Third Title in a Row for Hartnell Women, Camacho Wins First Individual Title
With three holdovers from the 2019 squad, two freshmen who did not compete for any championships for their entire first year at Hartnell College, and two true freshmen who are experiencing the full return to community college competition this fall, the 2021 Hartnell College women's cross country team found themselves on the winning end of the 2021 Northern California Championship for the third consecutive season. Running over the challenging trails at Sierra College in Rocklin, the seven women produced the second lowest score in championship history trailing only the 2019 Hartnell squad which went on to place a historical second at the CCCAA State Championship. The third championship in a row matched the string equaled only by West Valley College from 1989-1991.
Running much like she did the Norcal Preview Meet, sophomore Valeria Lozano-Gomez lead for the first mile trying to establish a gap only to find Coast Conference runner-up Mannat Gill and Shasta College sophomore Grace Southern in tow. Teammate Sofia Camacho, the Coast Conference champion, kept the threesome close across the first bridge crossing. After the back loop of the course, it would be Southern leading Camacho and Lozano-Gomez. Hartnell College has never had the individual champion since the small and large college divisions were merged in 1984. With less than 400 meters to go, Camacho would charge home the hardest passing a tiring Southern and win in 19:22. This would be the third cross country win this season for Camacho having won the Toro Park Invitational and Coast Conference Championship leading up to this meet. Southern would hold on for second in 19:28 with Lozano-Gomez coming in third in 19:34, an eight second personal best on the course. Lozano-Gomez becomes just the third Hartnell woman to place in the top 5 overall both seasons. She was fourth as a freshman in 2019. Camacho would shave an amazing 68 seconds off her September performance. The next two to cross for the Panthers were newcomers Andrea Villegas and Ashley Ochoa. The two new freshmen have been instrumental to the team's success exceling on all courses this fall. Villegas, after running in the top six for most of the race, held on for eighth place (20:17) with Ochoa next in ninth (20:22). Both would be named All-Region for their efforts. Sophomore Mariah Changco moved up fourteen spots compared to her 2019 championship, placing fifteenth (20:48), just four seconds from all-region honors. Fellow sophomore Faith Mora moved up from 22nd to 17th with her second championship in 21:04. Freshman Karla Herrera would anchor the Panthers in 27th place (21:42). This was the tenth team title for the Panthes extending their lead as the program with the most titles in the region.
The Hartnell women will face Mt. SAC, the only team to defeat the Panthers all season, along with strong programs from Riverside College and Glendale College for a chance at the programs first state team title. The highest place the Panthers have ever finished in second in 2015 and 2018. The Panthers were fourth in 2019 before the COVID-19 cancelled the 2020 championship.The CCCAA State Championship will be held on Saturday, November 20, 2021 at Woodward Park in Fresno.
