Canyons Cross Country Ready to Run in 2023

By Mari Kneisel/COC Sports Information   

College of the Canyons will step up to the start line of the 2023 cross country season Friday, Sept. 1 at the Moorpark College Invitational with both the men's and women's teams taking on their first course of the year

Canyons will be chasing last year's accomplishments with each having qualified for the 2022 CCCAA SoCal Regionals, before the women's ran at the state championship meet.. The women's squad also finished third at the Western State Conference (WSC) Championships, while the men's team placed seventh.

The Lady Cougars' run at the SoCal Regionals propelled the program to its ninth consecutive appearance at the CCCAA State Championship meet, all coming under head coach Lindie Kane. The team worked for a 14th place finish at the event. 

The lone returner on the women's side in 2023, Emily Cruz heads the sophomore class and brings important state championship meet experience. Last season she clocked a time of 21:29.4 to finish 86th in the field of 155. The program now welcomes a new class of freshman including Katelyn Catu, Kaiya Cortinas, Emily Fairbanks and Emily Valdez. 

Returning for the 2023 season on the men's side, the Cougars will see Sam Regez, Jerome Hughes, Juan Jimenez-Rojas, Fernando Osorio, Elijah Dixon, Cesar Tobar and Isaac Wilkinson all back in action for a second go round. COC also welcomes new recruits Diego Sanchez out of Alemany High School and Nathaniel Wilkinson coming from Hart High School.

Regez was the lone Cougar on the men's side to qualify for the 2022 State Championships where he worked for a four-mile time of 22.19.5, crossing the line as the 101st runner out of the field of 176 at the Woodward Park course in Fresno, CA.

Moorpark College Invitational races begin 9 a.m. at the Arroyo Vista Community Park.

Canyons then competes at the Oxnard College Invitational on Sept. 8, followed by the 3C2A Southern California Preview meet on. Sept. 15 at El Dorado East Regional Park in Long Beach.

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 X, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.