Gauchos run 11th to qualify for state
The Saddleback men's cross country team qualified for the state meet by finishing 11th overall at the Southern California Regional Finals on Friday in Santa Clarita. It's the seventh straight season the Gauchos have qualified for the state meet.
Saddleback had five runners finish in the top 110 in a race that featured close to 200 total harriers. The Gauchos were led by freshman Brody Ray, who finished 36th overall and 35th in the team competition. Ray ran a 22:13.39 on the 4-mile trek and was just 30 seconds from a top-20 finish.
Ray crossed the finish line 15 seconds before teammate Dale Neumann, who finished 55th in the team competition with a time of 22:28.32. Neumann was followed closely by Jacob King, who was 65th in the team competition (22:36.79).
Mt. San Antonio College edged out fellow Orange Empire Conference foe Riverside City College for first place in the team competition. Santa Ana College was the third OEC program to qualify for the state meet by finishing 9th in the team competition.
Saddleback will run again at the CCCAA State Championships in Fresno on November 18.