Cal Poly Pomona Athletics

Cal Poly Pomona’s cross country teams will be looking for a successful follow-up in 2004 to a breakthrough 2003 season.

The Broncos received improved performances from both the men's and women's teams and will return most of the top runners on both squads in 2004. The men will return all of its top seven runners, while the women will return six of the top seven.

Head coach Jim Sackett returns for his 25th season as the leader of the Broncos. Sackett guided the Broncos' men to the NCAA Division II championship in 1983 and was named the national Coach of the Year. The Broncos were also ranked No. 1 in the nation for most of the 1997 season. Cal Poly Pomona has had 27 All-Americans in men’s cross country and finished in the top-five nationally six times.

The Broncos captured the 1983 national title at Wisconsin Parkside. Cal Poly Pomona's 86 points gave the Broncos a 14-point margin of victory over second-place St. Cloud State (MN). Cal Poly Pomona was led by seniors Matt Blaty, Tony Reyes and Gary Borbon, all of whom earned All-America honors. Blaty finished ninth, Reyes was 11th and Borbon was 14th. Steve Perez, Jeff Williams, David Loud and Brock Vaughn rounded out the top seven for the national champs. Blaty, Reyes, Borbon, Loud and Williams earned All-CCAA and All-West Region honors that season.

Cal Poly Pomona heads into the 2004 season with optimism following a successful 2003 campaign.

On the men’s side, the Broncos return 10 lettermen, including Mark Batres, who earned the 27th All-American honor in the program's history last season. He finished 24th in the country, fourth in the West Region and third in the CCAA. Daniel Rojas also returns after a sensational season. He finished second in the CCAA, third in the West Region and 40th in the country. All-conference runners David Cerecerez and James Tawney also return. The Broncos were 11th in the country, third in the West Region and second in the CCAA..

For the women, eight runners will be returning from a team that finished fourth in the conference a year ago. No. 1 runner Christina Jimenez leads the list of returners. She earned All-CCAA honors last year while finishing 14th in the conference. Juniors Shawna Winfrey, Natalie Miano and Jamie Ray, who is back after spending a year studying in Spain, should also be top runners for the Broncos.

Men's Cross Country
2003 CCAA Finish: 49 points (2nd place)
2003 West Region Finish: 91 points (3rd place)
All-American: Mark Batres (24th)
All-West Region: Daniel Rojas (3rd), Mark Batres (4th)
All-CCAA: Daniel Rojas (2nd), Mark Batres (3rd), David Cerecerez (14th), James Tawney (15th)
CCAA Coach of the Year: Jim Sackett
2003 Recap: The Broncos finished second in the CCAA, third in the West Region and qualified for the national championships for the first time since 1997. Cal Poly Pomona finished 11th in the country and was led by sophomore Mark Batres, who finished 24th in the country and earned All-America honors. Junior Daniel Rojas had an outstanding year and finished second in the CCAA and third in the West Region. He was 40th in the country. The Broncos also had two other runners earn All-CCAA honors as junior David Cerecerez was 14th in the conference and sophomore James Tawney was 15th. The Broncos hosted the 2003 NCAA Division II West Regional at Prado Park. The future looks extremely bright for Cal Poly Pomona, which returns its entire top seven and will host the 2004 CCAA Championships.

Women's Cross Country
2003 CCAA Finish: 138 points (4th place)
2003 West Region Finish: 326 points (12th place)
All-CCAA: Christina Jimenez (14th)
Recap: The Broncos fielded one of their youngest teams in several years, but it also turned out to be one of their best. Bolstered by a talented group of freshmen, the Broncos moved up two spots in the conference to finish fourth and also jumped up two places in the West Region. Freshman Christina Jimenez finished 14th in the conference to earn All-CCAA honors, while another freshman, Jayme Ambos, finished 16th and missed All-CCAA recognition by one spot. The Broncos also got solid contributions from sophomores Natalie Miano and Shawna Winfrey.

2004 Cross Country Quick Facts
Institution: Cal Poly Pomona
Location: 3801 W. Temple Avenue, Pomona, CA, 91768
Nickname: Broncos
Colors: Green and Gold
Affiliation: NCAA Division II
Head Coach: Jim Sackett, 25th year
Cross Country Office Phone: (909) 869-2831
E-mail: jsackett@csupomona.edu
Men’s 2003 CCAA Finish: 2
Men’s 2003 All-CCAA: 4
Men’s 2003 West Region Finish: 3
Men’s 2003 All-West Region: 2
Men’s 2003 All-Americans: 1
Men’s National Titles: 1 (1983)
Men’s NCAA Appearances: 12 (67, 83, 84, 85, 86, 88, 90, 92, 94, 96, 97, 03)
Men’s Top 5 National Finishes: 6 (1st in 83, 2nd in 67, 3rd in 96, 4th in 90, 5th in 85, 88)
CCAA Titles: 5 (83, 85, 94, 96, 97)
Men’s Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 10/1
Men’s All-Americans (all-time): 27
Cross Country Facility: Prado Park

Women’s 2003 CCAA Finish: 4
Women’s 2003 All-CCAA: 1
Women’s 2003 West Region Finish: 12
Women’s 2003 All-West Region: 0
Women’s 2003 All-Americans: 0
Women’s National Titles: 0
Women’s NCAA Appearances: 1 (1985)
Women’s Top 5 National Finishes: 0
CCAA Titles: 0
Women’s Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 8/3
First Year of Women’s Cross Country: 1980
Women’s All-Americans (all-time): 1
Cross Country Facility: Prado Park

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