Photo--file picture from last year of Will Zentmyer, PCC's top runner at the season-opening CSU Fullerton meet

Sophomore Will Zentmyer, his team’s top runner at last year’s South Coast Conference championships, ran in 44th place overall as the Pasadena City College men’s cross country team’s best runner at the Cal State Fullerton Season Opener Meet held Saturday morning at Brea’s Carbon Canyon Park.

Zentmyer, who placed 16th overall at the SCC finals, ran a time of 27 minutes, 35.3 seconds in the 8-kilometer race. His time was the fourth fastest among community college racers as 197 runners from both 2-year colleges and 4-year universities participated.

Despite Zentmyer’s strong race, the Lancers placed 17th out of 18 teams who scored at the race. UCLA won the team competition for both men and women. Sophomore Herminio Flores took 137th place (29:38) and was followed by sophomore Enmanuel Vera in 143rd (29:54). Chris Le finished in 151st (30:05) and Gilbert Ramirez 173rd (31:23). The pair are freshmen from Rosemead High.

WOMEN

Racing without returning sophomore Tracee van der Wyk, the co-PCC Women’s Athlete of the Year for 2009-2010, the Lancers took 20th place out of 24 teams at the CSUF Season Opener Meet.

She is not eligible to race since she has yet to receive her school physical, a requirement to participate in intercollegiate athletics. Van der Wyk is expected to become eligible for the the team’s next meet, the UC Irvine Invitational, scheduled for Sept. 11.

Freshman Elizabeth Lyons (Rosemead) had the best Lancer mark, grabbing 109th place at 25:58.7 in the 6-K race. She had the 15th best time of community college racers out of 55 who ran. A total of 219 overall runners participated. Frosh Lancer Cassandra Lew (Temple City) followed Lyons in 130th place (26:35).

Also racing for PCC were sophomore Marissa Morales (146th, 26:57), freshman Raquele Cordozo (Arcadia High, 161st, 27:24), and freshman Natasha Nicholson (South Pasadena High, 192nd, 29:52).

The PCC cross country teams are coached by Armand Crespo.