Salcedo is Program's First SoCal Regional Champion, Cougars Advance to State Meet
Canyons freshman Danielle Salcedo continued her undefeated 2021 season by winning the CCCAA SoCal Regional Championship with a time of 17:55.1
Story and photo by Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information Director
FOUNTAIN VALLEY — College of the Canyons freshman Danielle Salcedo continued her championship run through the 2021 season on Friday, this time winning the CCCAA Southern California Regional Championship with a time of 17:55.1 to help her team advance to the State Championship meet in Fresno later this month.
The victory makes Salcedo the first CCCAA Southern California Champion in COC women's cross country program history.
She remains undefeated in community college events this season having also won the individual Western State Conference (WSC) championship in her last outing on Nov. 5.
Salcedo's run at Mile Square Regional Park was nearly eight seconds faster than runner up Stina Johansson (18:03.4) of Ventura College. She also topped the time of the CCCAA Northern California Regional Champion Sofia Camacho (19:22.1) by 1:27.
Canyons finished seventh in the women's team standings with a score of 187. Mt. San Antonio College (SAC) won the CCCAA SoCal Regional Championship with a score of 83. Riverside City (122) was the second-place team followed by Glendale College (132) in the third spot. Cerritos (147), Cuesta (174) and San Diego Mesa College (175) followed in the next three spots.
COC freshman Milca Osorio finished in the 21st spot at a pace of 19:46.4, giving the Cougars a big boost.
Freshman Jennifer Thompson made her return to the course at the regional meet, turning in a time of 21:04.5 in her first action in nearly six weeks.
Trinity Winslow's time of 21:15.2 put her in 62nd place in the field of 125 runners.
COC sophomore Sarah Zamudio was the final scorer for the Cougars with a 70th place time of 21:33.1.
Freshman Maylani Perez (96th/23:16.5) did not have her time included in COC's final tally.
Canyons will next run at the CCCAA State Championships being held Saturday, Nov. 20, at Woodward Park in Fresno. Race time is scheduled for 10 a.m.
Salcedo and the Cougars will be vying to bring home the first women's cross country state title in program history. An individual state championship win by Salcedo would also be a women's program first.
Canyons has won individual men's cross country state titles in 1971 (Mike Martinez) and 2015 (Ethan Walker). The men's program also won team state championships in 1975 and 2014.
The women's team finished second at the 2014 CCCAA State Championship meet to represent its best finish in program history.
In 2017, former Cougar Díani Ellis placed fifth overall with a time of 18:32.1 at the same state championship course at Woodward Park. Ellis' time and finish at the state meet represent the current women's cross country program records.
Stay up to date on all this season's action by following the College of the Canyons Athletic department on social media at @COCathletics on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.