Panthers Return to Crystal Springs With Success
It has been three years since the Hartnell College men's and women's cross country teams last competed on the historic Crystal Springs course in Belmont. With a whole new crew running the famed hills, the outcome remained the same with both men's and women's teams victorious in a small affair. The meet served as a last opportuntity for the Panthers to practice grouping before heading south to the Mt. SAC Invitational on Friday, October 15th.
The women's race pitted Hartnell's top runners Valeria Lozano-Gomez and Sofia Camacho against De Anza newcomer Mannat Gill. Camacho got the best of both at least week's Toro Park Invitational and with Lozano-Gomez taking the win back on September 10th at the Norcal Preview. The pair changed their normal front running style and found themselves in a pack a three heading into the last 1200 meters of the course. An untimely rolled ankle on the long downhill after the two mile mark pulled Camacho out of contention for the win but she would hold on for third in a personal best 19:17. Gill would get just enough ahead to take her first victory over the duo with Lozano-Gomez notching a fine 18:55 debut on the course. The time moved her to fifteenth fastest in program history. Behind them, Andrea Villegas would place fourth in 19:32. The Panthers were without freshman Karla Herrera for the second consecutive week but the foursome of Mariah Changco, Faith Mora, Ashley Ochoa, and Jazmin Mora all stepped up in her absence. The four would place eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh and be seperated by only seven seconds to secure the team win for Hartnell. The Panthers would score 24 points to easily beat DeAnza with 35 points, the Mountain Lions the only other scoring full team in the meet. Monterey Peninsula College transfer Daniela Ramirez finished twelfth in a new personal best 20:56.
In the men's race, the Panthers would cover their longest distance this season running over the 4.195 version of the course. Facing Evan Franco of De Anza College, the Panthers employed a different tactic refusing to set the opening pace despite the fast downhill first half mile. With nearly the whole field running as group, the pace did not pick up until after 2miles. When the pack emerged at 3 miles, eight Panthers remained within striking distance of Franco, a 14:48 5000m performer. Franco would pull away over the final 1000m but not before five Panthers cemented themselves in the top six overall. Ricky Diaz III would be the highest placing Panther in second (22:33) followed by Esteban Deniz (22:41), Daniel Correa (22:46), Jose Velazquez (22:50) and Francisco Maciel (22:52). One lone runner from MPC broke up a pack of ten Panthers that were only seperated by 49 seconds. The Hartnell men scored just 20 points, their lowest total so far this season, to easily outdistanced second place De Anza and Monterey Peninsula who both scored 71 points.
The Panthers are currently ranked first in Northern California and are tied with socal powerhouse Mt. SAC for the top spot in the CCCAA state rankings. The two teams will go head to head next Friday at the Mt. SAC Invitational.