Gauchos step out at Central Park event

The Saddleback women's cross country team was finally able to compete as a team this season, hampered to a slow start for the season following a multi-vehicle accident on the freeway prior to the start of the season which curtailed training for a few weeks.

The Gauchos may not have burst onto the running scene in their opening meet, but the fifth place finish out of 13 teams competing in the Golden West Central Park Classic on Friday was a good indicator of the potential of this year's squad.  The Gauchos scored 141 points to get past three other conference teams and only trailed OEC-rival Riverside (103) which finished in fourth place.  Glendale won the event with 32 points.

Sophomore Sara Fleming paced the Gauchos with a ninth place finish overall (19:55) while Caroline Dagarin finished 26th (20:59).  Saddleback had three other Top-50 finishers as Andrea Loyola placed 42nd (21:37), Madelyn Galvez placed 47th (22:09), and Angel Vallier placed 48th (22:11) in the field of 121 runners.

The Gauchos will have another week to train before competing in the Brubaker Invitational at Irvine Regional Park on October 9.