The Long Beach City College women's cross country team wrapped up an impressive 2016 campaign at the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) State Championships this past Saturday at Woodward Park in Fresno, CA. After not being ranked in the top-15 entering into competition, the Vikings landed in the top-10 by placing 10th with an overall team mark of 1:41:16 and earning 349 points.
LBCC was the second-fastest squad in the Southern Region while accomplishing a 10th-place finish. Sophomore Alexis Ceballos helmed the Vikings once again by earning All-American honors after crossing the finish line with a mark of 18:35.0. Ceballos truly shined in postseason play by consistently landing in the top-12 after a first-place showing in the South Coast Conference (SCC) Championships and an 11th place showing in the SoCal Regional Championships.
Freshman Destiny Diaz remained consistent and reliable as she had been the entire season by earning a time of 19:48 which earned her 59th place. She improved her time by 32 seconds to earn a personal record.
The remaining Vikings finished as follows:
Melissa Higueros – 20:34, 91st place
Malika Spencer – 20:55, 112th place
Ocean Sandoval – 21:23, 135th place
Lauryn Jones – 21:42, 150th place
The Vikings finish their season on a high note having reached a historical best mark at the state championships for the first time since 2006.