News/Results

Broncos Finish 14th In Nation
Cal Poly Pomona men’s cross country places for second straight year

EVANSVILLE, IND. – Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s cross country team finished 14th in the nation in the NCAA Division II Championships Saturday hosted by Southern Indiana.

The Broncos’ talented 1-2 punch of Daniel Rojas (Sr., El Monte, Mt. San Antonio College) and Mark Batres (Jr., Rowland Heights, Don Bosco Tech HS) were unable to duplicate the success they had enjoyed throughout the season, but still ran well enough to earn All-America honors. Rojas, the CCAA champion and West Region runner-up, had the Broncos’ best finish, taking 18th in 32:50.9, while Batres, the West Region champion, wound up 35th in 33:19.8 over a 10,000 meter course.

The top 37 runners received All-America honors. It was the second cross country All-America honor for Batres and the first for Rojas. Cal Poly Pomona had two cross country All-Americans for the first time since 1997.

“It rained like heck on Thursday and the course was a sloppy mess,” Cal Poly Pomona Head Coach Jim Sackett said. “If you weren’t out with the lead group, you really had to battle. Because of the conditions, it was extremely difficult to pass anyone.”

The Broncos were ranked 13th in the nation entering the meet. Chico State, the CCAA and West Region champion, was fourth overall, while Seattle Pacific, the other qualifier from the West, finished 19th.
Cal Poly Pomona was 11th in the country a year ago.

“We were hoping to finish in the Top Ten and I thought we could finish in the Top Ten, but we just didn’t get the job done in the conditions,” Sackett said. “A lot of people didn’t get the job done. When you run in those kinds of conditions, you just never know what will happen.”

James Tawney (Jr., Barstow, Barstow HS) was 77th in 34:22.8, David Cerecerez (Sr., Rancho Cucamonga, Mt. San Antonio College) was 117th in 35:00.4, Brad Theobald (Sr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS) was 138th in 35:31.2, Peter Barriga (Jr., Huntington Beach, Edison HS) was 145th in 35:45.0 and Chris Miano (Jr., Barstow, Mt. San Antonio College) was 166th in 36:27.7.

Cal Poly Pomona will host the 2005 NCAA Division II Cross Country championships on Nov. 19, 2005, two weeks after hosting the 2005 NCAA Division II West Region championships. Both meets will be held at Prado Park.

Batres Wins NCAA Regional Crown
Cal Poly Pomona qualifies for NCAA Championships for second straight year

BELLINGHAM, WA – Cal Poly Pomona’s Mark Batres (Jr., Rowland Heights, Don Bosco Tech HS) won the NCAA Division II West Region individual championship and the Broncos enjoyed one of their best days of the 2004 season.

Led by Batres and Daniel Rojas (Sr., El Monte, Mt. San Antonio College), who finished 1-2 in the 10,000-meter race, the Bronco men finished second in the region and qualified for the NCAA Division II Championships, which will be held in two weeks in Evansville, Ind. Batres won the race in 32:09, while Rojas was a close second in 32:11. The Broncos’ top duo dominated the field in the latter stages of the race and the third-place finisher was a distant 12 seconds behind Rojas.

The Bronco women, led by an 18th-place finish from Natalie Miano-Batres (Jr., Rowland Heights, Nogales HS) finished sixth as a team and missed qualifying for the NCAA Championships by a mere 11 points. Last year, Cal Poly Pomona’s women were 12th in the region. On Saturday, the Broncos were the third California Collegiate Athletic Association team to finish, two weeks after finishing fourth in the conference.

Batres’ victory adds to an impressive season by the Bronco men. Batres and Rojas have combined to win four races this season, including the last two. Rojas won the CCAA Championship two weeks ago, while Batres was second.

James Tawney (Jr., Barstow, Barstow HS) finished 18th in 33:52, David Cerecerez (Sr., Rancho Cucamonga, Mt. San Antonio College) was 23rd in 34:15, Christopher Miano (Jr., Barstow, Mt. San Antonio College) was 29th in 34:29, Brad Theobald (Sr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS) was 32nd in 34:33 and Peter Barriga (Jr., Huntington Beach, Edison HS) was 69th in 35:38.

Chico State won the men’s title with 30 points, while the Broncos were second with 73 points. Seattle Pacific was a distant third with 143 points and defeated UC San Diego (154 points) for the final spot in the NCAA Championships.

