COMMUNITY COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Irvine Valley Women Win Cross-Country Invitational

The Irvine Valley women’s cross-country team, facing its strongest competition of the season, was more than up to the challenge, winning the Irvine Invitational Friday at Irvine Regional Park.

The Lasers, the top-ranked team in Southern California, won the 19-team field with 88 points. Orange Coast (115) was second and Glendale (134) third.

Emebet Shiferaw of Riverside took the lead early and held a comfortable lead for most of the five-kilometer race. Her winning time was 18 minutes 27 seconds. Githa Hampson of Santa Monica was second in 18:42. Marya Medina of Irvine Valley was third in 18:44.

Kim Foster (19:14) of Golden West was sixth, Adrienne Sweetser (19:19) of Orange Coast eighth, Teresa Vega (19:27) of Fullerton ninth and Erin Remy (19:28) was 10th.

Riverside took the top two places and the men’s title in the same race. Wilhelm Gidabudy out-sprinted teammate Merchoud Abderrazak by a second to win the four-mile race in 19:18. The Tigers won with 68 points.

Rancho Santiago (144) was fifth, Orange Coast (267) eighth and Fullerton (272) 10th.

Darin Rabb (19:34) of Orange Coast, who has won two invitationals this season, was fourth and Fidel Zavala (19:50) of Rancho Santiago was seventh.