Riverside Athletics Week in Review – 9/4/18: Football Dominates in Season Opener, Cross Country Earns Gold

Riverside Athletics Week in Review – 9/4/18: Football Dominates in Season Opener, Cross Country Earns Gold

Football

The Tigers earned their first victory of the season this past Saturday by taking control of El Camino wire-to-wire by the final score of 34-7. The Tigers dominated all facets of the game highlighted by a strong defense and a potent running attack. The Tigers defense kept the Warriors out of the end zone until the last minutes of the fourth quarter. They halted them on all three fourth down conversion attempts and kept them under 300 total yards. Sophomore linebacker Mitchell Agude paced the defense with 10 tackles, while sophomore linebacker Devyn Charles backed him with eight stops. Sophomore defensive back Jean Joseph forced a fumble and had an interception. Sophomore quarterback Stone Smartt put together a strong debut under center by going 13-for-22 through the air leading to 230 yards and a trio of touchdowns. He also rushed for 114 yards on 17 carries. Sophomore running back Malik Walker surpassed the century mark on the ground after earning 20 touches leading to 127 yards and a touchdown. 

Men's & Women's Cross Country

The Riverside City College men's and women's cross country team kicked off their 2018 campaign this past Friday by hitting the trails in Arroyo Verde Park at the Ventura College Invitational. Both sides earned a sizable victory as they each hauled in the gold medal to set the pace for the season.

Men

The men were the only team that saw three competitors land in the top-10. Sophomore and reigning Orange Empire Conference (OEC) Runner of the Year Enrique Villa picked up right where he left off last season with a second place finish. He recorded a finishing time of 22:35.5. Sophomore Austin Dai followed suit by landing in fifth-place with a mark of 23:27.13. Freshman Tyler Graves strung together a solid debut by placing eighth overall at a clip of 23:52.83. Freshman Matthew Lieberman rounded out the top finishers with a 12th place showing coming in at 24:08.72.

Women 

Like the men, the women saw more participants in the top-10 than any other team. Sophomore Sujey Esteva paced the pack of Tigers by recording a team-best mark of 23:21.69 thus earning a fourth-place showing. Freshman Emiliana Merida Cano was nipping at her heels with a fifth-place finish at 23:25.69 in her Tiger debut. Freshman Savannah Dinco experienced a strong inaugural run with eighth-place showing with a time of 24:06.46. Freshman Ariel Martinez finished close behind in 11th place with a time of 24:32.70.

The Tigers will continue action on Friday, September 7 at the Palomar Invitational at Guajome Park in Oceanside, CA.

Women's Volleyball

It was a classic crosstown rivalry for RCC as they earned their first win of the season against the San Bernardino Valley College Wolverines by final scores reading 25-23, 25-25, and 25-14. In a contest where the Tigers displayed strong depth and stern offensive weaponry, it was sophomore outside hitter Kiara Oregon that paced the squad with 10 kills leading to a .222 kill percentage. Freshman Vashti Elias-Romero strung together a well-rounded contest by contributing in multiple categories. She backed Oregon's team high kills mark with seven kills of her own. Additionally, she found the hardwood for three services aces and recorded six digs. Sophomore setter Taylor Gardner facilitated the offense nicely by dishing out 21 assists. She added a trio of service aces to go along with seven digs on the defensive end.

The Tigers will hit their home court for the first time this season by hosting a Wednesday night double header against Citrus and Mt. San Jacinto on September 5th. Game times are set for 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectfully.

Finish on the 50 – 5k!

Riverside Athletics and the Associated Students of Riverside City College (ASRCC) are teaming up to host the inaugural "RCC Athletics Finish on the 50" - 5K race to kick off the 2018-19 athletic seasons. The 5k will begin on the 50-yard line of RCC's Wheelock Stadium - home of the top-ranked Tiger football team. Participants will receive medals, t-shirt, snacks, free ticket to football game, and free game day parking. We'll also have prizes for top finishers, post-race party, music, and more!!! Following the 5K, the Riverside football team will take on defending champion Fullerton College at 6 p.m. for their home opener. Sign up here!

 

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