Southern California Community College Regional Championships Preview

Mt. San Antonio College and San Diego Mesa College have been a significant presence in recent years at the Southern California Community College Cross Country Championships and more success is expected from two of the state’s elite two-year programs Friday at Chaffey College’s Grigsby Field in Rancho Cucamonga.

The women’s 5-kilometer race is scheduled for 10 a.m. PST, followed by the men’s 4-mile competition at 11 a.m.

Mt. SAC secured the men’s regional title last year by a 40-43 margin against San Diego Mesa at El Dorado Park in Long Beach and the Mounties relied on that momentum to capture back-to-back state championships with a 49-54 triumph against the Olympians at Woodward Park in Fresno.

San Diego Mesa produced a 68-91 victory last season in the women’s regional final against Mt. SAC, but the Mounties rebounded to win a third consecutive state crown by an 86-119 margin in the rematch.

The Olympians are still seeking their first women’s state title since 1994.

Allan Hancock College edged Riverside by a 140-148 margin in the women’s 5-kilometer race Oct. 4 at the Southern California Community College Preview meet at Grigsby Field, a meet not attended by Mt. SAC or San Diego Mesa.

Bakersfield held off Moorpark with a 106-111 victory Oct. 4 in the men’s 4-mile competition at the regional preview event.

Mt. SAC is pursuing back-to-back men’s regional championships for the first time since 2017-18, with San Diego Mesa winning Southern California titles in 2019, 2021 and 2022.

Although both teams were knocked off Oct. 11 by Central Arizona College in the 4-mile men’s race at the Manny Bautista Invitational at NTC Park in San Diego, Mt. SAC edged the host Olympians by a 72-73 margin to finish second overall.

San Diego Mesa is attempting to win consecutive women’s regional titles for the first time in program history.

The Olympians achieved a 40-101 victory against Mt. SAC in the women’s 5-kilometer competition at the Manny Bautista Invitational.

San Diego Mesa prevented Mt. SAC from becoming the first women’s team since Glendale Community College in 2014-16 to three-peat at the Southern California Championships last season, although the Mounties did regroup to win three straight state crowns for the first time in program history.

Alexis Noble of San Diego Mesa has an opportunity to become the first female athlete to win back-to-back regional titles since Brenda Rosales Coria of L.A. Harbor College in 2017-18.

Noble, also the reigning state champion, will be challenged by Itandehui Olea of Allan Hancock, along with Saddleback’s Danna Ibarra Canales, Riverside’s Nadia Munoz and College of the Canyons’ Victoria Jamison.

Olea prevailed against Noble by one second in their first matchup this season Sept. 6 at the Crush Invitational and State Preview meet at Woodward Park.

Noble held off both Olea and Ibarra Canales by less than a second at the Manny Bautista Invitational, with Munoz finishing fifth overall in the 5-kilometer competition, as all four athletes eclipsed the 19-minute barrier at NTC Park.

Ibarra Canales won the regional preview 5-kilometer race Oct. 4 in 19:27.9, with Olea placing second in 19:33.0, Jamison taking third in 19:33.7 and Munoz placing fourth in 19:37.2.

Cuesta College’s Madeline Fletcher, Glendale College’s Lilit Arakelyan, Orange Coast College’s Liberty Miller and L.A. Harbor’s Sherlyn Gomez are also potential challengers in a deep women's field.

College of the Canyons, Allan Hancock, Saddleback and Riverside are all looking to extend their seasons, as 16 women’s teams are expected to advance to race Nov. 23 at the California Community College state championship at Woodward Park.

Jacob Perez of Bakersfield, who finished 18th at the Southern California final last year, won the 4-mile regional preview competition Oct. 4 in 20:52.1.

Perez also prevailed Sept. 6 in the 4-mile race at the Crush Invitational and State Preview at Woodward Park.

San Diego Mesa College’s Ronald Way and Allen Malo were second and third at the Crush Invitational and State Preview event, with Allan Hancock’s John Gutierrez finishing fourth.

Gutierrez was second overall, including the fastest among all two-year college athletes, at the Manny Bautista Invitational, with Way placing fourth, Austin Ledgerwood of Mt. SAC securing seventh, Joshua Melendez of Cerritos earning eighth and Orange Coast’s Jimmy Dominguez taking ninth.

Moorpark’s Tommy White placed second behind Perez at the regional preview competition, with Cuesta’s Weston Greenelsh, Moorpark’s Dylan Brown, Chaffey’s Joseph Chavarria, Bakersfield’s Atzin Anguiano, along with Gutierrez and Melendez all placing in the top eight.

Gutierrez achieved a 20-second victory Oct. 25 against Perez in the 4-mile race at the Western State Conference final.

Bakersfield, Cerritos, Moorpark, Riverside and San Bernardino Valley are also capable of being among the 16 men’s teams to qualify for the state final.

A total of 30 individuals in each gender who are not on the 24 qualifying teams will also have the opportunity to advance to the state championship, as long as they finish among the top 50 percent of competitors in their respective regionals.

By Erik Boal