All Entries in the "Cross Country" Category
Pima Olympic hopeful Curley fails to place
By MYLO ERICKSON
The Olympics had tryouts in Houston for the marathon on Saturday, Jan. 14. There were about 156 men racing on a 26.2 mile course, and only the top three qualified for the team.
Craig Curley is from Kinlichee, a Navajo reservation in northeast Arizona. He also happens to be a Pima Community College alumnus.
Curley also holds the PCC school record in the 5,000-meter run, which he completed in 14 minutes, 21.03 seconds.
Curley qualified to compete in the Houston tryouts by running in a half-marathon championship in 2010. He ran it in one hour, 4 minutes and 14 seconds.
Curley and his coach, Greg Wenneborg, who is the head coach for PCC’s cross country and track and field teams.
The two of them were fairly confident about Curley’s chances going into the race.
“He’s here to make the team,” Wenneborg said the Friday before the race.
Wenneborg felt Curley’s biggest challenge would be to hold back and not try to run and get into the lead right away.
However, they were still being realistic about Curley’s chances, as he has never run in a marathon before and that distance can present numerous problems for any runner.
“If nothing else, we’re hoping for at least a top-five or top-10 finish,” Wenneborg said.
Curley has spent the past year training for the race in Houston and fully committed himself to trying to make the 2012 U.S. Olympic marathon team.
The day before the race Curley spent his time relaxing and hanging out with the other athletes.
When it came time for the race to start that Saturday morning, only 120 runners took the line, instead of the projected 156.
Curley started out the race fairly strong, with his mile times ranging between 5:05 to 5:08.
This was the pace that both Wenneborg and Curley wanted to keep up, and Curley was in 50th place around the eight-mile mark.
Unfortunately, somewhere between the 20th and 23rd-mile marker, Curley began to struggle, as his energy steadily dissipated.
“It was an off day,” Wenneborg said.
Curley ended up finishing 84th, with a time of 2:39:53.
“Pretty shocking for him to finish as bad as he did,” Wenneborg said. “He’s handling it well.”
Only 85 of the 120 runners actually finished the race, as the distance took a toll on the athletes.
Curley ended up walking parts of the last two to three miles. Curley was also the youngest runner in the group, at 23.
Coming back home, the duo, are now thinking about their options for the future. They are going to take about a two-week break and then decide where they are going to go from there.
“It’s a humble beginning,” Wenneborg said.
Aztec Press File Photo
From the archives: Cross country first PCC sport to bring national recognition
BY AMY ZAMBRANO
Thirty-five years ago, the Pima Community College cross country “great pumpkins” headed to Farmingdale, N.Y., to represent Arizona and PCC at the junior college cross country national competition.
The national competition came after PCC won a state championship and a regional title with an undefeated record of 10-0.
The 1976 cross country team was the first major Pima team to compete at a national level.
PCC President Irwin Spector and coach Jim Mielke had high hopes for the team to bring home a trophy with No. 1 engraved on it.
The very experienced team was headed for a tense and challenging competition. But why the “great pumpkins” name?
Mielke awarded the name “pumpkins” because of the orange shirts the team wore.
Spectators who watched the team win the state championship added the “great” description.
During the 1976 state championship, Pima runners captured the first three places.
Art Menchaca was the first runner to cross the finish line, setting a course record time of 24:02.
Larry Martinez finished second in 24:19 and Frank Canez took third with a time of 24:22.
Mielke told reporters the Pima team had fulfilled its mission, and had an “honest shot at the national championship title.”
On Nov. 13, 1976, Mielke took seven athletes to compete for the national title, hoping to bring home that first place trophy. Unfortunately, they had to settle for second place behind a Virginia team.
For Mielke, second place recognition was enough to prove his team’s value.
“The athletes have gained the feeling that they are among the best athletes in the nation,” he said.
The Pima athletes competing were: Brian Denker, who finished in fourth place; Larry Martinez, sixth; Ruben Ruiz, seventh; Art Menchaca, eighth; Frank Canez, 20th place; David Duffy, 45th place, and Nick Ortega, 107th place.
