(Fresno, CA) The #1 ranked Mt. SAC Women's Cross Country Team, lived up to the high expectations by capturing the 2021 California Community College Athletic Association Cross Country Championship, today (11/20) in Fresno, at Woodward Park. The Mounties patiently waited until the last mile, to surge ahead of #2 ranked and runner-up Hartnell College. The Mounties scored 63 points to defeat Hartnell (79 points) and third place Riverside City College (130 points).
"The most impressive thing about this team was the sacrifice everyone gave individually to make the team better in the end," replied Head Coach Giovanni Lanaro. "I am most proud of how they came together, believed in each other and believed in the program to make this championship happen."
The Mounties lead runner was Hannah Brown who placed 4th overall with a time of 18:40 over the 5,000 meter (3.1 mile) Woodward Park Course. The tight "pack" of Amanda Crowell (18th place, 19:18), Kaitlyn Atkinson (19th place, 19:23), Gisell Vera (21st place, 19:24) and Kimberly Pena (22nd place, 19:25), finished ahead of Hartnell's fourth runner and was the difference that earned the Mounties the title. Karla Galvan (27th place, 19:39) and Jessica Mojarro (43rd place, 20:03) rounded out the Mt. SAC Team.
The championship title marked the 10th state championship for the Women's Cross Country Team, the first cross country title for Head Coach Giovanni Lanaro and the 77th state championship title in Mt. SAC Athletics History. It also marked the 50th state championship for Mt. SAC Athletics since 2000. Ironically, Lanaro was an individual state champion and member of the 2000 State Championship winning Men's Track and Field Team.
Congratulations to coaches Giovanni Lanaro, Daniel Ozan , Nico Jaregui and Christina Cortez and the Women's Cross Country Team for an incredible 2021 season.
COMPLETE RESULTS
https://runsignup.com/Race/Results/41074#resultSetId-289409;perpage:100
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For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630.