Men Finish Sixth while Gonzales Shines for the Women at Biola Invitational

FULLERTON, Calif. --- The El Camino College cross country team got off to a solid start on Friday as the men placed sixth overall while Sequoia Gonzales picked up where she left off in the season opening meet for the Warriors at the Biola Invitational.

On the men's side, the Warriors finished sixth in a field that included many NCAA Division II programs and 3C2A teams. Amongst the 3C2A teams, the Warriors finished behind only Orange Coast, which finished fifth overall.

Aaron Cohen led the Warriors as he finished with a time of 27:35 over the five-mile rolling trail course with lots of thick grass at Craig Regional Park. The 8,000 meter distance is a mile longer than the typical four-mile races the Warriors will be competing in the rest of the season.

Alan Canales placed 61st for ECC with a time of 28:33 as 10 of the Warriors' men competed at the Biola Invitational.

In contrast, only four women competed for the women and thus did not qualify for a team score, but the Warriors impressed nonetheless. Gonzales, who finished seventh at the 3C2A State Championships in 2022, was outstanding again for ECC as she placed 15th overall with a time of 19:08. Amongst fellow 3C2A competition, only Marbella Flores of East Los Angeles finished ahead of Gonzales, four places better in 11th with a time of 19:04.3.

Ami Jacobson also had a solid finish for the Warriors as she placed 38th with a time of 20:12. Last season, Jacobson finished 14th at the 3C2A State Championships.

The Warriors will return to action on Friday morning at the Southern California Preview Invitational which will be held at El Dorado Park beginning with the women's race at 10 a.m. followed by the men at 11 a.m.