Miano-Batres finished 18th in 24:01 over a 6,000-meter course to lead the Bronco women. Christina Jimenez (So., Barstow, Barstow HS) was 32nd in 24:24, Monica Valdez (Jr., Lake Elsinore, Temescal Canyon HS) was 36th in 24:33, Shawna Winfrey (Sr., Santee, West Hills HS) was 45th in 24:50, Jamie Ray (Jr., Barstow, Barstow HS) was 48th in 24:54, Karina Vega (Fr., Chino Hills, Ayala HS) was 76th in 25:42 and Whitney Hurley (So., Alta Loma, Alta Loma HS) was 81st in 25:50.

Chico State won the women's title with 49 points. UC San Diego and Alaska Anchorage finished second and third with 96 points and 168 points. Cal Poly Pomona finished sixth with 179 points.

Chico State Sweeps CCAA Meet
Cal Poly Pomona’s Rojas, Chico State’s James win individual crowns

POMONA – It was a banner day for a Cal Poly Pomona runner and a dominating day for the Chico State men’s and women’s cross country programs.

Cal Poly Pomona’s Daniel Rojas led a 1-2 Bronco finish in the men’s race, but Chico State carried the day with lopsided victories in the team divisions at the 2004 CCAA Cross Country Championships held at Cal Poly Pomona. The Wildcats had a perfect score in the women’s race, capturing the first five places for 15 points, while the Chico State men had 25 points to outdistance runner-up Cal Poly Pomona, which finished second with 50 points. UC San Diego was second in the women’s division.

The meet was moved from Prado Park to Cal Poly Pomona because of the heavy rains early in the week that made for unsafe running conditions in Chino. The men’s course at Cal Poly Pomona was estimated at 7,200 meters, while the women’s race was estimated at 5,600 meters.

Rojas (Sr., El Monte, Mt. San Antonio College) won his third consecutive big race and claimed the CCAA men’s individual championship with a time of 22:19.8. Teammate Mark Batres (Jr., Rowland Heights, Don Bosco Tech HS), the 2002 CCAA champion, finished second in 22:23.7. It was all Chico State after that as the Wildcats took the next eights spots with Patrick Boivin, Antonio Miramontes, Scott Bauhs, Beau Bettinger, Kyle Ivie, Steven Springhorn, Charlie Serrano and Joel Martinez finishing third through 10th.
Two other Wildcats, Chris Layman and Ernesto Hernandez, also earned All-CCAA honors by finishing in the top-15.

Jennifer James led the Wildcat assault in the women’s race, capturing the conference title with a time of 20:09.4. Kelly Ortieb was second in 20:28.4, Mary Biggs was third in 20:31.0, Laura Cohen was fourth in 20:34.8 and Ciara Harvey was fifth in 20:38.4 for the Wildcats.

UC San Diego’s Miriam Hodgins broke the Chico State logjam by finishing sixth, while Tanya Zeferjahn of Cal State San Bernardino was seventh.

Chico State’s 15 points put the Wildcats well ahead of second-place UC San Diego’s 53 points. Cal State Stanislaus was third with 118 points, while Cal Poly Pomona finished fourth with 125 points.

Chico State’s Gary Towne was named the Coach of the Year in both the men’s and women’s divisions.

Chico State’s Scott Bauhs was the men’s Freshman of the Year, while Diane Dunn of UC San Diego was the women’s Freshman of the Year. Rojas and James earned CCAA Athlete of the Year honors in their respective divisions.

