Hartnell Men Claim Top-3 Finish at NorCal Championship

It has been 36 years since the Northern California Championship was held on the course at Woodward Park and the Hartnell College men's cross country team looked forward to having a preview of the course just two weeks in advance of the 3C2A State Championship. After placing fourth in 2024, this year's squad was able to earn their fourteenth top 3 trophy in the last nineteen years. 

Sophomore Julian Vargas played his regional champion card with an aggressive first mile in 4:45 and carried that momentum through two miles in 9:59, the only runner covering the first half of the course in under 10 minutes. Unfortunately, Vargas felt an injury developing at the 2.5 mile mark and had to let off the gas slowly dramatically over the final two miles. He would fall back to eighth overall in 21:17 by the finish line, the same time he produced back on September 6 at the Preview Meet. Sophomore Alvaro Ruelas had his best race of his final Hartnell season moving up from eighth at the 3.03 mile to fourth overall in a lifetime best 21:06, picking up his second All-Region honors. That mark moves Ruelas into the top 25 all-time at Woodward Park. Sophomore Gabriel Clemente had a much better regional performance compared to his freshman year, this time moving up to 18th overall in 21:39. Competing in his first regional championship race, fellow sophomore Ivan Martinez-Galindo was steady in 22nd overall in 21:44. Freshman Giovanni Ochoa was 23rd just one second back in 21:45 to complete the team scoring.  Last year's top 14 All-Region runner Giancarlo Mendo had an off day finishing 25th in 21:52.  Sophomore Leyder Hernandez used his first regional race to run 22:23, finishing 38th overall. 

The Hartnell College men's cross country team will compete next at the 3C2A State Cross Country Championship held also at Woodward Park in Fresno on Saturday, November 22.