Pirate Women Finish Fifth at WSC Preview

The Ventura College women's cross country team finished fifth of 10 participating teams at the Western State Conference preview meet Friday at Kenny Hahn Park in Santa Monica while the VC men came in 10th of 12 teams.  Amanda Gomez and Anthony Rivas led the teams, respectively.

The VC women finished fifth of the 10 competing teams, but a mere three points from the fourth position. Gomez led the team, finishing the 5k course in 20:33, and was followed by Brittany Gonzalez (26th – 21:05), Maria Villalobos (27th – 21:08), Alexi Tolosa (32nd – 21:30), Jordyn Vassaur (37th – 21:45), Brigitte Kiesewetter (41st – 21:54), Megan Kearney (50th – 22:44) and Shannon McDermott (69th – 23:11).

Glendale College (24pts) won the team title, followed by Canyons (40), Bakersfield (114), Citrus (140), VC (143), Santa Barbara (167), Santa Monica (204), Moorpark (217), Oxnard (231) and Cuesta (247).

"The preview always gives us a chance to see who blocks our path to the SoCal Championships in four weeks," said head coach Tony Veney.  "We still have yet to see our top-seven young women or men all performing at their best so I am confident we will be what we need to be by October 24. (when the Pirates host the WSC Cross Country Championships at Arroyo Verde)."

The men needed a top-seven finish to realize their dreams of making it to SoCal, but it was not to be. They placed 10th overall out of 12 teams, only five points from the eighth position. Rivas (39th – 21:33) was the No. 1 runner for the Pirates, chased to the line by Alexis Miron (52nd – 22:02), Thomas McKenna (53rd – 22:03), Brett Bogdanski (56th – 22:12), Sam Boyle (62nd- 22:37), Jaime Luna (72nd – 23:25), Thomas Garcia (73rd – 23:27), Paul Gonzalez (99th – 23:44), Christian Rodriguez (100th – 23:49), Luis Cruz (103rd – 23:55), Vincent Chavez (110th – 24:36), Matthew Medina (112th – 24:42) and Edgar Cerda (124th - 25:32).

Canyons (23pts) won the meet, followed by Glendale (72), Cuesta (81), Santa Barbara (122), Citurs (138), Santa Monica (145), Bakersfield (188), Antelope Valley (257), Moorpark (260), VC (262), Oxnard (306), and West Los Angeles (319) in the men's 4-mile race.

The Pirates will take a short hop north  when they run in the Santa Barbara Invitational on the Ledbetter State Beach Friday October 10. The women's 5k is at 3:00pm while the men's 4-mile goes off at 4:00pm.