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

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, 20^th place; David Duffy, 45^th place, and Nick Ortega, 107^th 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.”

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.

 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

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.

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.

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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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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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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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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