College of the Sequoias' Arianna Ramirez-Romero finishing 1st in the Central Valley Conference Cross Country Championships on October 29, 2025. (Norma Foster / COS Athletics)

November 23, 2025

Giants Women’s Close 2025 with Top-10 Finish at State Cross Country Championships

FRESNO, Calif. — College of the Sequoias men's and women's cross country teams capped off a strong 2025 campaign with standout performances at the California Community College Athletic Association (3C2A) State Cross Country Championships, held Saturday, November 22 at Woodward Park in Fresno, California. The COS women placed seventh overall in the state, while the men saw three individuals close out their season with competitive finishes in a deep field of California's best.

Women's Recap

College of the Sequoias' women's team secured a 7th-place team finish with 237 points, powered by strong individual races and several personal bests. Sophomore Arianna Ramirez‑Romero led the way with a PR of 19:06.57, placing 25th overall in one of the best state finishes.

Freshman Gia Ortega also hit a PR, clocking 19:35.91 to finish 35th. She finished strong to move up the leaderboard and to secure critical points for the Giants. Sophomore Elizabeth Urquilla ran 20:20.32 for 78th, continuing her role as a steady contributor all season.

Freshman Lizzet Rodriguez and Ana Landeros each recorded PRs as well. Rodriguez placed 79th with a time of 20:21.39, while Landeros followed closely in 86th with a new best of 20:27.25. Their improvements helped COS secure a top-8 finish in the team standings.

Rounding out the lineup, Vanessa Medina ran 21:47.68 and Trinity Ortega recorded a PR of 21:52.59.

"We had five runners set personal bests on the biggest stage of the year," said Head Coach Arianna Perry. "That speaks to how hard they've worked and how much they believed in themselves. I'm incredibly proud of what this group accomplished—seventh in the state with a young team is no small feat."

Men's Recap

The COS men's team was represented by four individuals at the state meet, with sophomore Julian Valdivia leading the way in 37th place with a time of 21:01.39. He held his own against a stacked field and finished strong.

Sophomore Marcos Soltero finished in 22:31.40, while freshman Beckham Ybarra finished in 22:38.97. Sophomore Reyes Contreras Alvarez capped his season with a PR of 22:46.41.

"I'm proud of how Julian battled with the best in the state," said Perry. "And seeing Beckham and Reyes finish strong today shows how much they've grown and improved. They were hungry to compete. That mentality is going to carry this program forward."