CCAA Championships
At Cal Poly Pomona
Men
7,200 Meters (estimated distance)
Team scores: 1. Chico State 25; 2. Cal Poly Pomona 50; 3. UC San Diego 63; 4. Cal State Stanislaus 122; 5. San Francisco State 135.
Individuals (Top 15 Earn All-CCAA Honors): 1. Daniel Rojas (Cal Poly Pomona) 22:19.8; 2. Mark Batres (Cal Poly Pomona) 22:23.7; 3. Patrick Boivin (Chico State) 22:36.8; 4. Antonio Miramontes (Chico State) 22:42.8; 5. Scott Bauhs (Chico State) 22:42.9; 6. Beau Bettinger (Chico State) 22:44.4; 7. Kyle Ivie (Chico State) 22:45.4; 8. Steven Springhorn (Chico State) 22:46.5; 9. Charlie Serrano (Chico State) 22:52.5; 10. Joel Martinez (Chico State) 22:58.9; 11. Robert Eap (UC San Diego) 22:59.9; 12. Carl Lostrom (UC San Diego) 23:19.9; 13. Chris Layman (Chico State) 23:25.4; 14. Ernesto Hernandez (Chico State) 23:38.4; 15. James Tawney (Cal Poly Pomona) 23:42.2.
Other Cal Poly Pomona runners: 20. Brad Theobald 24:02.1; 21. Peter Barriga 24:07.9; 24. David Cerecerez 24:26.1; 25. Christopher Miano 24:29.5; 29. Daniel Sutton-Kane 24:52.9; 35. Humberto Arredondo 25:10.1; 38. Benjamin Miedema 25:52.3.

Women
5,600 Meters (estimated distance)
Team Scores 1. Chico State 15; 2. UC San Diego 53; 3. Cal State Stanislaus 118; 4. Cal Poly Pomona 125; 5. Cal State San Bernardino 141; 6. Cal State Bakersfield 167; 7. Sonoma State 194; 8. Cal State L.A. 202; 9. San Francisco State 241; 10. Cal State Dominguez Hills 260
Individuals (Top 15 Earn All-CCAA Honors): 1. Jennifer James (Chico State) 20:09.4; 2. Kelly Ortieb (Chico State) 20:28.4; 3. Mary Biggs (Chico State) 20:31.0; 4. Laura Cohen (Chico State) 20:34.8; 5. Ciara Harvey (Chico State) 20:38.4; 6. Miriam Hodgins (UC San Diego) 20:38.7; 7. Tanya Zeferjahn (Cal State San Bernardino) 20:39.4; 8. Ryan Mayfield (Cal State Bakersfield) 20:46.8; 9. Diane Dunn (UC San Diego) 20:54.5; 10. Michelle DiMeo (UC San Diego) 20:55.0; 11. Sarah Montez (Chico State) 20:56.7; 12. Desiree Dvorak (Cal State Stanislaus) 21:00.2; 13. Jessica Laslovich (UC San Diego) 21:02.5; 14. Zuzana Iler (Cal State Bakersfield) 21:14.5; 15. Lindsey Young (UC San Diego) 21:17.5.
Cal Poly Pomona runners: 22. Natalie Miano-Batres 21:36.6; 27. Christina Jimenez 21:46.1; 30. Monica Valdez 21:56.3; 33. Jamie Ray 22:05.9; 35. Shawna Winfrey 22:12.0; 42. Carolyn Brown 22:44.3; 45. April Grothe 22:53.1; 48. Whitney Hurley 23:04.5; 71. Tatiana Garcia 25:45.1

Broncos Continue Their Climb
Cal Poly Pomona’s women’s cross country team moves to third

POMONA -- Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s cross country team stayed steady in the latest NCAA Division II West Region rankings, while the Bronco women’s team received its best-ever regional rating for the second straight week.

The Bronco women, who broke into the regional rankings last week at No. 4, climbed to No. 3 this week after a gutty performance at the UC Riverside Invitational. Despite running without No. 1 runner Natalie Miano-Batres (Jr., Rowland Heights, Nogales HS), the Broncos finished third out of 19 teams. The Broncos finished ahead of No. 9 Cal State San Bernardino, Cal State L.A. and Cal State Dominguez Hills, among others.

The women are in the running for what would be only the second appearance in the nationals in the program’s history and first since 1985. The Broncos finished fourth in the California Collegiate Athletic Association last season and 12th in the West Region. The top three teams in the region will advance.

Christina Jimenez (So., Apple Valley, Granite Hills HS) was the team’s No. 1 runner on Saturday, finishing 12th while covering a 5,000-meter course in 19:04.1. Monica Valdez (Jr., Lake Elsinore, Temescal Canyon HS) was 17th in 19:11.0, Karina Vega (Fr., Chino Hills, Ayala HS) was 23rd in 19:27.8, Shawna Winfrey (Sr., Santee, West Hills HS) was 26th in 19:30.9 and Jamie Ray (Jr., Barstow, Barstow HS) was 32nd in 19:38.2.

