorpark College, who timed Woodward Park’s 3.1-mile course in 17:40.2, eleven seconds better than Jazzlyn Islas of San Diego Mesa, who timed 17:51.5. Islas’ teammate Natalie Allen was third at 18:08.4.
“We were watching the pack after the big hill. I knew that’s when I had to push and make my breakaway,” said Natarajan.
“She’s one of the most coachable runners ever,” said her proud Moorpark coach Traycie Kephart.
“Maya runs with heart, picks up the pace and puts her mind to it,” added Kephart’s assistant coach, Maggie Shearer. A Political Science major, Natarajan hopes to attend law school in the future.
History was made in the 61st men’s 4-mile race when Westin Greenelsh, the defending individual champ from Cuesta College, set a new course record by two tenths of a second at 19:51.0. He also became the first back-to-back winner since OCC’s Humberto Rojas in 2003 and 2004. The only other 3C2A men’s runner to accomplish this was Grossmont’s Ed Mendoza in 1971 and 1972.
“Westin does all the right things and has the fitness to do it. We peaked here,” said Cuesta’s coach Robert Neely.
At the one-mile mark, Greenelsh was fourth in the lead pack. Then there was the hill, which didn’t faze him. At 2-point-8 miles, he was ready.
“At that point, I was leading for a while and felt I could stay in front. I wasn’t looking back,” he said. It worked! And, he outdueled SoCal regional champ Tommy White of Moorpark by 8.4 seconds in a classy finish into 3C2A history. He is considering the possibility of majoring in architecture.
In the men’s season, Riverside, Cerritos and Mt, SAC were dominant. But, state meet director C.J. Albertson was prophetic when he stated Cuyamaca, third at SoCal’s regionals, “...has the personnel to compete for a Woodward win.”
They won it, 90-98 over Mt. SAC! SoCal Regional champ Riverside was 3rd at 154. Cuyamaca’s first state title came in 1993.
The Coyotes were led by three sophomores: Ivan Guzman, 4th; Steven Valadez Jr., 5th; and Dominic Rizzo, 11th. Freshman Daniel Vestemean was 18th and Orlando Carrillo sealed the deal, placing 57th. It appears coach Tim Seaman’s pre-race pep talk was inspirational!
It was a day of history. A day of dominance by a women’s team. A woman runner who completed an undefeated season. A young man who set a course record and did what only two other men have accomplished. A surprise team victory on a sunny November day at Fresno’s Woodward Park.
(Woody Wilk, CCCSIA)