Cross Country Hosts WSC Preview

The VC men's and women's cross country teams hosted the Western State Conference Preview Meet Friday morning at Arroyo Verde Park. Aiden Plew led the men's team with an 18th place finish out of 98 runners while Natalie Kreil was the first runner for Ventura to cross the finish line in the women's race in 33rd place out of 51 competitors.

Plew (Buena) broke the tape in 23:39 for the 4-mile course, placing 18th overall and earning 17 team points. Henry Fulk (Foothill Tech) was six seconds and one place behind. Marcelo Mendoza (Rio Mesa) (23rd, 23:55, 22 points) was the third Pirate followed by Julian Pachon (Oxnard) (42nd, 25:15, 39 points), Nathan Lopez (47th, 25:30, 43 points), Carmelo Betanzos (52nd, 25:55, 45 points), Julian Arenas (55th, 26:16, 47 points), AJ Guerra (79th, 29:59), Erick Aleman (82nd, 30:30), Dillon Rothermel (87th, 31:35) and Santiago Gutierrez (90th, 32:52).

The Pirates finished seventh overall out of 10 competing teams.

Ventura's top female runner Brianna Richards was out due to an illness Friday. Kreil (Buena) led the small contingent of Pirates in 33rd place overall, running the 5k run in 27:05 while Andrea Rizo (Oxnard) finished 49th in 39:12.

The Pirates next run at the Southern California Preview meet at the Naval Training Center Park in San Diego on Friday Oct. 10.