Ventura Harriers End Season at State Championships

The VC men's and women's cross country teams competed in the CCCAA State Championships on Saturday with the men finishing 12th overall and the women coming in 16th.
The VC men's and women's cross country teams competed in the CCCAA State Championships on Saturday with the men finishing 12th overall and the women coming in 16th.

The VC men's and women's cross country teams completed their 2022 seasons at the CCCAA State Championships in Fresno on Saturday. The Pirate men finished 12th in the 21-team field while the women came in 16th. Sophia Godina paced the women in 18th place overall while Joshua Weinerth was the top finished for the men in 42nd.

Weinerth (Rio Mesa) covered the 4-mile course at Woodward Park in 21:18.2 (14 points) while Erick Tienda (Rio Mesa) crossed the finish line in 51st place (48 points) in 21:27.2. The Pirates Nop. 1 runner Adrian Valdez (Oxnard) battled a cold and finished 69th (21:41.7, 63 points) followed by Ramiro Mateos (Oxnard) (77th, 21:51.9, 70 points), Zach Lopez (Ventura) (141st, 23:02.9, 116 points), Oliver Tavira (Rio Mesa) (163rd, 24:05.9, 133 points) and Jairo Gonzalez (Channel Islands) (175th, 25:59.2, 145 points).  A total of 176 runners competed.

Ventura totaled 338 points to come in behind Saddleback (301) and ahead of Chabot (346). Mt. San Antonio won the state championship with 59 points, edging out San Diego Mesa with 61 points. 

Godina (Rio Mesa) was also battling back from illness and finished 18th overall out of 155 runners, covering the 5k trek in 19:08.1 in 18th place (15 points). Brenda Garcia (Buena) came in 57th in 20:31.7 (43 points). Addy Cornell (NP Adventist) came in 88th (21:32.4, 66 points) followed by Christina Cortez (Oxnard) (136th, 23:43.1, 105 points), Alexa Hernandez (Oxnard) (148th, 24:53.3, 116 points), and Leslie Cervantes (153rd, 26:23.8, 121 points).

 
The Pirate women scored 345 points, coming in behind Cuyamaca (320) and ahead of Redwoods (352). Mt. San Antonio also claimed the women's title with 83 points ahead of runner-up San Diego Mesa with 138.
 
Weinerth, Mateos, Garcia, Cortez, Hernandez, and Cervantes are all sophomores and ran their final cross country race for the orange and black on Saturday.