The athletes were “pleased but not content” with their national title, Mielke said. Finishing in second place brought “the fulfillment of a dream and another goal to dream for.”
Aztecs finish season in top 20
By MEGYN FITZGERALD
In the final meet of the 2011 season, the Pima Community College cross country teams finished in the national top 20.
PCC competed at the National Junior College Athletic Association Division 1 Cross Country Championships on Nov. 12 in Hobbs, N. M.
“The goal was to have both teams in the top 10 and we just missed that,” head coach Greg Wenneborg said. “I think it will make the team hungry to achieve their goals in the coming seasons.”
Pima finished eighth of 34 teams in the women’s 5-K race losing out to Iowa Central College who won the women’s championship title.
Due to a persistent hip injury, star Pima freshman Jamie Shrader was unable to run.
“I was actually planning on running, I warmed up and got on the line,” Schrader said. “I started the race but then I could start to feel some of the pain again, and I wasn’t in a scoring position for my team so I decided to step off.”
On a windy 5 km course, the top Aztec was freshman Kelsey Montano who finished 20:19 earning her 19th place overall.
Freshman Lucia Hernandez finished 48th with a time of 20:54. Sophomore Heidi Lopez rounded out the top three with a time of 21:09, 60th place overall.
“I’m proud that the women stepped up and held it together for the championship meet and finished in the top 10,” Wenneborg said.
The men’s team finished in 13th place out of 38 teams in the 8-K race behind Paradise Valley Community College who took the men’s championship title.
Freshman Caleb Herrera led the way for the men on the 8 km course, finishing in 38th place with a time of 28:00.
Freshmen Aren Maxwell and Fabian Romero finished in 48th and 95th places with times of 28:09 and 28:45 respectively.
Pima’s women’s team finished 189 points behind race winner ICC and the men’s team finished 328 points behind men’s champion PVCC.
Kelsey Montano running at nationals in Hobbs, New Mexico.
Aztecs qualify for national championships
By MEGYN FITZGERALD
The Pima Community College women’s and men’s cross country teams qualified for the NJCAA National Championships after finishing second and third in the regional championships.
At the NJCAA Region I Championships in Gilbert, Ariz. on Nov. 1, the women earned the Region Runner-up title behind Central Arizona College while the men finished behind Central Arizona and Paradise Valley colleges.
The Aztec women finished second in a field of six teams despite being without their top runner, freshman Jamie Shrader.
Sophomore Heidi Lopez finished first for the Aztecs, in seventh place overall, with a time of 19 minutes, 24 seconds on the 5-kilometer course. Freshman Lucia Hernandez finished in 10th place with a time of 19:40.
Both women earned Second Team All-Region honors.
Freshmen Kelsey Montano and Mary Cozby and sophomore Jodine Steemers finished in the top 15, earning Third Team All-Region honors.
“We had some big breakthroughs on the women’s side with Lucia Hernandez and Mary Cozby both running lifetime PRs for the distance,” head coach Greg Wenneborg said.
On the men’s side, freshman David-Michael Scott led the way with a 12th place finish and a time of 26:22 on the 8-kilometer course. Freshman Fabian Romero finished 15th with a time of 26:35.
Both men earned Third Team All-Region honors.
Other top finishers were freshman Caleb Herrera, who finished 16th, and freshman Austin Stone, who finished in the 18th spot.
The running Aztecs will lace their sneakers one final time this season on Nov. 12 for the national championships in Hobbs, NM.
“It’s going to be a very exciting national championship,” Wenneborg said. “We are now sharpening as we get closer and working on being rested and mentally prepared for a great race.”
The Pima women will enter the national competition seeded No. 6 while the men are seeded No. 8, according to NJCAA rankings.
Cross Country 2011
Cross country: Aztecs finish first in Gilbert
By MEGYN FITZGERALD
Pima Community College’s men’s and women’s cross country teams both snagged top spots over the weekend at the Mesa Thunderbird Invitational in Gilbert.
