(Tallahassee, FL) The Pima Community College men’s cross country team closed out the 2022 season on a strong note on Saturday at the NJCAA Division I National Championships held at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, FL.
The Aztecs finished in 13th place out of 29 teams with a team score of 385. The Aztecs were ranked No. 19 in the nation coming into the race.
Sophomore Johnathon Lane (Walden Grove HS) finished the 8K race in 34th place with a personal-best time of 26 minutes, 22.1 seconds. His placement and time is the best by a Pima male runner since 2016 when David Fernandez (Ironwood Ridge HS) took 33rd place with a time of 26:13.84.
Sophomore Joel Gardner (Ironwood Ridge HS) placed 44th and crossed the finish line with a time of 26:39.0.
Freshman Russell Bauer-Woodman (Marana HS) took 95th place with a time of 29:07.3 while freshman Abraham Valenzuela (Palo Verde HS) was 101st at 29:24.8. Freshman Justin VanDeberg (Gila Ridge HS) finished in 111th place at 29:50.2.
Coach’s quote: “We improved from last year’s finish despite having hot and humid conditions,” Pima cross country coach Mark Bennett said. “They have showed they can compete with the best talent in the country and the world.”
The Aztecs begin the 2023 Men’s Track & Field season in January.
For complete results of the NJCAA Division I National Championships:
https://live.pttiming.com/XC-PTT.html?mid=5225
Press Release courtesy of Pima Athletics – Raymond Suarez
