(Salem, OR) In 2017, the Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) Men's Cross Country team took the top spot in the 43rd Annual Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational. Their recent return to the 48th edition of this prestigious event in Salem, Oregon, saw them come close to achieving another victory, falling just three points short.

A standout performance by Mt. SAC's freshman, Matthew Donis, saw him claim the first position among a field of 163 runners in the challenging 8K race, clocking in at an impressive, 23 minutes, 37.8 seconds. Donis, who had previously won the Oxnard Invite in September, showcased his remarkable pace, with an average of 4 minutes and 45.2 seconds per mile.

The invitational was ultimately won by Eastern Oregon University with 77 points, with the Mounties finishing a close second with 79 points. It's worth noting, however, that Mt. SAC outperformed all seven community colleges in the race.

The difference in the race was four of the five Eastern Oregon runners finishing in the top 20, while the Mounties had only three.

After Donis, freshman Johnathon Zavala secured the 5th position with a time of 24 minutes and 31.6 seconds, while sophomore Andres Chavez finished 19th among the top 20 competitors, completing the race in 25 minutes and 8.2 seconds.

The Mountie runners and their respective positions were: Joel Fischer in 25th (25:12.8), Jordan Galindo in 29th (25:14.6), Louis Torres in 33rd (25:20.8), and Aidan Gomez in 45th (25:40.5).

Next up, the Mounties will be participating in the Manny Bautista Invite, an event hosted by San Diego Mesa College at Liberty Station in San Diego, taking place on Friday, October 6.

Follow Mt. SAC Cross Country on Twitter @MtSAC_XC

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Please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630 for additional information.