The Bronco men, who were without several top runners on Saturday, got another outstanding performance from Daniel Rojas (Sr., El Monte, Mt. San Antonio College), who won a race for the second straight week. Rojas covered an 8,000-meter course in 24:16.8 and finished first in a field of 238 runners. In the past two weeks, Rojas has finished ahead of 402 runners.

In four races this season, Rojas has finished fourth in a 159-runner field at Cal State Fullerton, third in a 109-runner field at the Aztec Invitational and first the past two weeks.

The Bronco cross country teams will be at the Triton Invitational this Saturday. It will be the final tuneup before the CCAA Championships, which will be hosted by the Broncos on Oct. 23 at Prado Park.

Rojas Continues His Winning Ways
Cal Poly Pomona’s cross country teams compete in Riverside

RIVERSIDE -- Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s and women’s cross country teams competed in the UC Riverside Invitational on Saturday and got exceptional performances once again from Daniel Rojas (Sr., El Monte, Mt. San Antonio College) and from an improving Bronco women’s team.

Rojas, for the second straight week, won the men’s individual title, this time finishing the 8,000-meter UC Riverside Farm Course in 24:16.8. He finished nearly seven seconds ahead of runner-up Jimmy Grabow of Long Beach State. Running without All-American Mark Batres (Jr., Rowland Heights, Don Bosco Tech HS) and regular scorer Brad Theobald (Sr., Corona, Centennial HS), the Broncos finished 10th. Rojas was coming off a spectacular performance at Southern Indiana, where he won in a field of 166. The field at UC Riverside had 238 runners.

Cal Poly Pomona’s women, meanwhile, despite running without No. 1 runner Natalie MianoBatres (Jr., Hacienda Heights, Nogales HS), finished third in the women’s race behind a club team and UC Irvine and ahead of California Collegiate Athletic Association team Cal State San Bernardino, which took fifth. Cal Poly Pomona currently enjoys its highest regional ranking ever – fourth – while the Coyotes are ranked ninth.

Following Rojas for the men was James Tawney (Jr., Barstow, Barstow HS), who took 42nd in 25:44.60. Chris Miano (Jr., Barstow, Mt. San Antonio College) was 51st in 25:52.3, Daniel Sutton-Kane (Jr., Santee, West Hills HS) was 107th in 27:05.5 and Benjamin Miedema (Jr., Carlsbad, Carlsbad HS) was 117th in 27:13.0.

For the women, Christina Jimenez (So., Apple Valley, Granite Hills HS), a returning All-CCAA performer, was the Broncos’ No. 1 runner for the first time this season, finishing 12th in 19:04.1. Monica Valdez (Jr., Lake Elsinore, Temescal Canyon HS) was 17th in 19:11.1, Karina Vega (Fr., Chino Hills, Ayala HS) was 23rd in 19:27.8, Shawna Winfrey (Sr., Santee, West Hills HS) was 26th in 19:30.9 and Jamie Ray (Jr., Barstow, Barstow HS) was 32nd in 19:38.2.

The Broncos will run at the Triton Invitational at UC San Diego next Saturday, Oct. 9. Cal Poly Pomona will host the CCAA Championships at Prado Park on Oct. 23.

Broncos Receive Best-Ever Ranking
Cal Poly Pomona cross country teams rate high in West Region

POMONA -- Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s cross country team improved its national ranking to 14 and its regional ranking stood steady at three, but it was the Bronco women’s team that made some big noise this week.

After an impressive seventh-place finish at the Stegemoller Classic at Southern Indiana last weekend, the Bronco women jumped from unranked to fourth in the most recent NCAA Division II West Region rankings.

The top three teams in the region for both men and women will qualify for the nationals. The Broncos finished one spot behind California Collegiate Athletic Association rival UC San Diego, which is second in the region, and wound up four spots ahead of Alaska Anchorage, which is seventh.

The regional ranking for the women is believed to be the highest in the program’s history, according to Head Coach Jim Sackett, who is now in his 25th year leading the Broncos.

The women are in the running for what would be only the second appearance in the nationals in the program’s history and first since 1985. The Broncos finished fourth in the California Collegiate Athletic Association last season and 12th in the West Region.

