Canyons Concludes Season at CCCAA State Championships
COC women’s team was led by sophomore Jessica Ruiz who placed eighth overall with a time of 18:36.4 to earn JC All-American honors.
Fresno, Calif. — The College of the Canyons cross country program concluded its 2016 season with a trip to the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) State Championships held Saturday, Nov. 19, at Woodward Park in Fresno.
The event attracted a combined field of more than 400 runners from 28 schools across the state.
For the second time in as many years, the COC women's team was led by sophomore Jessica Ruiz who placed eighth overall with a time of 18:36.4 to earn JC All-American honors in back-to-back seasons.
That performance helped the Lady Cougars place sixth in the state with a score of 205.
Glendale College (42) won the state championship followed on the podium by second place College of the Sequoias (107), third place Mt. SAC (141), Riverside College (159) and Saddleback College (168).
Freshman Díani Ellis was the second place runner for Canyons, placing 24th overall at a time of 19:12.6. Stephanie Martinez was next for COC in 41st place at a mark of 19:30.1.
Freshman Celine Whitman (20:21.9) and sophomore Chelsea Wells (20:22.8) finished 80th and 82nd, respectively.
Also competing at the event were freshmen Chloe Doherty (21:16.6/127th) and Taylor Hernandez (21:51.5/155th) who did not score for Canyons.
The COC men's team finished the event in 21st with freshman Garrett Noltemeyer turning in the Cougars' best time of the day with his pace of 21:52.9 on the four-mile course to place 86th in the field of more than 200.
Sophomore Jake Higdon (22:03.9) was next in 105th place and freshman Christopher Ochoa (22:17.2) followed in 120th.
Sophomore Mauricio La Plante (22:34) in 145th and freshman Cody Roelofson (23:01.6) in 173rd rounded out the COC top five.
Freshman Jose Damian (23:30.3) and sophomore Matthew De Jesus (23:37.2) also competed for the Cougars.
Riverside (88) won the men's state championship followed by second place Glendale College (112), third place Mt. SAC (120), fourth place Cuyamaca (123), Hartnell (144) and San Bernardino Valley College (190).
