The fall season for cross country at Bakersfield College is here. Practices for the team have been going very well for men’s coach Dave Frickel and women’s coach Pam Kelley. They hope that both teams will gain “personal growth through the year,” Frickel said.
The expectations for the cross-country team are high. Frickel said that he wants the team to finish in the top four in the Western State Conference this year.
The number of people on the cross-country team has also expanded this year, with “close to 23” men, Frickel said, and 16 on the women’s team. Each team varies in new and veteran runners.
For the women, it mostly consists of new runners, with only four women returning from last year. The men’s team has half new and half returning runners.
When preparing for a large cross-country meet, Frickel said he wants the athletes to “be prepared physically and mentally.” He also added that he wants the athletes to “get better as a team” and not just individually.
The Ventura invitational on Sept. 5, was held at Arroyo Verde Park. The men’s team finished seventh in the four-mile run, and the women’s team finished strong with a third place in the 5-kilometer (3.1 miles) run.
In the men’s four mile run, Bakersfield College’s Elliot Blakeslee finished 26th out of 111, with teammates Jose Alvares, Victor Diaz, Joshua Cordova and Jordan Points not too far behind, as they finished in the top 60.
In the women’s 5K, Bakersfield College’s Emilley Leming finished with a time of 23:10 in 10th place out of 85, as teammates Melinda Magee, Lorin Maki, Mariela Sanchez and Samantha Pounds finished in the top 50.
The schedule takes both teams to the Fresno, Foothill, Santa Barbara and Bakersfield invitationals. Also, the WSC preview meet is on Oct. 10 with the WSC championships on Oct. 28. The Southern Cal championships are in Bakersfield on Nov. 7 and lastly the state championships on Nov. 22.