SD Mesa Athletics

It's still early in the 2026 season, but for the San Diego Mesa College men's and women's cross country programs, this part of the schedule is about finding out where they stand and identifying the work that needs to be done as the season progresses.

This past weekend, the Olympians competed at the Clovis Crush Invitational at Woodward Park in Fresno, California, and both teams came away with encouraging performances.

Over the years, Mesa's coaching staff has done an excellent job preparing its runners to peak when it matters most. This year's group, however, may be a little different. Head coach Sean Ricketts believes this is one of the most impressive classes he has had, and the early results suggest the Olympians could be in position for a strong season from start to finish.

In the women's 5K, Mesa placed third with 143 points and a combined time of 1:40:40. Isabel Lara led the Olympians, finishing 13th overall in 19:16.2. Suhey Arce was close behind, placing 16th with a time of 19:30.1.

The men made an even bigger statement, winning the team title with 70 points and a combined time of 1:43:34.

Highly touted freshman Cooper Castleberry wasted little time introducing himself at the collegiate level. The Poway High School product won the men's four mile race with a time of 20:08.9.

Fellow freshman Parker McDevitt gave Mesa another top five finish, placing fourth in 20:31.6. Amadeous Lozana added another strong freshman performance, finishing 16th overall in 21:04.4.

With a talented group of freshmen joining an already strong program, the coaching staff has plenty of pieces to work with this season.

The next challenges for the Olympians will be the Whitworth Frank Knott Invitational in Spokane, Washington, followed by the Cougar Challenge at Cal State San Marcos on Saturday, October 3.