(Walnut, CA) After a 4-year hiatus, the CIF Southern Section (CIF SS) Cross Country Championships will return to Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC). With the completion of the new state-of-the-art Hilmer Lodge Stadium Facility, the CIF SS will contest both the championship prelims, scheduled for November 13th (CIF Divisions 2 and 4) and November 14th (CIF Divisions 1, 3 and 5) and the championship finals, scheduled for November 21st, on the historic 3-mile Mt. SAC Course in 2020.
The complete renovation of the historic stadium, which began in 2016, necessitated the move of the event to the Riverside Cross Country Course (Riverside, CA) for the past 4 years.
“I want to thank Rainer Wulf (CIF SS Assistant Commissioner of Athletics) and Rob Wigod (CIF SS Commissioner of Athletics), for allowing us to once again host the CIF Southern Section Cross Country Championships,” replied Mt. SAC Athletics Special Events Director Doug Todd. “Many of the changes to facility were made with the CIF needs in mind and we are excited to continue our longstanding partnership.”
The new stadium was completed in early 2020 without any change to the historic course layout, however numerous facility upgrades were made.
New cross country facility upgrades include: warm-up track/artificial turf field, start line grass slope viewing area, increased number of permanent restroom facilities, ticketing venue, team packet distribution area, parking facility, resurfaced asphalt (Airstrip, Corridor), improved accessibility for individuals with disabilities and two pedestrian bridges to help spectator flow in the facility.
The two bridges, will allow guests to cross over critical points of the course without delay or affecting ongoing races. The first bridge crosses the Gauntlet (last stretch of course before finish line) and connects the stadium to the warm-up/practice facility, while the second bridge crosses the Corridor, connecting the warm-up/practice facility with the lower parking lot/Valley Loop portion of the course.
To view the complete CIF Southern Section Release on the Cross Country Championships returning to Mt. SAC, please CLICK HERE.
About the historic Mt. SAC Cross Country Course
For over seven decades the historic Mt. SAC Cross Country Course has challenged generations of runners over its’ famed course landmarks including the Air Strip (former runway for Mt. SAC Airplanes), Valley Loop, Corridor, Switchbacks, Poop Out Hill, Reservoir Hill, Saddle and Gauntlet. The flexible distance course annually hosts the renown Mt. SAC Cross Country Invitational, Footlocker West Regional Cross Country Championships and CIF Southern Section Cross Country Championships.
For more information, please contact the Mt. SAC Special Events Office at specialevents@mtsac.edu