The Aztec men finished with 24 points, a whopping 21 points ahead of second place Mesa Community College.
The first finisher for Pima was freshman Fabian Romero. Romero finished fourth overall with a personal best time of 26:09.2. Freshmen David-Michael Scott and Aren Maxwell also ran well for Pima and finished in fifth and seventh place overall.
Like the men, the Aztec women finished well ahead of their opponents. They scored 34 points while Mesa came in second with 46 points.
Freshman Kelsey Montano finished first for the women and third overall with a time of 19:11. Sophomore Jodine Steemers was sixth overall and freshman Shelby Slocum finished 13th.
On Oct. 14, both cross-country teams took third place when they traveled to Walnut, Calif., for the Mount SAC Invitational.
Freshman Lucas Ruiz led the way for the Aztec men, finishing the 4-mile course with a time of 21:15, earning him third place out of 158 runners. Romero and Maxwell ended the race 10th and 25th overall.
“Our guys are prepared to be a top 10 team at nationals,” head coach Greg Wenneborg said. “I believe we still have two top 10 teams.”
Despite a lingering hip injury to freshman Jamie Shrader, the Aztec women remained competitive.
Montano finished first for Pima with a time of 19:30 on the 3-mile course, earning her 14th place out of 149 competitors.
Sophomore Heidi Lopez finished second for the Pima women and 25th overall. Slocum finished 28th overall.
“Everyone has stepped up in Jamie’s absence and it’s definitely shown,” Slocum said.
The Aztecs will race again on Nov. 1 when they travel to Tempe for the Region I Championships.
Shelby Slocum crosses the finish line after a grueling race at Randolph earlier this season.
Aztecs finish 4th, 6th at UA
By MEGYN FITZGERALD
The Pima Community College women’s cross country team retained its place in the top 10 while participating in the Dave Murray Invitational, hosted by the University of Arizona, on Sept. 16.
The Aztec men finished third among junior colleges and the No. 7 women finished second.
“It was a mix of good and bad,” head coach Greg Wenneborg said. “The men found out how talented our region is and held their own.”
Jamie Shrader runs in a pack of NCAA Division I athletes on Sept. 16. Aztec Press photo by James Kelley.
The men raced to sixth place overall out of nine teams.
Freshman Luis Ruiz was top performer for the PCC men with a time of 22:53 on the 4.25 mile course. He placed 27th overall and eighth among junior college participants.
“I think I just raced smarter,” Ruiz said about the difference between this meet and the last. “I’m happy with our performance, but I know we’re capable of a lot better.”
Freshmen Fabian Romero and David-Michael Scott also ran well, snagging 33rd and 38th places.
The Aztec women finished second among junior college teams, losing to No. 1 Central Arizona College.
“The women came within 10 points of the No. 1 ranked team in the country,” Wenneborg said.
Pima finished fourth overall at the meet, behind the UA, Northern Arizona University and Central Arizona.
Freshman Jamie Shrader led the way as she ran the three-mile course in 18:29. She finished first among junior college competitors, 21st overall.
Freshman Kelsey Montano and sophomore Heidi Lopez both finished just behind Shrader in the top 10 with times of 19:14 and 19:49. They finished 29th and 35th overall.
The men's cross country team begins the Dave Murray Invitational, a meet hosted by the University of Arizona at the Del Urich Golf Course on Sept. 16. Aztec Press photo by James Kelley.
Online Extra: cross country teams off to running start
By MEGYN FITZGERALD
Pima Community College’s cross country teams opened the 2011 season with first-place performances at the George Kyte Cross Country Invitational in Flagstaff on Sept. 3.
Both the men’s and women’s teams finished first among all two-year colleges represented at the event, which was hosted by Northern Arizona University.
“Freshman sensation” Jamie Shrader finished the 5K course in 18:34, more than a minute and a half faster than second place.
She placed first in a junior college division that included NCAA teams and placed 15th overall. Her time was the top NJCAA
time in the country.
