COC Men’s Cross Country Team Best in SoCal, Women Place Third

November 10, 2014

VAN NUYS, Calif. — The men's and women's COC cross country teams competed in the SoCal Championships at Woodley Park in Van Nuys on Nov. 7, with the men's team emerging as Southern California champs.

COC's five-man team turned in a score of 91 to finish ahead of Mt. SAC (121) and San Bernardino Valley College (135).

Sophomore Rodrigo Ornelas placed fifth among the field of more than 200 runners with a time of 20:17.3. Sophomore Grant Stromberg finished in ninth place with a time of 20:26.3 while freshman Ethan Walker finished in 17th at 20:42.2.

Ashton Garcia finished 25th with a time of 20:53 and Jason Hillquist placed 35th at a pace of 21:08. Rounding out the Cougar times were Robert Pion in 38th place at 21:10 and Joel Estrada in 49th place with a time of 21:26.

The COC women's team also ran well, finishing third in the competition with a score of 113, behind second place Mt. SAC (79) and winner Glendale College (61).

Sophomore Dominique Dowell turned in one of her stronger performances of the season, finishing in ninth place with a time of 18:43.4. Freshman Shalyn Mabritto (18:53) and Amanda DeJesus (19:26) would finish 13th and 25th among the field of 177 runners.

Lexi Whitman crossed the finish line at 19:35 to take 32nd and Lizeth Flores finished just a few steps of that pace with a time of 19:37 to take 34th.

As a result, of last week's performance both team's have qualified to compete in the CCCAA Cross Country State Championships in Fresno on Nov. 22.

On Sept. 6 both the men's and women's team raced to first place finishes at the annual Fresno Invitational at Woodpark Park, the same site of the state championship meet.