Women's Cross Country place 7th at 3C2A State Meet
The Moorpark College Women's Cross Country team traveled up to the beautiful Woodward Park in Fresno to compete at the annual 5CTCA Cross Country Championships. An overnight storm dumped enough rain to the leave the cross country course not just wet, but muddy and slippery!
The Raiders stepped up to the starting line ready for the challenge! They took the first mile a bit cautious, hoping to avoid a tumble on the muddy course. As the field of runners spread out, the ladies spread their wings and started to fly!
Top runner for the Raiders, Maya Natarajan, crossed the first mile in 30th with a time of 6:02. During the 2nd mile, she moved up 10 places and another 4 places in the final mile to place 16th overall. Maya's race earned her a spot on the 2nd Team All State! The #2 runner for the Raiders was Addison Pereira who ran a solid race and passed 6 competitors in the final mile. Addison's time of 21:09 placed her 72nd overall.
Kayla Saxton also started out conservative, but once she got her feet wet (pun intended), she found her groove! Kayla crossed the first mile in 6:31 and moved up 21 places by the time she crossed the finish line! Kayla's time of 21:16 placed her 79th overall. Kerira Kassi was hungry at the starting line and went out fast! She held on strong and had her best team finish of the season as the #4 runner for the Lady Raiders! Her time of 21:23 placed her 85th overall.
The final scoring place for the Raiders went to the solo sophomore and team leader, Geidenn Gonzales. Geidenn ran a consistent race, finishing in a time of 21:34 and placed 96thoverall. The 6th and 7th runners for the Raiders were Giselle Gonzalez (22:06) and Isabella Shattuck(23:14). Shattuck ran a smart race improving 4 places between miles 1 and 2 and another 4 places before completing her 3.1 mile race.
The Lady Raiders had an amazing 2024 season and with only 1 sophomore in the top 7, the ladies are looking forward to another strong season in 2025!
Overall, the Moorpark Raiders Men's & Women's Cross Country teams placed 3rd overall as a combined program behind San Diego Mesa and Mt Sac Colleges. The Raiders look forward to some rest and holiday time with their families before embarking on training for the upcoming 2025 track season!
