Women Finish Program Best Third at 2015 WSC Championships
Whittier, CA -- The Citrus College Women's Cross Country team came through with the program's best ever team finish in a Western State Conference Championship event on Friday afternoon. The Owls bested the fourth place finish by the 2000 squad, by coming in third place, edging fourth place Cuesta College by six points.
Sophomore Lezly Morales was the leader of the pack at Legg Lake finish the course in 20th place individually with a time of 19:53.58. Sophomore Janet Meza-Avila was behind her in 26th place overall and a time of 20:16.87, while sophomore Antonella Curinga was just steps behind her in 28th place overall and a time of 20:23.55. The fourth Owl in across the finish line was sophomore Nataly Meza-Avila who posted a time of 20:37.64 and a 36th place finish. Rounding out the top five scoring runs was sophomore Andrea Flores who placed 40th individually with a time of 20:50.24.
As a team, the Owls posted a total of 126 points behind Glendale College and College of the Canyons who literally ran away with first and second places respectively. The Owls did just nip fourth place Cuesta by a total of six points and fifth place Bakersfield by nine to hold on for the best ever program finish, automatically advancing the Owls as a team to the 2015 Southern California Regionals.
On the men's side, things didn't go as well for Citrus. Sophomore Daniel Hernandez-Cabrera was the lone Owl to secure an individual berth to SoCals after finishing 19th place individually with a time of 20:44.47. Sophomores Andres Aparicio (48th place | 21:22.54) and Emmanuel Mercado (52nd place | 21:30.80) were the next two Owls through the gate, while sophomore Juan Cruz (65th place | 21:54.33) and freshman Azgad Valle (68th place | 21:58.72) had the final two scoring races for Citrus.
As a team the Owls finished in 10th place. Hernandez-Cabrera was the only male Owl to earn an automatic berth to the SoCals, but that could change pending the results of the final three conference finals which will take place next weekend.
The women and Hernandez-Cabrera will all be participating in the 2015 Southern California Championships on Friday November 6th. The women's race is scheduled to get things started at 11:00 AM at Tecolote Shores in Mission Bay Park in San Diego, CA.
