Report from Pima Community College media relations
The Pima Community College men’s cross country team reached the top of the mountain on Saturday at the NJCAA Division II National Championships in Huntsville, Ala.
The Aztecs claimed the program’s second NJCAA Team National Championship; first in Division II, with a final team score of 45 points. They beat out 47 other teams competing. Des Moines Area Community College was second with 83 points and Mesa Community College took third place with 129 points.
Sophomore Jose Hernandez (Rio Rico HS) was the top Pima finisher in the 8K race as he took fourth place out of 356 competitors with a time of 25 minutes, 08.7 seconds, earning four team points and setting a new personal-record.
Freshman Caius Lastra (Cibola HS) finished behind Hernandez for fifth place (five team points) with a time of 25:12.4.
Freshman Joseph Moreno (Tucson Magnet HS) claimed 10th place (10 team points) as he crossed the finish line at 25:24.6 while sophomore Kallen McCracken (Mountain Ridge HS) took 11th place at 25:30.2 (11 team points). Freshman Brandon Campbell rounded out the top 15 as he finished the race with a time of 25:39.6 (15 team points).
Hernandez, Lastra, Moreno, McCracken and Campbell all earned NJCAA All-American honors for their top 15 finishes.
Sophomore Micah Peynado (Cibola HS) and freshman Lucas Williams (Mica Mountain HS) finished in the top 35. Peynado was 28th with a time of 26:01.4 and Williams’ set a new PR at 26:07.9 as he took 34th place.
“The strategy was to work together for two miles, and then it was just push each other and execute what we needed to do,” Hernandez said. “That race was amazing (for me). I just went out and did what I needed to do. I knew I had to do this for the team and not for myself.”
Pima Cross Country coach Jon Harmon gave his thoughts on the season and the new National Champions.
“The greatest thing we have with our men’s team is experience,” Harmon said. “We have an older team with four sophomores, and they knew what was at stake. They knew this was their last cross country race for Pima and they went out there and gave it their all. They fought and I’m very proud.”
Harmon closed out his first year as cross country coach and said his goal is to turn the program into a dynasty.
“Once you win one, it’s a good feeling but you want to win more.”
The Aztecs will be back to compete in Men’s Track & Field in January.
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