(Walnut, CA) The 2021 Fall sports season has been the most successful one in Mt. San Antonio College history. The Mounties came away with four CCCAA State Championships, three individual state champions, one state runner-up, a state semifinalist, a post-season bowl winner, three So Cal Regional team appearances, and an individual state appearance.
With the three state titles, the Mounties now have a total of 80 team championships, with 53 captured since 2000.
Eight of the nine Fall teams advanced out of their respective post-season conference playoffs into the CCCAA SoCal Regionals.
Men's Soccer
- State Champions!
- Final record = 19-2-2
- South Coast Conference Runner-Up
The men's soccer team, under the direction of Coach Juan Sanchez, won its sixth state title in the last 12 years with a thrilling finish.
Making their 11th state tournament appearance in the last 12 years, the No. 1 South Seed Mounties took the championship with a late goal (in stoppage time) to defeat No. 1 North Seed Hartnell, 2-1, at Mt. SAC's home soccer complex.
Mt. SAC reached the title game with five wins in the CCCAA post-season and scored 14 goals, while allowing five.
The Mounties opened the scoring in the championship game with a goal by forward Travis Piceno in the 37th minute. Hartnell scored a late goal in regular time in the second half (75th), to tie it, 1-1. That was followed by the game-winner from forward Edward Castro in stoppage time.
Castro, who scored his team-leading 14th goal, scored on a header after a cross from the right side.
Wrestling (Undefeated)
- State Champions (Individual and duals)
- Final record = 12-0
- SCWA Southwest Champions
For the first time in school history, the team won the state individuals after concluding a perfect season.
The Mounties, under 11th-year….. coach David Rivera, won all six tournaments they entered and won their third State Dual title.
In addition, Mt. SAC won the So Cal team dual and individual championships.
In addition to the team titles, the state championships at Cerritos College saw Mt. SAC came away with five finalists, which included two individual titles.
In the 133 Lb. weight class, Mt. SAC had both wrestlers in the championship match. Appropriately enough, it was No. 1 South, David Saenz versus No. 2 South, Jason Valencia.
Valencia, who was in a close match leading 7-6 with his teammate and close friend, scored three takedowns in the third period to win the title.
At 149, No. 1 South Juan Lopez fell to No. 1 North Lupe Ayon of West Hills.
Mt. SAC sophomore Wetzel Hill, No. 1 South and undefeated all season at 174 Lbs., had a close match leading 3-2 late, but clinched the championship with a late takedown with five seconds to go. Wetzel finished sixth in the 2019 state championships.
Nate Kendricks, 197 Lbs. (No. 1 South), was the fifth and final Mountie in the finals. He finished as state runner-up.
Women's Cross Country
- State Champions
- South Coast Conference Champions
For the 10th time in program history, the women's cross country team has captured the CCCAA State Championship.
It was the first since 2017 for the Mountie women and first for coach Giovanni Lanaro.
Their No. 1 state ranking put them on a pedestal which they never relinquished.
Along the way, the Mounties won four invitationals, including the prestigious Mt. SAC Invitational in mid-October.
They concluded the season with a South Coast Conference title and a CCCAA So Cal Championship.
Leading the way for the Mounties at Woodward Park in Fresno was freshman Hannah Brown, who finished fourth in the state meet with a time of 18:40 in the 5,000 meter race. But the key the championship was the last mile when the Mounties went ahead of No. 2-ranked Hartnell.
Mt. SAC (63 pts.) finished 16 points ahead of second-place Hartnell, which finished with a score of 79 points.
Men's Cross Country
- State Runner-up
- South Coast Conference Champions
For an incredible 14th time, the Mt. SAC Men's Cross Country team has finished second in the California Community College Athletic Association Championships at Woodward Park in Fresno. They have won the state title three times (1989, '17, '18).
However, the Mt. SAC runners can brag about sophomore Daniel Abdala, who set a new Woodward Park record as he won the CCCAA State Individual title with an incredible time of 19:52.
Mt. SAC (66) came up a mere 16 points short of the title, as four-time state winner San Diego Mesa finished with 50 points.
Along with Abdala, freshman Jesus Alvarado finished with an All-American status for his fifth-place in the state meet.
Women's Soccer
- State Semifinalist
- Final record = 16-3-6
- South Coast Conference Runner-Up
An incredible second consecutive banner season by the women's soccer team ended with a semifinalist appearance, just missing the state title game.
