Pirates punch ticket to State Meet!

BAKERSFIELD -- Sparked by a top-20 performance from sophomore Brian Soriano-Guzman, the Orange Coast College men's cross country team qualified for the state finals in two weeks following a solid ninth-place team performance at Friday's Southern California Regional Meet, held at the Kern County Soccer Fields.

Against the best runners Southern California had to offer, the Pirates earned a ninth-place spot at the meet with a team score of 240, one point ahead of 10th-place Saddleback (241) and only five points back of eighth-place Saddleback (235) in a tightly-congested field.

Soriano-Guzman, who has been in and out of the OCC lineup in 2022, came up big at the biggest meet of the season to date, conquering the 4-mile course with a time of 20 minutes, 16.79 seconds.

Teammate Hector Espana was OCC's No. 2 finisher after placing 32nd overall with a time of 20:40.67, with fellow Pirate August Garcia close behind in 45th with a 20:55.

Other top times for the Pirates include Cole Ridenour (21:44), Carlos Ramos (21:57.94), Damien Martinez (22:18.14) and Raoul Kelly (22:28).

The California Community College Athletic Association State Meet will take place on Saturday, Nov. 19 at Fresno's Woodward Park, beginning at 10 a.m.