The No. 1 runner so far this season for the women’s team is Natalie Miano-Batres (Jr., Rowland Heights, Nogales HS). Miano-Batres finished 20th in a field of 147 at the Stegemoller Classic at Southern Indiana. She was the CCAA’s Runner of the Week for the week of Aug. 30 – Sept. 5 after finishing 18th at the Cal State Fullerton Season Opener.

Karina Vega (Fr., Chino Hills, Ayala HS) has been one of the most improved runners on the team and she took 27th last week. Christina Jimenez (So., Apple Valley, Granite Hills HS), who earned All-CCAA honors last season, Jamie Ray (Jr., Barstow, Barstow HS), Shawna Winfrey (Sr., Santee, West Hills HS), Monica Valdez (Jr., Lake Elsinore, Temescal Canyon HS) and Whitney Hurley (So., Alta Loma, Alta Loma HS) rounded out the top seven for the Broncos last weekend.

Cal Poly Pomona’s cross country teams will compete at the UCR Invitational on Saturday.

Rojas Named CCAA Runner Of The Week
Cal Poly Pomona senior takes weekly conference honors again

WALNUT CREEK -- Cal Poly Pomona’s Daniel Rojas (Sr., El Monte, Mt. San Antonio College) has been named the California Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Week for the week of Sept. 20-26.

Rojas won the honors for a second straight week. Rojas also claimed weekly honors last week after finishing third at the San Diego State Aztec Invitational.

Rojas won in a field of 166 competitors at the Southern Indiana Invitational last Saturday. He completed the 8,000-meter course in a time of 24:59. He led the Broncos to a fifth-place finish in a field of 15 collegiate teams.

Rojas becomes the third member of the Cal Poly Pomona cross country programs to win weekly honors already this season. Mark Batres (Jr., Rowland Heights, Nogales HS) and wife Natalie Miano-Batres (Jr., Rowland Heights, Nogales HS) swept the men’s and women’s honors for the week of Aug. 30 – Sept. 5.

The Broncos, who are ranked 15th in the nation, will race in the UC Riverside Invitational on Saturday, October 2.


Rojas-Batres Run 1-2 In Indiana
Cal Poly Pomona’s cross country teams get preview of 2004 championship course

EVANSVILLE, Ind.-- Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s and women’s cross country teams got to experience the course that will be used for the 2004 NCAA Division II championships and the Broncos found the course to their liking.

Daniel Rojas (Sr., El Monte, Mt. San Antonio College) set a new course record at Southern Indiana’s 8,000 meter layout, winning the race in a time of 24:59. Teammate Mark Batres (Jr., Rowland Heights, Don Bosco Tech HS) finished second, just one second behind at 25:00. The Bronco pair were part of a four-man pack at the front that included two runners from Lock Haven, which won the with 47 points. The Broncos wound up fifth with 134 points, two more than CCAA competitor UC San Diego.

Brad Theobald (Sr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS) was 38th in 26:26, Chris Miano (Jr., Barstow, Mt. San Antonio College) was 46th in 26:37 and James Tawney (Jr., Barstow, Barstow HS) was 53rd in 26:43. David Cerecerez (Sr., Rancho Cucamonga, Mt. San Antonio College) was 85th in 27:42, Humberto Arredondo (So., Azusa, Azusa HS) was 91st in 27:47, Bernardo Santillan (So., Pico Rivera, Pico Rivera HS) was 118th in 28:33 and Sean DiFilippo was 147th in 30:04. There were a total of 166 runners in the field.

The Bronco women finished seventh in a field of 15, just one place behind UC San Diego. Natalie Miano-Batres (Jr., Rowland Heights, Nogales HS) was the No. 1 runner for the Broncos for the third meet in a row, finishing 20th in 23:37. Karina Vega (Fr., Chino Hills, Ayala HS) was 27th in 24:10, Christina Jimenez (So., Apple Valley, Granite HS) was 44th in 24:45, Jamie Ray (Jr., Barstow, Barstow HS) was 54th in 25:05, Shawna Winfrey (Sr., Santee, West Hills HS) was 60th in 25:15, Monica Valdez (Jr., Lake Elsinore, Temescal Canyon HS) was 68th in 25:30, Whitney Hurley (So., Alta Loma, Alta Loma HS) was 80th in 25:48 and Claudia Garcia (Fr., Whittier, La Serna HS) was 86th in 25:55.

