Preview: Men’s & Women’s Cross Country Set for CCCAA State Championships
The Riverside City College men's and women's cross country teams have competed at a high level this season and it has clearly shown. After both squads hauled in Orange Empire Conference (OEC) Championships – third straight for the men and fourth straight for the women – they are set to compete at the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) State Championships in Fresno, CA at Woodward Park this Saturday, November 18th.
The Tigers reached the state championships by placing in the top seven in the Southern California Regional meet on Friday, November 3rd at Central Park in Santa Clarita, CA. The men finished second overall with a time of 1:48:01, while the women placed seventh with a clip of 1:41:55.
The men earned the fifth-best time when comparing the Northern Regional and Southern Regional by a slim margin.
The men look to haul in their second-straight state title after reigning supreme in 2016. Freshman Enrique Villa, who was recently named OEC Runner of the Year, placed fourth overall at the SoCal Regionlas with a time of 21:15.0 that included an average mile time of 5:18.8. Villa has placed in the top-five in the past three meets.
Sophomore Sarah Hollis paces Riverside as arguably one of the strongest female runners in California. The Division-I Cal State Fullerton commit and the OEC Female Runner of the Year placed second at the SoCal Regional with an overall mark of 19:05.8 which encompassed an average mile time of 6:08.8. Hollis has landed on the podium in seven-consecutive meets and looks to haul in her fourth gold medal at state.