Glendale College's cross country squads both had a fine day at the Western State Conference Championships at Waller Park Tuesday.

The host school's men's squad didn't have a particularly good one.

Glendale's women and men ran away with team titles. Host Hancock College's men, who finished in the top half in several meets this year, wound up 11th out of 13 squads and didn't advance to the Southern California Regional Meet as a team.

“I really thought our guys would show better,” said Hancock coach Louie Quintana. ”Some of our guys just had an off day.”

Hancock's women finished 10th. They did not move on as a team. Bulldogs Oscar Torres (sixth place, men's meet) Ariana Fabing (14th, women's race), Rebeccah Herrera (23rd, women's meet) and Miguel Ortiz (33rd, men's race) did advance as individuals.

The top eight teams and top eight runners from non-qualifying teams earned spots in the Southern Cal meet. The meet is Nov. 7 at the Kern County Soccer Park in Bakersfield. The women race is at 2 p.m. The men race at 3.

Glendale's women routed the rest of the 12-team field Tuesday. The Vaqueros scored 22 points to runner-up Cuesta's 132. Ventura was third with 140 points.

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Glendale's men defeated runner-up College of the Canyons 47-87. Ventura placed third in the 13-team field with 112 points.

Freshman Katie Dunn of Glendale and sophomore Andrew Salg of Los Angeles Valley College won the women's and men's races respectively. Dunn ran the grassy, sandy five kilometer course in 19:14.3. Salg won the four-mile men's race in 21:20.0.

Torres ran a 21:57.7. He didn't seem particularly happy with his finish. “I didn't run as well as I could have,” the freshman Cabrillo High School graduate said.

“I had a different strategy. I ran with the front pack, but it didn't work out. I usually stay in the top 20 the first mile, then run negative splits and move up.

“At the Southern Cal meet, I'm going back to the race plan I've had before.”

Dunn built a commanding 20-second lead during the first two miles, then beat teammate Justina Sadauskaite, the runner-up, by almost exactly 10 seconds. Sadauskaite finished in 19:24.4. Lacey O'Connor of Cuesta finished third in 19:32.5.

Salg passed runner-up Nathan Sellers of Glendale in the last 600 yards and won in 21:20.0. Sellers finished in 21:25.2. Cesar Mireles of Bakersfield finished third in 21:25.2.

Dunn and Salg were first-timers on the course. Their comments pretty much matched other runners' analysis of it.

They didn't give it much love.

“I didn't like it,” said Dunn.

“It was really sandy. It wasn't a fast course at all. It would have been better if (workers) would have removed the stuff they'd mowed.” A lot of the course consisted of freshly mowed grass.

For all that, Dunn said, “We're going to come out here and give it our best. We give it our best no matter what course we run.”

Salg said, “Oh God, yes,” when he was asked if the course was a challenging one.

“The footing isn't even all the time. I haven't run in so much sand all year. There are so many changes in terrain, it can throw you off.”

Still, “It gets you ready,” for harder courses, said Salg.

The L.A. Valley men advanced as a team. The Vikings finished sixth.

Men's soccer

Canyons 3, Hancock 0

SANTA CLARITA - The Bulldogs (1-8, 4-14) dropped their seventh straight with a WSC loss on the road.

Hancock coach Al Garcia praised midfielder-forward Javier Renteria and defender-forward Amner Rubio for their play. The Bulldogs play at 4 p.m. Friday at Moorpark in another league game.

October 29, 2008