The Broncos will compete again next Saturday, Oct. 2, at the UC Riverside Invitational.

Rojas Named CCAA Runner Of The Week
Cal Poly Pomona senior takes weekly conference honors

WALNUT CREEK -- Cal Poly Pomona’s Daniel Rojas (Sr., El Monte, Mt. San Antonio College) has been named the California Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Week for the week of Sept. 13-19.

Rojas finished third in a field of 109 competitors at the San Diego State Aztec Invitational last Saturday at Balboa Park. He completed the 8,000-meter course in a time of 25:31. He led the Broncos to a fourth-place finish out of 11 four-year collegiate teams. The Broncos finished ahead of Division I programs Loyola Marymount, University of San Diego, Cal State Northridge and Pepperdine.

Rojas becomes the third member of the Cal Poly Pomona cross country programs to win weekly honors already this season. Mark Batres (Jr., Rowland Heights, Nogales HS) and wife Natalie Miano-Batres (Jr., Rowland Heights, Nogales HS) swept the men’s and women’s honors for the week of Aug. 30 – Sept. 5.

The Broncos, who are ranked 15th in the nation, will run in the Southern Indiana Invitational on Saturday on the course that will be used for the 2004 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships.

Rojas Leads Broncos In San Diego
Cal Poly Pomona’s cross country teams run well in Aztec Invitational

SAN DIEGO -- Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s and women’s cross country teams continued their early-season success with strong showings at the Aztec Invitational.

Daniel Rojas (Sr., El Monte, Mt. San Antonio College) finished third overall to lead the Bronco men to a fourth-place finish in the Invitational, while Natalie Miano-Batres (Jr., La Puente, Nogales HS) was the top woman finisher for the second straight meet, taking 26th to lead the Broncos to an eighth-place finish.

Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s team finished fourth with 113 points. Northern Arizona won the meet with 65 points, Arizona was second with 87 and Southern Utah was third with 107. The Broncos finished ahead of Division I programs Central Arizona, Loyola Marymount, University of San Diego, Cal State Northridge and Pepperdine.

Rojas had the top individual effort, placing third with a time of 25:31 over an 8,000-meter course at Balboa Park. Mark Batres (Jr., Rowland Heights, Don Bosco Tech HS) was next, finishing sixth in 25:53.

J.D. Tawney (Jr., Barstow, Barstow HS) was 30th in 27:16, Brad Theobald (Sr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS) was 37th in 27:35, David Cerecerez (Sr., Rancho Cucamonga, Mt. San Antonio College) was 46th in 28:04 and Chris Miano (Jr., Barstow, Mt. San Antonio College) was 60th for the Cal Poly Pomona “A” team.

The Broncos also fielded a “B” team that finished fourth in the “Open Division.” Humberto Arredondo (So., Azusa, Azusa HS) was 22nd in 28:45. Sean DiFilippo (Fr., Glendora, Glendora HS) was 24th in 28:49, Bernardo Santillan (So., Pico Rivera, El Rancho HS) was 25th in 28:53, Fidel Dominguez (Jr., West Covina, Mt. San Antonio College) was 26th in 28:58, Benjamin Miedema (Jr., Carlsbad, Carlsbad HS) was 28th in 29:19, Peter Barriga (Jr., Huntington Beach, Edison HS) was 34th in 29:43 and Matt Komoto (Sr., La Verne, Damien HS) was 44th in 30:12.

Miano-Batres led the Bronco women by finishing 26th in 19:18 over a 5,000-meter course. Karina Vega (Fr., Chino Hills, Ayala HS) was 41st in 19:57, Christina Jimenez (So., Apple Valley, Granite Hills HS) was 53rd in 20:11, Jamie Ray (Jr., Barstow, Barstow HS) was 76th in 20:43, Monica Valdez (Jr., Lake Elsinore, Temescal Canyon HS) was 86th in 21:00 and Shawna Winfrey (Sr., Santee, West Hills HS) was 95th in 21:18.

The Bronco women finished eighth in the Invitational and finished ahead of Loyola Marymount, the University of San Diego, Cal State Northridge, San Diego State and CCAA member Cal State San Bernardino.

