Getting closer to a full contingent of runners, the VC men's and women's cross country teams ran in the Western State Conference Preview Friday at Moorpark College. Isaiah Slagboom made his VC debut finishing fifth overall in the men's race leading Ventura to a fourth-place finish as a team. Stina Johansson paced the women finishing second overall.
Slagboom stayed with the lead pack for most of the race, falling off a bit toward the end of the race. He completed the 4-mile course in 21:25, good for fifth place overall. Joshua Weinerth (21:50) and Sahit Jimenez (22:16) ran tough races, finishing 11th and 16th, respectively, while Ramiro Mateos (22:48) and Alex Canales (22:52) finished together at 23rd and 24th. Other Pirate runners included Gabriel Olivares (26:03, 58th), Xavier Terminello (26:20, 60th) and Isaiah Spence (27:27, 66th)
Ventura came in fourth place overall out of eight scoring teams with 71 points. Moorpark won the meet with 48 points, followed by Glendale (57 points), and Bakersfield (68 points). The team definitely battled and should be in the mix for conference.