Walnut, Calif. – Racing on one of the toughest cross country courses in the nation — and the one they call home — the Mt. SAC Men's Cross Country Team showcased their skill and depth at the 77th Annual Mt. SAC Cross Country Invitational, capturing first place with an impressive team score of just 20 points.
Facing off against 15 schools and 121 runners on the rigorous 4-mile course, the Mounties wasted no time asserting control. They finished far ahead of the field, with Hartnell in second at 47 points, College of the Sequoias in third with 98, East Los Angeles College in fourth with 134, and El Camino in fifth at 154.
This year's race featured the signature elements of the legendary Mt. SAC Course: the Valley Loop, the Switchbacks, Poop Out Hill, Reservoir Hill, and the Gauntlet. Known nationally for its punishing hills and relentless terrain, the course demands both strategy and strength — and the Mounties rose to the challenge.
With a team time of 1:49:13, Mt. SAC averaged 21:51 per runner (5:28 mile pace) and a five-man gap of 43 seconds.
Leading the charge were Isaac Donis and Alex Figueroa, who crossed the line together in a thrilling photo finish, both with a time of 21:35.7. Donis officially claimed first place overall and 1 team point, while Figueroa was close behind for second overall and 2 points.
Right behind them, Conner Sybrandy secured a fourth-place finish (3 team points) at 21:42.0, solidifying a strong 1-2-3 punch for the Mounties. Lucas Blevins followed in seventh place (5 team points) with a time of 22:00.5, and Ryan Dudley rounded out the scoring five with an 11th-place finish, adding 9 points at 22:18.2.
Also finishing strong in the top seven were Jaden Goetz in 12th place with a time of 22:22.0, and Andrew Silva, who placed 14th at 22:28.5.
NEXT UP:
The Mt. SAC men return to competition at the South Coast Conference Championships on Friday, October 31, aiming to carry this momentum into the postseason.
RESULTS:
https://finishedresults.trackscoreboard.com/meets/13372/events
STAY CONNECTED:
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For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information