Three of Pima’s top four women’s runners missed the meet, but the Aztecs received solid performances from freshmen Shelby Slocum and Amanda Baughman. Slocum finished third and Baughman finished fourth in the junior college division.
Top male performances included freshman David-Michael Scott, winner of the junior college division and 17th overall, and freshman Fabian Romero, who placed 24th overall. Freshman Aren Maxwell placed 31st and Freshman Caleb Herrera was 32nd overall.
The Pima teams debuted in the top 10 in the first national rankings of the season. The women are ranked No. 5 and the men No. 10. Head coach Greg Wenneborg’s long-term goal has always been to see both teams in the top 10 at nationals. However, the talent on this season’s squads is beginning to make Wenneborg’s goal seem too easy.
“I think we’ve gotten to the point where we can think even bigger than that now,” Wenneborg said.
The Aztecs’ next meet is an important one because it will pit them against their biggest competition: Paradise Valley Community College and Central Arizona College.
Wenneborg hopes his teams attend the meet fully healthy and ready to take appropriate, necessary risks in order to build confidence.
“Confidence is really important, especially for a team of freshmen,” Wenneborg said.
The Aztecs’ next meet is the Dave Murray Invitational, hosted by the University of Arizona at Dell Urich Golf Course on Sept. 16 at 4 p.m.
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By the numbers
59
Points scored by the Pima football team in the season opener versus Sonora Institute of Technology
35
Points given up by the football team in its second game against Glendale Community College
46
Points given up by the football team in its home opener against Scottsdale Community College
15
Goals scored by the men’s soccer team against South Mountain Community College, a PCC single game goals record
15th
Women’s soccer season this year
7
Match losing streak for the volleyball team to start the season
13
Match losing streak the volleyball team endured to start the 2010 season
18:34
5K time by freshman Jamie Shrader in cross country’s first meet, the best junior college time in the nation this year
5
National ranking of the women’s cross country team
10
National ranking of the men’s cross country team
7
Game road trips for the men’s soccer team to start the season
Sources:
Pima Community College, National Junior College Athletic Association
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Young cross country teams seek Nationals success
By MEGYN FITZGERALD
Despite an abundance of freshmen, Pima Community College cross country head coach Greg Wenneborg is excited for what the upcoming season will hold for the women’s and men’s teams.
“We are fully loaded with freshman,” Wenneborg said.
All but three runners on the 23-member teams are freshman, an occurrence that Wenneborg called “highly unusual.”
The three returning sophomores are Heidi Lopez, Jodine Steemers and Humberto Bravo.
Although having a team of mostly rookies can seem daunting, Wenneborg believes the squads have a bright future.
“It turns out it’s going to be awesome,” he said.
The incoming freshman include three Flowing Wells High School graduates who were among the top 20 recruits in Arizona.
“A lot of big recruits on the roster,” Wenneborg said.
The strongest incoming freshmen are Lucas Ruiz and Jamie Shrader.
Wenneborg’s goal is to keep the women in the top 10 at Nationals, as they have been for the last five years, and return the men after a year hiatus.
The teams’ first meet will be Sept. 3 at the George Kyte Invitational in Flagstaff. Events begin at 12:30 p.m.
Their lone Tucson meet is Sept. 16 at the University of Arizona. Regionals and Nationals take place in November.
On Deck
Sept. 3: George Kyte
Invitational (Flagstaff),
12:30 p.m.
Sept. 10: Artichoke
Invitational (Scottsdale)
7 a.m.
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ONLINE EXTRA: 2011 Cross Country schedule
Photo by ED ADAMS
Saturday September 3 George Kyte Invitational (Buffalo Park-Flagstaff, Ariz.) W 12:30 p.m. M 1:15 p.m.
Saturday September 10 Artichoke Invitational (Scottsdale CC) 7 a.m.
Friday September 16 Dave Murray Invitational (University of Arizona) 4 p.m.
Friday September 30 ACCAC Championship (Villago Park-Casa Grande, Ariz.) W 9 a.m. M 9:45 a.m.
