ELAC women’s cross country opens season

SANTA CLARITA, CA — The East Los Angeles College women’s cross country team opened its season at the 2017 Southern California Championships Preview meet at Central Park in Santa Clarita.

ELAC sports a six-member team, but only had four Huskies in the 5k run.

“Even with just four of us, everything was great,” said ELAC freshman Chelsea Sanchez-Flores (Garfield High School). “The team pushed through it and we did good.”

More than 500 competitors from community colleges throughout the state ran including over 200 in the women’s run.

The postseason’s SoCal Championship meet will take place on this course.

“It was an experience of learning today,” said ELAC second year head coach James Maynard. “We’re looking forward to coming back here at the end of the season. I like the course, it is relatively flat. We’ll be tougher next time.”

The Huskies ran with determination. Two of them competed feeling under the weather, but they pushed. The Huskies each did well in their final sprints.

ELAC sophomore Sylvia Calvache (Rancho Mirage High School) ran behind two runners at the final turn about 100 meters from the finish line.

Calvache’s sprint was faster and she finished in 23:07.4 minutes ahead of both of them.

College of the Canyons freshman Kaitlyn Gomez finished 9/100’s of a second behind Calvache, Oxnard freshman Clara Hernandez finished 1.6 seconds behind.

Freshman Alejandra Martinez (Bell HS) finished in in 25:37.1 and sprinted 3.7 seconds faster than LA Mission College freshman Samantha Ochoa.

Not far behind, Huskies freshman Daisy Ortiz (Warren HS) outran San Bernardino Valley sophomore Bridget Zuniga by 2.4 seconds.

Sanchez-Flores finished in 26:40.3 and sprinted 1.8 seconds faster than Pasadena City College freshman Melissa Olivas.

The full team returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 22 Fri. 22 beginning at 11 a.m. at the Golden West Invitational in Central Park in Huntington Beach located at 6622 Lakeview Drive (92648).

submitted by Tadzio Garcia