Negrete, Munoz and Gonzalez Gain All-OEC Honors as Tigers Take Third Place

FULLERTON -- With a trio of runners gaining all-conference honors, the Riverside City College (RCC) Tigers men's cross country squad posted a third-place finish at the Orange Empire Conference (OEC) championships at Craig Park (hosted by Fullerton College) in Fullerton Friday (Oct. 31).

The Orange Coast College (OCC) Pirates won the conference crown (32 points), followed by the second-place Saddleback College Gauchos (46 points) over the four-mile course. Riverside finished third (67 points).

Rounding out the team scoring were the host Fullerton College (FC) Hornets (107 points, fourth place), followed by the Santiago Canyon College (SCC) Hawks (119 points, fifth place), and the Santa Ana College (SAC) Dons (165 points, sixth place).

Orange Coast sophomore Lucio Ramirez led the way with an impressive run to win the men's individual OEC title (19:59.2). Finishing in second place was Saddleback's Ulysses Orozco (20:22.8). Brandon Ferguson of Orange Coast took third (20:29.2), Brandon Velsaco of Fullerton placed fourth (20:31.8), and Eamon Smythe of Orange Coast placed fifth overall (20:34.2) out of 76 total runners.

Leading the way for RCC was sophomore Doug Negrete (Chino / La Verne-Damien '13), who was eighth overall (21:01.2). Next was freshman Anthony Munoz (Riverside / La Sierra '14), who was ninth overall (21:07.8), and freshman Dennis Gonzalez (Cathedral City / Cathedral City '14), who was 14th overall (21:17.7). All three RCC runners earned all-OEC honors (and are pictured).

Next for Riverside were freshman Julio Martinez (Eastvale / Eleanor Roosevelt '14), who was 17th for the Tigers (21:24.9), freshman Jeronimo Brito (Corona / La Sierra '14), who was 19th overall (21:26.6), and freshman Heliodoro Rodriguez, who was 21st overall (21:42.2).

The Tigers next compete at the Southern California Championships at Woodley Park in Encino on Friday, Nov. 7, at 10 a.m.

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