The Harntell College women's cross country team has been on a steady rise throughout the season despite having only two sophomores. Those sophomores proved to be two of the best statewise at Saturday's CCCAA State Championship in Fresno, CA. Both earned All-American honors by placing inside the top 14 overall in the 155 runner field. As a team, the Hartnell women placed tenth overall with 280 points, just 10 points from placing top 8 as a team. With five returners for 2023, the team looks primed for a high finish at next year's regional and state championship.
Sophomores Sofia Camacho and Ashley Ochoa has been two of the top runners statewide all season. The pair have worked well together all season placing as the top two runners in the Coast Conference Championship and second and third at the Northern California Championship. They were separated by only four seconds at the conference meet and less than a second at the regional championship. In the state championship, the pair would finish just seven seconds apart. Camacho repeated her All-American honor from last year joining Kathy Lenno, Malena Grover, and Daniela Salazar as repeat All-Americans in Hartnell history. She placed ninth overall in 18:47 and less than a second from eighth. Ochoa shaved 45 seconds and fifteen places to move up to 13th overall in 18:54. This was Ochoa's first All-American honor in cross country. Camacho is now tied with the fifth fastest Woodward Park performance in Hartnell history with Ochoa moving up to eighth and one of the rare sub 19:00 minute performances in program history.
The team's push for a top three regional finish was fueld by the fine running of Greenfield graduate Maria Garcia. Garcia has been the Panthers consistent third runner. She crossed the line in 21:54, her fastest 5k of the season. Right behind, she found her teammate Ilianna Martinez who was also timed in 21:54. Lapis Hernandez (23:24) would be the Panthers fifth scoring runner but was followed closely by teammate Jade Pimentel (23:28) with both running their fastest race of the season. Ana Martinez enjoyed her best race over the Woodward Park layout in 24:53.
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