The San Diego Mesa women’s cross country recently competed at the 2022 Southern California Championships at the Kern County Soccer Complex in Bakersfield, California. The team placed second overall in the 5k run with a time of 1:35.47. Mt. San Antonio College grabbed the title turning in a time of 1:34.13. The second place finish for Mesa is the program's best result since the 1994 women’s cross country team that claimed the state championship title.

PCAC individual champion Mohussin Abakar led the Olympians placing 4th with a time of 18:18.50. Kyana Cook finished in 10th place with 18:46:92. 

“We are extremely happy with the performance of the team,” states head coach Sean Ricketts. “This was their best performance of the season and they executed the race plan accordingly, running a strong last mile.” 

Although the team has had much success this season, the staff believes they can perform even better. Ricketts emphasizes that although the performance in the conference and state championships were good, they have yet to still put together the individual and team performance they are capable of. The team is peaking at the right time, by design. Before the 2022 campaign began, Ricketts and the coaches mapped out this scenario to peak right around mid November. 

With two-weeks to prepare before the state championships, the strategy until then is for team members to stay healthy and focused. Both teams will have a mix of recovery and quality race specific workouts that will lead up to race week in which all focus will be on running the race.  

What’s left for each member to do is to trust the process set before them and execute. Ricketts adds, “on a race day, they have to earn it. Nothing is given.” 

Both the men’s and women’s team will travel to Fresno, CA on Saturday, November 19th to compete in the CCCAA State Championships. The course at Woodward Park will be familiar to both squads having competed earlier this year in the Sonoma State Cross Country Invitational.