Saturday October 8 Grand Canyon Univ. Invitational (Evelyn Hallman Park-Tempe, Ariz.) 5 p.m.
Friday October 14 Mt. SAC Invitational (Mt. SAC CC-Walnut, Calif.) 11 a.m.
Friday October 21 Mesa Thunderbird Classic (Mesa CC) 9 a.m.
Tuesday November 1 NJCAA Region I Championships (Kiwanis Park-Tempe, Ariz.) W 10 a.m. M 10:45 a.m.
Sunday November 13 NJCAA National Championships (New Mexico Junior College-Hobbs, N.M.) TBA
Tucson meets in BOLD
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Cross Country earns All-American academic honors
By JOEL GANTT
Photo by ED ADAMS
Pima Community College Cross Country runners were named Academic All-Americans for the 2010 fall semester.
The men’s team was ninth best in the country, with a combined grade point average of 3.548.
Individual Academic All-American honors went to sophomores Jess Montour, Josue Saldivar and Nathan Corsi. All three maintained a GPA of 3.4 or higher during the 2010 fall semester.
The women’s team was 13th best in the country academically, combining for a GPA of 3.668.
Sophomore Julia Peerenboom held a perfect 4.0 GPA last fall.
Sophomore Julia Dittiger, sophomore Brianna Fugere, freshman Heidi Lopez and freshman Jodine Steemers also earned individual academic honors. Each carried a GPA of 3.4 or higher throughout the 2010 fall semester.
There were 19 men’s programs and 24 women’s programs in the nation that earned Academic Team of the Year honors.
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FROM THE ARCHIVES: Early Pima newspapers record beginning of Aztec Sports
By JAMES KELLEY
Pima Community College student newspapers and Aztec sports both had humble and confusing beginnings.
The college held its first classes in 1969 and officially opened in 1970, but the start of the Aztec Press and Pima sports are a bit more hazy.
A student newspaper named Graffiti Press started in 1970. That was the first of six names before the publication became Aztec Press in 1981.
A “Department of Mass Communications” launched a publication called Campus News in 1973. The Library of Congress believes that newspaper evolved into the Aztec Press after a few name changes, but is also unsure when publication of the Graffiti Press ceased.
In 1975, the Campus News newspaper and Pima's athletic department held a logo contest.
In the sports arena, Pima’s first athletes played on club teams.
A judo martial arts team started in 1970, and was the first Pima team to advance to Nationals. It even hosted Nationals in 1974, where it finished second.
In 1971, teams included “girls’” volleyball, men’s softball (Pima Suns) and baseball (Pima Giants.) Softball and baseball played in a city league, while against teams like Frontier Liquor and the Jewish Community Center.
Intercollegiate sports officially began in 1973, when Pima launched men’s cross country, wrestling, men’s basketball, men’s track and baseball teams.
The athletic department celebrated the 25th anniversary of Pima sports in 1995, but now considers 1973 its launch year.
A 1973 fencing team won Pima’s first trophy.
In 1974, when only men played on the golf team, coach Bill Johnson was 20 years old. He coached one player who was 42 and another who was 30 years old.
The first successful team sport was “girls’” basketball, which in 1975 notched Pima’s first back-to-back winning seasons.
During the 1970s, the Campus News played a significant role with Pima’s logos.
In a Sept. 28, 1973 story, the CN explained Pima’s logo, designed by Gill Kenny, coordinator of Communigraphics and Reprographics Services. The logo is a “stylized ‘P’” that is repeated in a circle and is used today.
In 1975, the Campus News and the athletic department sponsored a “Draw the Aztec” contest after the sports editor and Pima’s first athletic director, Larry Toledo, decided the college needed an Aztec logo to go with the standard circle “P” logo.
Pima's logo is a "stylized P," repeated and highlighted here in orange, PCC's orignal color.
The contest offered more than $200 in prizes, including a $100 scholarship.
