On a balmy sun filled late Friday morning, members of the LA Mission College took on the winding and hilly course at the College of the Canyons College Invitational. The race marked the first time the LAMC Eagles returned to action since the Covid pandemic had stopped competition in 2020. The race courses on the COC campus itself presented a formidable race for a team with runners all experiencing their first collegiate race. The women were first with, running 5 kilometer (3.1 miles), with Tara Irvin leading the way in a finishing time of 29 minutes and 19 seconds. Following in a valiant effort after only recently joining the team were Elizabeth Alvarez and Kim Flores-Guerra, with times of 33:01 and 33:10.
For the men, Dylan Atwater, took on the 4 mile course, finishing with a competitive 24:36; strong enough to garner him medal for a 14th place finish out of 45 runners who completed the race. While the pandemic has had effect on the numbers the program is putting out for these races, first year Head Coach Laguna is focused on getting the most out of the athletes he does have and building on that success to continue to create a competitive program.
“Many teams have suffered setbacks during this time, including ours. Regardless, our focus is getting those athletes we do have to perform at their highest levels and demonstrate the kind of improvements that can be achieved through hard work and dedication. This race was one of the more difficult courses you can experience in cross country, and getting through this first competition with some level of success is an important first step to reaching our potential as we move forward toward the championships in October," said Coach Laguna.
The Eagles return to action on Friday, September 10th at the Oxnard College Invitational at Oxnard.
