Bakersfield College cross-country runner Cesar Mireles finished 43rd overall and first for BC in the men’s four-mile race at Kern County Soccer Park for the Southern California Regional Championships on Nov. 7. Mireles finished with a time of 21 minutes, 5 seconds.
BC men finished 21st out of 28 teams and failed to qualify as a team for the state championships as only the top 14 teams qualify.
Mireles was the only male BC runner to qualify for the state championships. El Camino’s Steven Calise finished first overall and first for his team, with a time of 20:04. San Bernardino Valley won the men’s team score, with a 52.
BC women finished 18th out of 27 teams and also did not qualify for state championships. BC’s Emilley Leming and Lorin Maki finished the race in the top 80 in the 5-kilometer race and were the only BC women to qualify for state championships. Orange Coast College’s Cassie Mitchell finished first overall and first for her team as she finished with a time of 17:48. Glendale won the women’s team score with a 68.
“I’m happy with the way we finished the season, but I still wish we could have done better at regional championships,” said cross country coach Dave Frickel.
Frickel added how Melina Magee’s shin splint injury at the Western State Conference championships on Oct. 28 affected the Southern Cal regional for BC. “Injuries are common to happen in sports, but Magee’s injury was a blow to the women’s team performance.”
BC’s Mireles will compete for the men individually, and Leming and Maki will do the same for the women at Woodward Park in Fresno on Nov. 22 at the community college cross country state championships.