In May 1975, judges chose a logo by design major Bob Einfrank. The multi-Aztec head was put on sports uniforms and used as the newspaper’s logo.
The athletic department drew criticism in the 2000s when it began limiting recruitment to in-state athletes, but the philosophy was not new. Pima originally recruited only Tucson athletes, though it welcomed out-of-state athletes who decided on their own to enroll.
Pima’s most recent sport – football – was almost one of the first. In the mid-1970s, it seemed likely that football would be added, but the program stalled when voters rejected a $9.5 million bond by an almost 2-1 margin. Football was eventually added in 2001.
The Campus News alternately supported and trashed the potential football team.
A 1974 column said Pima students should follow Scottsdale Community College’s lead. At Scottsdale, students voted against a football team. When the school added one anyway, students voted to name the team the “Fighting Artichokes” and make pink their color.
In the early 1970s, PCC teams didn’t have an on-campus gym or home fields. The school did have cheerleaders and song leaders, and composers were working on a fight song. Two “authentic” Aztec mascots were also in the works.
Men’s basketball got off to a grand start in 1973, hosting the International Friendship Festival Tournament that opened on (tape delayed) TV. The athletic director, Toledo, gave 1,000 free tickets to students.
The start of Aztec sports coincided with the 1972 adoption of Title IX, the federal legislation that forbids schools to discriminate on the basis of gender.
Gradually, Pima’s female sports teams moved from club to varsity status and changed their names from “girls’” to “women’s.”
Progress wasn’t immediate. In 1974, Pima’s first women’s softball team had just 12 players. Stories didn’t indicate how many outfielders the team used.
In a 1974 story, the Campus News revealed that both basketball teams shared locker rooms. The men dressed while the females were playing their second half, and the women changed during the guys’ game.
The Arizona Community College Athletic Conference voted in 1975 to add women’s sports.
Only a few Pima teams (cross country, volleyball and baseball) currently compete against four-year schools. In the 1970s, however, the Aztecs regularly played university club teams.
If it had added football, Pima would have played junior varsity teams from the University of Arizona and Arizona State University.
The men’s basketball team did play against JV teams, and the Campus News couldn’t resist an occasionally snarky comment. When Pima beat UA’s JV team in 1975, a cutline said the Aztecs beat the “Wildkittens” 95-71.
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Aztec Press History
Graffiti Press: 1970-1973
Campus News: 1973-1977
The Downtowner: 1975-1981
Aztec Campus News: 1977-1978
Aztec News: 1978-1981
Aztec Press (merger of Downtowner and Aztec News): 1981-1986
Aztec: 1986-1987
Aztec Press: 1987-
AztecPressOnline.com: 2010-
Women’s Cross Country finishes ninth at Nationals
By DANIEL GAONA
Photos by ED ADAMS
aztecpress@pima.edu
For the fifth year in a row, the Pima Community College women’s cross country team has placed in the top 10 at Nationals. This year’s ninth-place finish is the lowest head coach Greg Wenneborg has seen in that streak but it doesn’t bother him.
“We’re gratified mostly because the women were ranked 11th going and we knew that they were better than that,” Wenneborg said. “It was a good season for the ladies and we’re looking to continue to build.”
Last year’s team placed sixth. In 2008 Pima took fifth. The two years before that it finished seventh and sixth.
The No. 9 Aztecs placed second among Region 1 competition at the Nov. 13 meet in Spartanburg, N.C. Central Arizona College finished fourth as a team. Glendale Community College placed 11th.
Sophomore Priscilla Mendoza led the way for Pima, finishing 44th in 19:34 out of the 260 runners. Freshman sensation Heidi Lopez placed five spots behind Mendoza in 19:43. Co-captain sophomores Julia Dittiger and Julia Peerenboom finished 54th and 69th respectively.
Dittiger had a personal best of 19:48 in the 5,000-meter race. Peerenboom was wearing a boot on her foot the entire weekend of the meet, which was Nov. 13, because of an ankle injury but still managed at top 70 finish.
