CLAREMONT, Calif. — Samuel Johnny and Melissa Cerrillos both finished with solid times as the University of La Verne cross country teams competed at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational Saturday morning.
Johnny led the men's team in a fast field, taking 31st overall with a time of 26:49.51. The junior has finished near the top of the Leopards' lineup in every race this season.
"The men had a nice bounce-back race today," said Head Coach Bryan George. "They ran more aggressively and looked confident out there. We need to carry this momentum into the conference meet in a couple weeks."
Freshman Matthew Salas was the second finisher for La Verne, coming in at 27:08.23 for 44th overall. Eric Lopez-Elwell finished 30 seconds later at 27:38.20.
Marcelo Arcos (28:16.44), and Chris Arcos (28:47.56) rounded out the top five for La Verne. The men's team finished 8th overall.
Cerrillos earned a top-15 finish in the women's race. The junior finished in 13th place with a time of 23:03.58. Cerrillos has led the La Verne women's team in every race this season.
"The women's team packed up well and responded to the flow of the race," said George. "It was an improvement, but I think there is still more in the tank for this group. I'm optimistic about what we can do at our next competition."
Rachael Dela Cruz was the second Leopard to cross the finish line, clocking in at 25:31.65. Right behind was Samantha Hanawalt who finished at 25:37.60
Freshman Janice Deguerio finished with a time of 26:47.17. Not far behind was Ashley Garnica at 26:57.07. The women's team finished 12th overall.
Next Race: The Leopards compete next at the SCIAC Championships on Saturday, October 28.
