W. Cross Country: Falcons win South Coast Conference title

The Cerritos College women's cross country team captured its first South Coast Conference championship since 2008 and fourth overall in outracing Los Angeles Trade Tech, 40-51, at Griffith Park's 5-kilometer course on Thursday. The Falcons also won the team titles in 2004 and 2005.

Sophomore Karina Sanchez (Warren HS), a transfer from El Camino College-Compton Center, led the Falcons with an SCC individual champion time of 20:14.78. Sanchez finished 14th last year at the SCC finals. Cerritos occupied three of the top seven places as freshmen Isabel Medina (Paramount HS), whose time of 20:39.36 took fourth, while freshman Kaela Crone (Kennedy HS) was seventh (20:44.06). All three runners earned 1st Team All-South Coast Conference honors for their placing.

Along with the women's conference championship, first-year Falcon head coach Chris Richardson led the men's team to their first title in school history. The double-win marks the first time since 2002 that one school captured both titles.

The final two runners that helped build the team score were freshman Patsy Hurley (Mark Keppel HS), who came in 13th place with a time of 21:13.89, while sophomore Julia Plecnik (St. Joseph HS) crossed the finish line in 21:21.23, with both being named 2nd Team All-SCC.

Cerritos has 12 runners in the race and all finished in the top 32 places of the 58 runners, with freshman Amineh Beltran (Warren HS) coming in 22nd place with a time of 21:57.64, while freshman Natalie Lenarduzzi (Marshall HS) crossing the finish line in 22:01.43 for 24th place. Also running well were the trio of Maira Solis (Roosevelt HS/Occidental College; 22:08.23; 27th place), Angelyca Osnaya-Tyson (Long Beach Poly HS; 22:08.39; 28th place) and Alexis Perez (Cantwell HS; 22:11.96; 29th place). Rounding out the team were Jasmine Ayala (Lakewood HS; 32nd place; 22:31.05) and Sara Gonzalez (El Rancho HS; 36th place; 22:52.90)