“I had tendinitis in my ankle and it was a little hard racing on it,” Peerenboom said. “I figured since I had trained and worked really hard all season that I might as well just run Nationals.”
She also said that the team chemistry was strong from the start of the season and that they were underdogs the whole year.
“I’m honestly grateful that we finished in the top 10,” Peerenboom said. “I think it was really well done by all of the runners on the team.”
Wenneborg said that the team was still dealing with injuries heading into Nationals.
Priscilla Medoza
“We definitely feel like the ladies were ready to go but we were fragile the last couple of weeks,” he said. “It was kind of scary going in and I thought worst-case-scenario we wouldn’t even be in the top 18.”
The team pulled through some rough patches during the season as well. Sophomore Magda Mankel was never declared eligible and sophomore Annalina Loevenguth had her season end early with a stress fracture. Wenneborg was proud of the way the team pulled through.
“Maybe, in my six years of coaching, this might have been the hardest luck we’ve had,” the coach said. “We think that we have a future national championship squad if we can just get a little more breaks going our way and I recruit just a little bit harder.”
Lopez, along with freshman Jodine Steemers and Rachel Whitford, will be back for next season. Wenneborg also said he’ll be hoping for some strong recruits.
“We’ve got three solid girls coming back who can run mid-19 5k’s for us,” he said.
Women’s cross country team heads to Nationals
By DANIEL GAONA
aztecpress@pima.edu
Pima Community College cross country coach Greg Wenneborg felt the men’s team was solid heading into the season but worried about the women’s team.
Now, at the end of the season, his mindset is the complete opposite.
The men’s team struggled throughout the season and failed to qualify for Nationals. It came down to injuries and the team just not being able to put it together at the right time.
On the other hand, the women used a true team effort to emerge onto the national stage. They are preparing to travel to Spartanburg, S.C., for Nationals, where they hope to place in the top five.
Pima dropped one spot to No. 11 after having an “off day” in the National Junior College Athletic Association Region 1 Championship meet. The off day meant finishing second as a team behind No. 3 Central Arizona College.
Central Arizona, the defending national champions, had six runners finish in the top 10 and is a major contender to win again.
The Aztecs had all seven runners finish within 17 places of each other at Regionals. Freshman stand-out Heidi Lopez led the way, placing 13th in 20:56.5. Sophomore Priscilla Mendoza finished right after Lopez in 20:57.2.
Priscilla Mendoza
Sophomore Julia Dittiger came in 16th and freshman Jodine Steemers finished 19th to round out the four Aztecs in the top 20. Dittiger said she’s more excited about going to Nationals this year compared to last.
“Last year we had the two superstars running but this year we’re all pretty much in a pack,” Dittiger said, referring to Danielle Higgins and Vivian Reed. “Our first through sixth runners are all within about a minute of each other so we’re pretty close and that makes us stronger.”
Last year the women placed sixth at Nationals. Higgins finished 13th to lead the way while Reed finished 21st.
Wenneborg said the team is a little banged up heading into the championship meet on Nov. 13. Sophomore Annalisa Loevenguth will travel with the team but will most likely not run due to a stress fracture. Steemers is suffering from a stress reaction but should be healthy by then.
“I think it’s definitely going to be a team effort to step up,” sophomore Julia Peerenboom said about making up for injuries. “We’re a team, we’re a family and we’re going to step up when one person is having a little trouble and we’re all going to make up for that.”
Julia Peerenboom
Wenneborg said that losing one runner isn’t too much of an issue because only the top five finishers score.
Lopez is the apparent leader of the team but still credits the team for her success. She’s confident heading into her first trip to Nationals.
“I’m confident and excited but at the same time scared,” Lopez said. “I’m scared of not running well. I don’t want to mess up.”
Peerenboom and Dittiger reassured Lopez that the team wouldn’t let her down and said they are going in as positive as possible.
“The thing we have really going for our team is we have really good chemistry,” Dittiger said.
The two also looked back to the beginning of the season when Wenneborg told them he thought it was going to be tough getting to Nationals.