The Broncos also had a “B” team that was seventh in the “Open Division.” Whitney Hurley (So., Alta Loma, Alta Loma HS) was 29th in 20:55 to lead the way. Claudia Garcia (Fr., Whittier, La Serna HS) was 31st in 21:10, Carolyn Brown (So., Burbank, Burbank Burroughs HS) was 45th in 21:47, April Grothe (Fr., Diamond Bar, Diamond Ranch HS) was 69th in 23:19, Tatiana Garcia (Fr., El Monte, So. El Monte HS) was 72nd in 23:36 and Keiry Perez (Fr., Ontario, S. El Monte HS) was 77th in 24:01.

The Broncos will return to action next Saturday at the Southern Indiana Invitational, where they will run on the course where the 2004 NCAA Division II Championships will be held.

Batres Household Sweeps CCAA Running Honors
Cal Poly Pomona All-American and wife earn conference recognition

WALNUT CREEK -- Cal Poly Pomona’s Mark Batres and wife Natalie Miano-Batres have been named the California Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Runners of the Week for the week of Aug. 30-Sept. 5.

Batres (Jr., Rowland Heights, Don Bosco Tech HS) received his honors after finishing second at the Cal State Fullerton Season Opener on Saturday. He completed the 8,000-meter course at the Carbon Canyon Regional Park in Brea in a sizzling 24:39.5. The Broncos were second in the race and beat Division I programs UC Riverside, Cal State Fullerton, Pepperdine and San Diego.

It is the third weekly cross country honor of Batres’ career.

Miano-Batres (Jr., Rowland Heights, Nogales HS) was honored after finishing 18th out of 183 competitors in the Cal State Fullerton Season Opener. Her time over a 5,000-meter course at Carbon Canyon Regional Park in Brea was 18:55.2. The Broncos finished seventh as a team out of 13 four-year colleges.

Miano-Batres is the first member of the Broncos’ women’s program to receive conference weekly honors since Monica Valdez (Jr., Lake Elsinore, Temescal Canyon HS) for the week of Oct. 1-7, 2001.

Broncos Get Off To A Running Start
Cal Poly Pomona’s cross country teams open with big performances

POMONA -- Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s and women’s cross country teams will gladly accept their results Saturday at the Cal State Fullerton “Season Opener.”

The Bronco men finished second among 16 teams, accumulating 88 points, which was just one point more than club team Cal Coast, which won the meet with 87 points. The Bronco women, meanwhile, finished an impressive eighth in a 19-team field.

It was a great day for Broncos newlyweds Mark Batres (Jr., Rowland Heights, Don Bosco Tech HS) and Natalie Miano-Batres (Jr., La Puente, Nogales HS), who were the No. 1 runners for their respective teams. Batres finished second in a swift 24:39.5 over an 8,000 meter course at Carbon Canyon Regional Park in Brea. He is a returning All-American in both cross country and track and field and he married his new bride in May before the Broncos hosted the NCAA Division II national championships.

Teammate Daniel Rojas (Sr., El Monte, Mt. San Antonio College) was fourth in 24:55.3, while J.D. Tawney (Jr., Barstow, Barstow HS) was 19th. Brad Theobard (Sr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS) was 35th in 26:25.0 and Chris Miano (Jr., Barstow, Mt. San Antonio College) was 38th in 26:29.3.

David Cerecerez (Jr., Rancho Cucamonga, Mt. San Antonio College) was 59th in 27:07.1 and Sean DiFilippo (Fr., Glendora, Glendora HS) was 67th in 27:21.2.

For the women, Miano-Batres had the best result, finishing 18th in 18:55.2, while Christina Jimenez (So., Apple Valley, Granite Hills HS) was 29th in 19:07.2. Karina Vega (Fr., Chino Hills, Ayala HS) was 48th in 19:42.3, Monica Valdez (Jr., Lake Elsinore, Temescal Canyon HS) was 49th in 19:43.4, Jamie Ray (Jr., Barstow, Barstow HS) was 61st in 20:03.5, Shawna Winfrey (Sr., Santee, West Hills HS) was 70th in 20:12.5 and Whitney Hurley (So., Alta Loma, Alta Loma HS) was 89th in 20:40.1.

The Broncos will compete next at the Aztec Invitational in San Diego on Saturday, Sept. 18.

For more information on Cal Poly Pomona men's and women's cross country, please direct e-mail to jsackett@csupomona.edu