Lady Giants Just Miss Upset
Led by Alyssa Block, who remained undefeated for the season in winning her fourth straight invitational, the COS women came within seconds of scoring a major upset at the Toro Park Invitational on October 6. Racing on the course that will be the sight the Northern California Championships, the Lady Giants placed second place as a team out of nineteen schools represented. Hartnell College, the number one-ranked Nor Cal team, finished just 4 points ahead of the COS team to claim the Invite title on their home course. Alyssa Block (18:26) won the race and was followed by teammates Jewel Jasso (5th, 21:14), Antonia Lozano (7th, 20:32), Elizabeth Sartuche (12th, 20:45), and Lidia Briseno (18th, 21:06). According to Coach David Bronzan, this was the best team performance by the women's team so far this season.
With a good display of team pack racing the Men's team placed 5th in this Nor Cal Preview race. The top 5 racers for the Giants, De'vyd Lawson, Luis Gonzalez, Oscar Ochoa, Adrian Solis, and Andrew Wood, all finished within a 15 second span of one another. This was by far the tightest grouping of the team this season.
This next Saturday, October 14, most of the team members will be racing on the legendary tough, hilly Mt. SAC Invitational course in Southern California. On that same day Alyssa Block will be racing at the Santa Clara Bronco Invitational alongside many University Division I and II teams and for the first time this season will truly be tested. Coach Bronzan believes that "she is ready for an outstanding effort."