Coach Juan Sanchez took over the team in 2019 and has seen great improvement in the program in just a short time.
After a loss in the 2019 CCCAA So Cal second round, the Mountie women went two steps further and advanced to the state final four. It was the first time since the 1995 season when they won their second state title that they played in the state tournament.
Mt. SAC, seeded No. 1 in the South, fell to North No. 1 Hartnell, 2-1.
Trailing, 2-0 in the first half, the Mounties made a valiant effort with a late comeback, scoring a goal in the 89th minute in the right side of the net by sophomore midfielder Jacquelynn, to trail, 2-1. Assisting on the goal was freshman midfielder, Kaylee Gutierrez.
The team had an incredible 19-game unbeaten streak beginning in September up until the final game.
Women's Golf
- State Finalist (Katerina Cervantes)
Cervantes, a freshman, became the seventh golfer in the last sixth competitive seasons for the Mounties to represent Mt. SAC at the CCCAA State Championships as an individual.
Six women have represented the Mounties in the state since coach Greg Osbourne became coach in 2015.
Cervantes, who shot a 2-over-Par 74 for the fourth-best of the 59 golfers on day 1, ended up 13th overall after the two-day tournament.
Football
- Patriot Bowl
- Final record = 8-3
- National Central League (4th Place)
Mt. SAC played in its 13th CCCAA Bowl game and won an overtime thriller, 34-28, over Fullerton in the Mounties new Hilmer Lodge Stadium.
Mt. SAC, with only one loss in the 13 bowl games through the years, scored in the second overtime on a touchdown reception by sophomore tight end Bryce Pierre from quarterback Alex Flores. The freshman signal-caller was named MVP of the game.
Mt. SAC, which won four of its last five games, finished with an 8-3 record.
Coach Robert Jastrab has led the Mounties to three state titles in his 16 years.
Women's Volleyball
- CCCAA Regional 1st Round
- Final record = 20-7
- South Coast Conference Runner-Up
After one of the most successful seasons in the last 10 years, the Mt. SAC Women's Volleyball team advanced to the first round of the CCCAA Southern California Regional.
The Mounties, who lost to Orange Coast, 3-2, in a five-set marathon match recorded the most wins since the 2011 season when they advanced to the So Cal second round.
Beginning her first full season as head coach, Samantha Neely led the team to six consecutive wins to begin the season, and late in the season they won 14 of their last 15 matches.
The Mounties also were ranked in the top 15 in the state most of the season, reaching a high mark on No. 7 in the Nov. 1 CCCWVCA poll.
In addition, Mt. SAC freshman setter Ally Euston was named CCCWVCA State Player of the Week in the South in week 11.
Men's Water Polo
- CCCAA Regional 1st Round
- Final record = 12-17
- South Coast Conference 3rd Place
The Mt. SAC Men's Water Polo team advanced to its 20th appearance in the last 25 years in the CCCAA Southern California Regional playoffs this past season.
The Mounties, who won eight of their last 13 games, and five in a row in early October, qualified for the SoCal's with a third-place finish in the South Coast Conference.
Mt. SAC, which took an early, 2-1 lead in the opening period, fell to Grossmont, 13-8, in the first round of the SoCal's to end its season.
Freshman utility player Luke Noblett finished 17th in the state in scoring with 83 goals.
Finishing second and third, respectively, for the Mounties in scoring were freshman 2-meter player Aidan Murphy with 65 goals and utility Adam Dow with 65.
Freshman goalkeeper Noah Stark led the team with 12 wins.
Women's Water Polo
- CCCAA Regional 1st Round
- Final record = 12-18
- South Coast Conference 3rd Place
For the seventh time in the last eight years, the Mt. SAC Women's Water Polo team qualified for the CCCAA Southern California Regional playoffs.
The Mounties, who soundly defeated El Camino, 10-1, in the South Coast Conference third-place game had previously advanced as far as the quarterfinals from 2013 to 2018 in the SoCal's.
With a balanced scoring attack this season, the Mounties were led by three, 30-plus goal scorers – Xen Allen (38), Alexis Ramirez (35) and Ketelynn Howell (31).
In goal, Kelly Jackson and Jahanna Palmer split time for the Mounties throughout the season.
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For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630.