Men’s Cross Country Kicks Off Season against NCAA Competitors
After nearly two years without competition, the Riverside City College men's cross country team was ready to toe the line at the Redlands Invitational on Saturday morning. The Tigers competed against a trio of Division III competitors and placed third overall.
The Redlands Invitational has acted as the season-opener for Riverside the past three seasons. This year, a new course map handed the Tigers a new challenge.
A new look course map brought the runners around the campus of the University of Redland beginning on the track, circling around the baseball field, soccer field and around past the aquatic center. It eventually finished back on the track.
RCC's top runner Mario Tavares placed eighth overall with a time of 19:58.5. He utilized an average mile time of 5:21.4. Freshman Raen Reyes rounded out the top-10 finishes in his inaugural debut with a time of 20:12.4.
Sophomore Vincente Capacete missed the top-10 mark by a mere two seconds as he placed 12th overall with a time reading 20:19.4. Freshman Gavyn Condit placed 17th after crossing the finish line with a mark of 20:26.1.
"We have a very strong team and I think we're going to make a nice impact at the state level," said Head Coach Jim McCarron. "Today was very special because it was the first cross country race we've had since 2019."
Riverside will look to keep the momentum rolling Friday, September 10 at the Biola Invitational. The meet will be at Guajome Park in Oceanside, CA at 9 a.m.
