Garcia, Nelson to Lead Glendale in Cross-Country Championships

Defending state champion Hugo Allan Garcia and Glendale College teammate Robert Nelson head a strong Vaquero contingent in the Southern California junior college cross-country championships today at Morley Field in San Diego’s Balboa Park.

The top five teams qualify. In addition, as many as 15 runners who are not members of the qualifying teams and finish among the top 35 can advance to next week’s state meet in Rocklin, which is about 20 miles northeast of Sacramento.

Riverside, powered by its Zimbabwean trio of Gray Mavhera, Muchaipwa Mazano, and Passmore Furusa, is favored to win the team title in the men’s four-mile race, which will start at 10 a.m.

Mt. San Antonio, led by Suzanne Castruita, is the team favorite in the women’s 5,000-meter race, which will begin at 11.

In the women’s race, both Glendale and Moorpark have a good chance of qualifying for next week’s state championships.