Northridge Men 2nd in AWC Cross-Country Championships

Javier Ramirez, Brian Godsey and John Greene placed fourth, fifth and sixth to pace the Cal State Northridge men’s team to a second-place finish in the American West Conference cross-country championships Saturday in Cedar City, Utah.

Ramirez, a freshman from Nordhoff High, timed 26:34 over the 8,000-meter course at Cedar Ridge Golf Course. Northridge totaled 54 points. Southern Utah, paced by the 1-3 finish of Curtis Moore and Zak James, won with 32 points.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal State Sacramento finished third and fourth with 61 and 73.

Godsey, a senior, timed 26:40 and Greene, a freshman, clocked 26:47 for Northridge, which was fourth in last year’s race.

The Matador women, on the other hand, struggled.

Sophomore Jamie Whitmore placed third with a time of 19:46 over the 5,000-meter course, but she was the only Northridge runner in the top 13.

The Matadors placed third with 73 points. San Luis Obispo took five of the top seven places to easily defend its team title with 19 points. Southern Utah was second with 64 and Sacramento placed fourth at 85.

Senior Lori Miller (20:52), freshman Ellen Muench (21:08) and sophomore Andrea Bruins (21:09) finished 14th, 16th and 17th for Northridge, second in last year’s meet.