Despite claiming the 2021 Pacific Coast Athletic Conference title followed by a 6th place finish at the Southern California Regionals, the San Diego Mesa women’s cross country team will always wonder what else they could have accomplished. The team was peaking at the right time and injuries were at a minimum. However, due to a positive COVID-19 case, the team was not able to compete as a full team at the state championships.
Sophomore Yahaira Zuniga was a force and set the tone for the team. Zuniga captured the PCAC individual title, named conference MVP, and finished in second place at the state championships earning her second All-American award. Even more impressive, she set a school record on the state championship course. Zuniga recently signed her letter of intent and will continue her academic and athletic career at Stanislaus State.
Although championships are always important, it is also the expectation of the program for all athletes to focus on their development and perform as a team when it counts. Even more important, matriculating student-athletes to four-year universities will always be top priority. “We love to compete against anyone, but our goal is to always move our student-athletes to achieve their academic goals,” states head coach Sean Ricketts. “The past year was a big challenge for the program. The uncertainty was the hardest part. It was difficult to adjust to the virtual format and not being able to be around your athletes and train like we normally do.” Even though the training differed, Ricketts couldn’t be happier with how each athlete responded with the new protocols.
The expectations for the team are high. The coaching staff believes this is one of the most talented groups ever assembled. ”Every athlete we have on the team is important,’ adds Ricketts. “If each player sticks to their role and follows our game plan, we have the opportunity to become one of the best team’s in school history.” According to Ricketts, this year's squad of freshmen are the most talented group they’ve assembled, comparable to the 1994 state championship team coached by Mesa legend Manny Bautista. “We want them to leave their mark on the legacy of the program.”
The women will start their campaign on September 3, 2022 at the Sonoma State Invite. An objective of running at Woodward Park is to preview and visualize the state meet course. The training is also designed on increasing aerobic threshold, lactate threshold, and lactate dynamics. They are also scheduled to run at the Michael Johnson Classic in Western Oregon on September 30 and the Highlander Invitational on October 15 at UC Riverside. They will also race against the top junior college programs such as Mt. San Antonio College, Hartnell College, and Riverside College at The Manny Bautista Cross Country Invitational on October 7 at Naval Training Center Park in San Diego, California. They will also compete against out of state schools such as Mesa Community College in Arizona and Central Arizona.
Our returners include:
Raegan Beckham – 92nd Place (21:16) 2021 CCCAA XC Championships, Track PR's 800m-2:28.41, 1500m-5:23.44
BriAyala – 93rd Place (23:10) 2021 SoCal Championships, Track PR's 400m-61.41
EmmaFitzgerald – XC Redshirt 2021/Track PR’s 800m-2:22.05-, 1500m-5:22.14
Incoming freshman and transfers include:
Kyana Cook - Murrieta Valley HS, XC PR's - 19:57, Track PR's - 1600-5:29, 3200m-11:49
Madison Decker - Murrieta Valley HS, XC PR's - 20:10, Track PR's - 800-2:28, 1600-5:35, 3200m-12:31
Sophie Moser-Smith - Mission Bay HS, XC PR's - 22:40, Track PR's - 800-2:32, 1600-6:00
Mohussin Abakar - Iowa Western CC, XC PR's - 18:42, Track PR's - 400-60, 800-2:25, 1600-5:34
Sidney Garcia - Southwest HS (El Centro), XC PR's - 20:05, Track PR's - 400-58.38, 800-2:24, 1600m-5:42
Presley Bennett - La Costa Canyon HS, XC PR's - 22:24, Track PR's - 1600-5:43, 3200m-12:26
Azucena (Suzy) Hernandez - Central HS (El Centro), XC PR's - 20:10, Track PR's - 800-2:26, 1600-5:32, 3200m-12:12