Gritty Jimenez Qualifies at Mt. SAC

Nicole Jimenez became the first woman from Glendale College to qualify for the state junior college cross-country meet since 1981 by finishing 12th in the Southern California championships Saturday at Mount San Antonio College.

Jimenez, the Western State Conference champion, covered the challenging three-mile course in 19 minutes, 23 seconds after running among the leaders for the first mile.

“My feet felt like they were on fire,” the freshman said. “It was boiling out there . . . I just wanted to finish.”

James Moore qualified in the men’s race for Glendale, placing 17th in 21:07 over four miles.

The Moorpark women’s team, paced by former Thousand Oaks High standouts Pam Fuller and Tricia Mathiesen, finished ninth in the team standings with 246 points. Fuller placed 25th and Mathiesen 34th in 19:55 and 20:17.

Christy Stubbs (58th), Deane Feuss (90th) and Chris McComb (99th) completed the Moorpark scoring. Glendale’s Sophia Hill placed 52nd in 21:07.

Oonagh Bruni of San Diego City won the women’s race in 18:07.

The Mt. SAC women’s team won the meet easily with 50 points, followed by Bakersfield (86), El Camino (92), San Diego City (100) and San Diego Mesa (105).

The top five teams and as many as 15 individuals from teams other than those that qualified now advance to the state meet on Nov. 18 at Woodward Park in Fresno.

In the men’s race, Riverside College’s Noureddine Morceli ran to an impressive victory with a 19:20.8 clocking, one second off the course record of 19:19.8 set by Glendale’s Bob Thomas in 1974. Morceli took a wrong turn at the 3 1/4-mile mark that cost him at least 10 seconds.

Morceli, the state champion at 1,500 meters and 5,000 meters, rocketed to a nine-second lead over Pablo Sierra of East Los Angeles College after the first mile in 4:32, doubled it to 18 seconds at two miles (9:04) on the steep, switchback portion of the course then coasted unchallenged.

Sierra held on for second in 19:50, followed by John Meagher of Riverside (20:05), Jaime Galindo of Ventura (20:18) and Martin Rodriguez of Trade Tech (20:29).

Glendale, led by Moore’s finish, placed 11th with 246 points. Sal Garfias (57th), Javier Flores (60), Fred Mizarian (69th) and Rick Provenzano (82nd) rounded out the Vaquero scoring.

Mt. SAC edged Riverside in the men’s team standings, 82-87, followed by Grossmont (120), San Diego Mesa (125) and Pasadena (139).