Giants hold off Panthers with near-record score for NorCal women's cross country title

SALINAS, Calif. - In one of the most exciting women's Northern California Cross Country Championships in recent memory, College of Sequoias repeated as team champions on Friday but were chased closely by early season CCCAA top-ranked Hartnell College.

 

The Giants were victorious thanks to the second-lowest team score in regional championship history and the second-fastest individual women's performance at Toro Park. Their team score of 35 points is second only to their 2016 score of 30 points recorded at Sierra College. Hartnell College produced the fifth-lowest team score in regional championship history with 41 points and what undoubtedly is the lowest non-winning team score as well. Sequoias sophomore Alyssa Block missed the course record of 17:26, held by Miriam Schmidt of Cabrillo College, by just 2 seconds, but bested the field by over 90 seconds. Her time of 17:28 was 58 seconds faster than Block ran on Oct. 6 at the Norcal Preview Meet. 

The Giants used an aggressive first 1.6 miles prior the hills on the course to place four runners into the top five overall with their fifth competitor close behind in 13th place. Hartnell College attempted to counter with seven in the top 14, leaving only eventual Norcal runner-up Talia Swangler of Butte College and Mariah Smither of College of the Redwoods as the lone runners not from COS or Hartnell in the top 14 early in the race.

 

At the finish, Block would cross first with teammates Jewel Jasson (19:21) in third, Antonia Lozano (19:33) in fifth, Elizabeth Sartuche (19:48) in ninth, and Lidia Briseno (20:06) in 17th. The Panthers countered with freshmen Arlene DiazLeal (19:30) in fourth, Maria Aceves (19:37) in sixth, Lauryn Orozco (19:45) in eighth and Monica Ruelas (19:54) in 11th. Hartnell sophomore Olivia Jimenez (19:55) would complete the Panther scoring in 12th.