NJCAA Div. 1 Cross Country Championships
Hobbs, New Mexico
November 12, 2011

Mesa runners saved the best for last  at the NJCAA National Cross Country Championships in Hobbs, New Mexico. While windy conditions made for slow times, the Mesa competitors ran smart tactical races to beat many higher-ranked rivals.

The ladies were first to step to the line, and Mesa's Taylor Stewart got off to a strong start in the crammed field of almost 300 competitors. Stewart held position running into the breeze and made forward progression when the wind was at her back. By the end of the race the Mesa Freshman had moved her way up sufficiently to garner an "All-American Citizen" award. Despite her personal success on the day Stewart was full of praise for others after the race. " I'm so glad we have all had a great season together. These guys are the best team ever and I feel so close to all of them. I'm grateful for the awesome season I've had and for all the people who have helped get me here."

While the Mesa men were seeking to prove themselves against  the forty-three best teams in the nation at Hobbs, the cry of the day seemed to be, "beat Pima." Mesa's men had trailed their Tucson rivals all season, but turned the tables on them on the day that mattered most. Carlos Roa led the team to 12th place overall in his final outing in a Mesa cross country uniform. Roa once again proved himself to be a man for the big occasion, as he stormed home to "All American" honors.

Brent Sewell, topped off a fine first season at MCC, with his best race of the year. On a calm day, he would have had a personal record time to testify to his strong run, but Coach Condon had no doubts about his worth to the team. "Brent stepped it up today. Like his team-mates, he showed that he can compete on the big stage."

Another athlete to rise to the occasion was Efren Luque. After a largely unremarkable season, due to injury, Luque picked the right day to return to form. With Dallas Yarbrough and Eddie Martinez kicking strongly for home, Mesa completed another fine year of competition. Another mark in the record books, but perhaps Yarbrough summed up the season best when he told his team-mates, "I love you guys... best team anyone could ask for."