By Jesse Muñoz
COC Sports Information Director
VENTURA — Victoria Jamison won the Western State Conference Preview event last week at Arroyo Verde Park, leading College of the Canyons to the top spot in the women’s team standings. Canyons also saw its men’s squad take fifth at the event.
COC’s women’s team entered the first conference meet of the season as defending WSC Champions and put up a performance that left no question about their aspirations for the 2025 season.
“We really want to try and defend that title,” said Jamison, moments after COC saw all six of its runners finish in the top 25, including three in the top 10.
Jamison’s time of 20:47.7 was tops on the hilly 5K course and nearly 44 seconds faster than the runner-up finisher, Peyton Mia (21:31.4) of Allan Hancock College.
“It was pretty hard because of the hills,” said Jamison about the course. “But you just try to work the downhills and use it to your advantage.
“It feels good being ahead, but sometimes it’s hard being alone,” added Jamison. “Knowing my team is right behind me, it helps.”
COC sophomore Lilianna Moreira ran with Jamison near the front of the pack throughout the race, eventually finishing seventh at a pace of 22:35.1.
Freshman Jazlene Herreres took 10th in the field of 51 runners with a time of 22:50.4 with freshman Ruby Salazar just a step behind at 22:51 in 11th place.
Sophomore Alyssa Arriaga was the last to score for Canyons after taking 22nd at a time of 23:33.9. Freshman Andrea Fernandez (25th – 25:01.9) also ran a strong race but was scratched from the final scoring.
COC (36) topped Bakersfield (45), Allan Hancock (63) and Oxnard (82) in the women’s team scoring.
The Cougars (117) men’s squad finished fifth in the men’s race, trailing event winner Moorpark College (69), Cuesta College (75), Glendale (76) and Bakersfield (90), in what was a 10-team field.
Freshman Josue Lopez was the top finisher for the Cougars with a 13th-place time of 23:23.
Alejandro Cueto turned in a time of 23:35.4, good for 17th among the 98 competing runners. Spencer Easterbrook ran third for Canyons and finished 28th in the field at a pace of 24:11. Those two freshmen were followed by fellow frosh Daniel Alexander in 30th at 24:19.8 with sophomore Nathan Parras in 38th at 25:01.7.
Carlos Villa Moreno (46th – 25:26.6), Cody Shirley (54th – 26:11.2), Noah Flores (56th – 26:20.2), Nick Sawyer (63rd – 27:15.5), Josh Smith (69th – 27:48); Jacob Franco (74th – 28:25.5) and Neil Aspert (75th – 28:52) all competed for the Cougars.
Canyons will next compete at the College of Southern Nevada Tri-State Meet in Henderson, Nevada, on Friday, Sept. 26. The out-of-state meet, a program first for the Cougars, is expected to attract a combined field of four- and two-year college athletes.