“It just shows that if you work hard enough you can get anything you set your mind to,” Peerenboom said.
Aside from running at Nationals the team is looking forward to the trip across the country.
Freshman Rachel Whitford said the Mt. Sac meet on Oct. 15 in Walnut, Calif., was one of the highlights of the season. It also was a factor in molding the team nucleus.
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Regionals a vital meet for men’s Cross Country
By Daniel Gaona
Photo by Ed Adams
aztecpress@pima.edu
While the Pima Community College women’s cross country team already has secured a trip to Nationals, the men’s squad needs a huge finish to qualify.
Both teams will travel to Riverview Park in Mesa on Nov. 2 for the National Junior College Athletic Association Region 1 Championship meet.
The women are currently ranked No. 10 and have already booked a trip to Spartanburg, N.C. The men’s team, however, needs to beat Mesa Community College at the Nov. 2 meet in order to join the women.
“It’s never been more make-or-break for our guys team,” head coach Greg Wenneborg said. “We’ve taken a guys team every year and they’ve always finished in the top 15 for the last five years.”
Wenneborg said the men are ranked No. 20 but he feels they are better. The Aztecs have to move up five spots in order to go.
“Their upside potential is still very big but it comes down to beating a top 15 team and that is Mesa,” he said. “I’ve always believed we have the ability to beat Mesa on a good day but we haven’t put it all together.”
Injuries have been a factor for the men. Both Nate Corsi and Andy Lacy are dealing with foot issues but Wenneborg expects them to be ready.
“I think our top seven will line up healthy at the Region championship and take their best shot at Mesa,” Wenneborg said. “I know that when all our guys are on board, we are better than them.”
Paradise Valley Community College and Central Arizona College should finish first and second on the men’s side. Wenneborg said both of those teams will also place in the top four at Nationals. Pima would need to finish third.
Humberto Bravo
“We have proven before that our late-season heroics are better than Mesa’s,” Wenneborg said. “I believe we are a finishing team and we have a pretty good shot at beating them on their home course.”
Last season, the women’s team never beat Mesa. However, the Aztecs placed three spots higher than the Thunderbirds at Nationals. This year’s women’s squad has been dominant from the start.
“Even though the women are ranked 10th, there are only three teams in the country who have a faster fifth runner than Pima does,” Wenneborg said. “I think they are not ranked correctly and on a great day they can be a top five team and potentially a top three team.”
He said the key to the women’s success is the team’s depth. It will also be essential for Pima’s success at Nationals.
“We have seven full-fledged weapons there,” Wenneborg added. “All of them can run under 19:30 and if you get five girls who run under that you’re going to be in the top four easily.”
The women are also dealing with minor injuries. Annalisa Loevenguth and Julia Peerenboom have foot injuries but are expected to be ready for both races.
Freshman Heidi Lopez has given the women a solid boost with her performance. Lopez led the Aztecs with a third-place finish in 19:43.5 at the Mesa Thunderbird Classic Oct. 21, which was hosted by MCC. Pima edged Central by five points to win the meet.
“We’ve done very well in the past few races so we don’t need to change anything,” Lopez said about preparing for Regionals and Nationals. “I go into every race prepared to run well. I don’t know who I have to beat or who I can stay with. I just run.”
Wenneborg said Lopez is a big reason for the women’s success so far. He expects her to finish in the top five of the region and top 20 at Nationals.
The men struggled at the Mesa meet and placed fourth. The host, the Thunderbirds, won the race meanwhile. Mario Portillo placed ninth in 27:05.3.
Portillo also feels that Mesa is beatable. He said endurance will be a big factor because the team has been struggling after the first three miles of its races.
“Something has been happening in the fourth mile and we all mess up,” he said.
Additionally, he said things haven’t been coming together at the right time but he feels that will change on Nov. 2.
“We just have to be mentally strong,” Portillo said. “We know how fast we are because we’ve been having awesome workouts. So I think it’s just getting the guys mentally prepared and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
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