Tigers Flirt with Podium Finish, Land Two in Top-10 at State Championships
After a year absence from competition, the Riverside City College men's cross country team competed at the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) State Championships on Saturday morning in Fresno, CA at Woodward Park. It was familiar territory for the Tigers as they are no stranger to the course, but were slightly edged from a podium appearance.
Riverside placed fourth overall at the state meet after missing the podium by a mere two points. San Diego Mesa (50) took home first place, while Mt. San Antonio (66) and Hartnell (91) finished second and third, respectively. Riverside finish with 93 points and pair of runners in the top-10.
Finishing atop the Tiger pack once again was sophomore and Orange Empire Conference (OEC) Male Runner of the Year and Individual Champion Abel Ramos. He finished seventh overall with a time of 20:24.7 and an impressive 5:06 mile pace.
Sophomore Mario Tavares was right behind Ramos by rounding out the field's top-10 with a mark of 20:29.9 and a mile pace of 5:07. Freshman Gavyn Condit landed in the top-25 with a 23rd place finish at a time of 20:50.0. Freshman Isaac Umana ran a strong race, one of his best of the season, and finished with a time of 20:53.3. to land him in 28th place.
Freshman Raen Reyes rounded out the top finishers for Riverside with a mark reading 21:00.1. to put him in 30th place.
Riverside finishes their season with five podium appearances and two fourth-place finishes. They reigned supreme at the OEC Championships and the Titan Invitation, while placing third at the Southern California Regional Championships.