Eagles Edge Cougars for Third Straight Title

Results 

(10/22/07 - Men's Cross Country) COSTA MESA - Two-time defending GSAC champion Concordia made added a third-consecutive title as the Eagles edged runner-up Azusa Pacific by one point for the 2007 GSAC crown, Saturday afternoon at Fairview Park.

The Eagles, ranked #5 in the latest NAIA Coaches Poll, scored 77 points to hold off the Cougars despite Azusa Pacific fielding a faster overall and average time.

Alaeeddine Khannouchi was first across for the Eagles in 4th place with a time of 25:21 while Jorge Jabaz took 7th in 25:38. Meanwhile, the Cougars took top honors as Aron Rono won the race in 24:11, but the next Cougar runner did not come across until 16th. The Eagles held a slight edge at 11-17 with two runners in for each.

The Eagles grouped two more runners around John Pfeil of APU as Raymundo Vazquez took 15th position in 26:13 while Tony Pulido was 18th through the chute in 26:17 for a solid 44-point base.

However, the Cougars made a charge right after Pulido as Caleb Lynch and Travis Fernandes were 19th and 20th, respectively. Then, Rocky Richardson grabbed 22nd position to finish the Azusa Pacific contingency. Forrest Lewton also grabbed one of their displaced positions to make the Concordia margin for error as slim as possible.

With six more runners coming across the line, the Eagles had a pair of runners headed toward the finish with four others not far behind. Axel Ambriz ended up winning the sprint to the line in 33rd position to give the Eagles the championship with a time of 27:08. Guillermo Cazares worked together with Ambriz and finished 34th in 27:10.

Joseph Lopez took the 2nd displaced runner position with a time of 27:32 in 41st place while Luis De La Vega was not far behind in 43rd with a time of 27:44. Chris Lightfoot (63rd, 29:53) and Jarid Rollins (69th, 31:17) rounded out the Concordia contingency.

Concordia looks to defend its NAIA Region II championship on Saturday, November 3rd in Fresno at famed Woodward Park.