Ventura, CA
If judged by quality rather than quantity, the Santa Monica College Cross Country teams made a good showing at the Ventura Invitational. Three SMC athletes all ran smart, determined races, each moving up through the field from the start to finish. Rhiannon Tracey went through mile one in 22nd place and ended up in twelfth. Balmore Montes passed the first mile in 34th place and finished in 21st. Edwin Dominguez was 50th after one mile, yet was 33rd to cross the line.
Making a wise decision to remove the spikes from her racing shoes, Rhiannon looked strong over the whole course, particularly on the hills. Balmore took almost two minutes off his time from last year, which is nice evidence of the effort he has put into his running in the last twelve months. Edwin's time was similar to his time from last year, but he had a full summer of training before the 2018 race, and he is only just starting to get fit this year.
Based on this opener, these three can look forward to having a good season. As for the teams' seasons, they should have a better idea after the next race, the Southern California preview meet, when more Corsairs will be eligible and the competition will be considerably deeper.