Chavira finishes 24th in Southern Cal, qualifies for state

Christy Chavira took 24th in the Southern Cal women's cross country race on Friday and was the No. 1 individual qualifier for the state meet on Nov. 18 in Fresno.

Chavira, a sophomore from Righetti High, covered the 5K course in 20:12 at Central Park in Santa Clarita. It was her fastest time on any 5K course.

"Christy ran exactly one minute faster on the course today than she did in the So Cal Preview on Sept. 15," said SBCC coach Scott Fickerson. "Our strategy today was to run more aggressively than she has this season. I felt she could place in the mid-20's and we wanted to establish position early and then work to hold her place. Christy executed beautifully and then ran tough to maintain a top placing. I'm very proud of her efforts today and look forward to seeing her perform at State in two weeks."

Mt. SAC won the team title in a 26-school field, edging Ventura 77-94. Brenda Rosales of L.A. Harbor was the individual champ in 18:39.

Chavira will run in the State Championships on Saturday, Nov. 18 at Fresno's Woodward Park.