Glendale Community College cross-country teams earn top-five finishes
Dominance by the Glendale Community College women’s cross-country team was ended Friday morning at the Southern California Cross-Country Championships.
The Vaqueros’ streak of three straight SoCal titles was broken by rival Mt. San Antonio College, which won the crown with 77 points, while Glendale finished fourth with 126 points at Santa Clarita’s Central Park.
Glendale’s men dropped two spots from last year’s third-place standing, taking fifth with 180 points. Mt. SAC finished off a sweep with 34 points for the victory.
For the Glendale women, the result is momentous as it marks the first time in 12 years the Vaqueros finished outside the top three in Southern California and did not merit any hardware given to top-three teams.
During the last 10 years, the program had won seven titles and taken second three times.
“We missed getting a trophy and that was the big thing,” Glendale coach Eddie Lopez said. “Our streak ended. We were going for 13 and it didn’t happen.”
Sophomore Angelica Salas, who ran despite an injured toe, led the way for the Vaqueros as she took 10th with a mark of 19 minutes, 39.5 seconds on the 5-kilometer course in a race won by Los Angeles Harbor’s Brenda Rosales (18:39.6).
Glendale High alumna Nona Boyajyan was Glendale’s No. 2 runner and placed 19th in 20:04.2.
Glendale’s final three scorers consisted of Jennifer Cazares (23rd, 20:09.4), Agnesa Kirakosian (28th, 20:23.3) and Daisy Romero (50th, 21:00.3).
“We just didn’t have it today,” Lopez said. “I thought we were ready, but I always think we’re ready. We had some injuries and we just didn’t do it.
“When you have your fifth runner in 50th, that’s not going to do it at all.”
On the men’s side, a disqualification cost Glendale as the team was dropped a spot to fifth place with 180 points, while San Bernardino Valley moved up to fourth (160 points).
“I’m not happy because we were actually fourth,” Lopez said. “Our third runner got disqualified because he cut the course, but everyone was cutting the course and they disqualified our guy.”
Sophomore Raymond Lopez finished with Glendale’s best effort in either race by taking third with a mark of 21:10.7 on the 4-mile course. Mt. SAC’s Manuel Fernandez won the title in 20:26.9.
“We came in looking to qualify [to state] and not really do anything too spectacular,” Raymond Lopez said. “You just let the legs do what they have to do.”
Crescenta Valley High alumnus Philip Thomas was Glendale’s No. 2 finisher, placing 13th in 21:25.5.
Carlos Rivera (36th, 22:14.2) added a top-50 effort for the Vaqueros.
Friday’s results were an about-face from when Glendale ran the course at the SoCal Preview Meet on Sept. 15.
The women won and the men took second.
“A lot of things happen in two months,” Eddie Lopez said. “Angie has her toe issues and [Cazares] has hamstring issues and with the guys we had problems, too.
“We’re not done, but we need to heal up and get ready for state.”
Despite whatever disappointment, the Glendale men and women still qualified to the season-ending California Community College Athletic Assn. State Championships at Fresno’s Woodward Park on Saturday, Nov. 18.
