Posted: Nov 02, 2021

Perfect Score Highlights Mounties Men Cross Country's 8th Straight SCC Crown

Mt. SAC's Daniel Abdala was the individual SCC champ at the '21 SCC Championships. (photo by Michael Watkins).

South Coast Conference 2021 Championship Results

Perfection doesn't come often in the sport of cross country. On October 29 at the 2021 South Coast Conference Cross Country Championships, Mt. San Antonio College performed the rare perfect score of 15 points in earning the program's eight consecutive SCC team title. It is only the second time any SCC college placed runners in the first five places with Mt. SAC also performing that feat at the 2015 conference meet.

In all the state No. 1-ranked Mounties placed the first six, including individual race champion Daniel Abdala, who crossed the finish line in a time of 20 minutes, 20.4 seconds over the 4-mile course at Compton's Wilson Park. Only El Camino's Anthony Gil, who placed seventh at 21:38, prevented an All-SCC First Team of only Mt. SAC runners. The '15 team also placed the first six and records show no team has ever placed all seven top runners in a SCC championship.

Mt. SAC's 22nd conference title in the sport saw Abdala followed by teammates Jesse Alvarado (second , 20:28), Zackary Alexander (third, 21:07.1), Angel Perez (fourth, 21:08.4) and Elijah Ocegueda (fifth, 21:27.2). Other All-SCC harriers (top 14) for the Mounties were Jonathan Pfeiffer (sixth, 21:31.2) and John Martinez (eighth, 21:39.8). Martinez was the only All-SCC Second Team runner just behind the group of First Teamers.

Abdala was the SCC runner-up at the 2019 meet. Alexander and Perez both became 2-time, All-SCC racers (both Second Team that year).

Making the rest of the '21 Second Team were El Camino's Arend Verfaillie (ninth, 21:41.2), LA Harbor's Andrew Maldonado (10th, 21:48.2), Leonardo Acevedo (11th, 21:49.2) and Jonathan Ruiz (12th, 21:49.9) from Long Beach CC, LA Harbor's Tucker Meyer (13th, 22:03.3), and Cerritos' Joshua Williams (14th, 22:04.3).

On the team side, Long Beach placed second (84 points), El Camino third (91), Cerritos fourth (102), LA Harbor fifth (111), Pasadena City sixth (145), and East Los Angeles seventh (199).

The Southern California Regional Championships take place Friday, Nov. 5 at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley.

Release by Robert Lewis, SCC SID