Tigers Take Third Overall at CBU-hosted Lancer Invite Friday

RIVERSIDE -- Lifting the lid on its 2016 season as a "visiting" team on its home course, the Riverside City College (RCC) Tigers men's cross country team posted a third-place finish overall in the Lancer Invitational which was hosted by California Baptist University (CBU) on the Riverside City Cross Country Course Friday afternoon (Sept. 2).

The Riverside City Cross Country Course is located adjacent to and behind the Riverside City Fire Department Station at 1077 Orange Street, north of downtown Riverside.

In addition to CBU, Azusa Pacific University (APU), Concordia University-Irvine (CUI), Fresno Pacific University (FPU) and Cerritos College also participated in the 6.0-kilometer race which began at 5:45 p.m.

In the team standings, host CBU finished first (20 points), followed by FPU (55), RCC (81), APU (7), CUI (124), and Cerritos (142). CBU senior Valentin Robert won the race with a time of 18:59.

"Against (NCAA) Division II competiton, our guys did great," beamed 11th-year RCC head men's cross country coach Jim McCarron. "Rolando Phalen and Terry Jackson ran well after having back injuries last season."

As expected, RCC sophomore Joshua Silva (Corona / Corona HS '15) led the Tigers with a 11th-place finish (19:25), a ten-place improvement from the same race last season when he finished 21st overall (19:50.56). Silva went on to earn all-America honors (top 14 finishers) with his tenth-place finish (20:49.2) at the CCCAA Championships last season.

The next five RCC finishers were as follows: sophomore Rolando Phalen (Riverside / M.L. King HS '15), who was 14th overall (19:40), sophomore Michael Simpson (Moreno Valley / Canyon Springs HS '15), who was 15tyh overall (19:47), freshman Michael Robinson (Riverside / M.L. King HS '16), who was 19th overall (19:58), Terry Jackson (Riverside / John W. North HS '16), who was 22nd overall (20:03), and freshman Ricardo Cardenas (Riverside / John W. North HS '16), who was 30th overall (20:25).

At least two RCC sophomores were impressed with their finishes Friday.

"I'm ahead of last year's pace as I had a 30-second improvement," said Silva.

Simpson was equally pleased. "I ran much better this year (40-second improvement). I'm at peace with myself."

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