EPCC’s cross country team have again shown their ability to compete with other great teams.
They hosted the NJCAA’s second rank team, South Plains College.
EPCC’s women’s cross country team took first, while the men finished second.
The women’s team was spearheaded by Sandra Gueta, Melissa Zepeda and Gabriela Ramos, according to Coach Felix Hinojoso. He calls them “big bad blue,” referring to Del Valle High School’s motto where they attended.
“We raced with our hearts,” Gueta said.
“Coach said to stay in a pack, and if they get first and second [places] and we get third, fourth, fifth and sixth [places], we can win,” Zepeda said.
Ramos finished third followed by Zepeda in fourth and Gueta in fifth. Paola Rodriguez placed seventh and Crystal Chuca in eighth to round out EPCC’s top five finishers who earned 27 points to win the Region V meet.
“Never give up on the down hills because most runners jog and if you run you can pass them,” said Ramos.
Gueta said, “We gave it all we got and we came out on top.”
The men’s race was decided by a matter of seconds between many of the runners.
Robert Menjo, who led the men to their overall second-place finish, finished two seconds behind the firstplace runner.
“I was scared because I knew they were faster, but during the race I knew I could keep up,” said Menjo.
Andres Chavez, who was EPCC’s second runner to finish, took sixth place.
“We were pumped up. We came in here knowing we had an advantage. They came in here thinking it was just another race, but this was a mental race.”
Menjo, Chavez, Ramon Acosta, Eduardo Caballero and Vicente Gomez were the top five finishers on the EPCC men’s team.
“Around the fourth mile, I would kick it into another gear,” said Caballero, who did exactly that during the last quarter mile to take eighth place by a second. Their next meet is the NJCAA Division I Championship on Nov. 10, in Ina, Illinois.
“It comes down to consistency and making sure everyone improves as a student athlete because that’s what it’s about,” said Hinojosa.
