[Results] [Photo Gallery]
SAN MARCOS, Calif. - Stanislaus State turned heads at the 2021 CCAA Cross Country Championships, and not just those they were passing on the course. Five Warriors crossed the finish line in the top 17 to earn the program's first-ever CCAA Cross Country Championship. The win by Stanislaus State snapped Chico State's 12-year winning streak which dated back to 2008. (Oct. 23)
Stanislaus State was able to keep its score to just 38 points thanks to strong performances throughout its lineup, but especially at the top. Kaela Dishion earned the 2021 CCAA Women Cross Country Runner of the Year award after winning the 6k race on Cal State San Marcos' Championship Course by over 11 seconds (20:41.7). She is the first women's student-athlete from Stanislaus State to earn CCAA Runner of the Year honors.
Dishion was not alone at the front as her teammate, Sabrina Garcia, was just behind her in second place with a time of 20.53.0. Next, the Warriors' Nancy Juarez and Iris Carrillo crossed the finish line in seventh and 11th places, respectively, as everyone, fans and student-athletes included, started to get the feeling they might see a changing of the guard at the top of the CCAA.
Chico State had three runners finish in the top 6, so the Wildcats were still very much in the mix as everyone held their breath waiting for the next pack to enter the final stretch down the Mangrum Track.
It was a freshman, Katarina Borchin, emerged first and delivered the final score Stan State was seeking. She placed 17th with a time of 21:40.2, to earn the 2021 Championship for the Warriors. That finish was not only crucial to the team victory, but it also earned Borchin the CCAA's Freshman of the Year honors for 2021, as she was the first true freshman to cross the finish line.
"This has been a long journey, but it has been amazing," explained Stanislaus State's head coach, Darren Holman. "The reason this win is so wonderful is that the struggle was there. The adversity that you go through makes meeting your goal that much sweeter."
"From the minute I got to Stan State, the goal was to win a conference championship and that has been our mission every day," he continued. "We had to take some risks in training. We had to train at the level that would give us a chance to win. To be great you have to take risks and this team wants to be great."
It was not just Chico State that challenge Stanislaus State for the top spot as many CCAA teams put together solid performances on the Championship Course on Saturday.
Chico State placed second with 55 points as five runners finished in the top 21. Gracie Dupuis, who was the top returning finisher from the 2019 Championships, placed third to earn all-conference honors for the second straight conference meet. She was joined as an All-CCAA performer by Hannah Ryan (fifth) and Marissa D'Atri (sixth).
The host, Cal State San Marcos placed third with 68 points, as four Cougars finished in the top 16. Renee Laurenzana paced CSUSM with a fourth-place finish (21:06.8), and Natalie Schroeder, Carly Schuerger, and Clarissa Garcia finished 14th-16th, respectively.
Click here for the full results
In addition to Dishion winning Runner of the Year honors, the Angels Camp native also took home Newcomer of the Year honors. She was joined on the podium by the top 15 finishers in the race and the 2021 CCAA Elite 13 Award Winner for Women's Cross Country, Brooke Roy.
Roy, a junior Kinesiology major from Cal State Monterey Bay, earned the newly instituted Elite 13 Award which honors the individual who has reached the conference championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the final CCAA championship site in each conference-sponsored sport. This was previously called the championship scholar award.
The win for Stanislaus State was even more impressive as it finished behind Chico State on the same course earlier this year at the Cougar Challenge.
Many teams from the CCAA will now prepare to compete in the NCAA West Regional in Monmouth, Ore., on Nov. 6. From there the teams that qualify will advance to the NCAA Division II Championships in Tampa, Fla., on Nov. 20.
2021 CCAA Women’s Cross Country Awards
Runner of the Year: Kaela Dishion, Stanislaus State
Freshman of the Year: Katarina Borchin, Stanislaus State
Newcomer of the Year: Kaela Dishion, Stanislaus State
Elite 13 Award: Brooke Roy, Cal State Monterey Bay
| 2021 CCAA Women's Cross Country Championship Results |
| Place |
Team |
Points (scores) |
| 1 |
Stanislaus State |
38 (1, 2, 7, 11, 17, 34*) |
| 2 |
Chico State |
55 (3, 5, 6, 20, 21, 25*, 27*) |
| 3 |
Cal State San Marcos |
68 (4, 14, 15, 16, 19, 24*, 30*) |
| 4 |
Cal State East Bay |
87 (9, 12, 18, 22, 26, 59*, 63*) |
| 5 |
Cal Poly Pomona |
163 (13, 33, 38, 39, 40, 42*, 50*) |
| 6 |
Humboldt State |
173 (8, 10, 47, 53, 55, 58*, 64*) |
| 7 |
Cal State Monterey Bay |
181 (29, 35, 36, 37, 44, 51*, 56*) |
| 8 |
Sonoma State |
220 (23, 32, 49, 54, 62) |
| 9 |
Cal StateSan Bernardino |
223 (28, 41, 46, 48, 60, 67*, 68*) |
| 10 |
San Francisco State |
236 (31, 43, 45, 52, 65, 69*) |
| 11 |
Cal State LA |
325 (57, 61, 66, 70, 71, 72*) |
| 2021 Women's Cross Country All-CCAA Team |
| Place |
Athlete (School) |
Time |
| 1 |
Kaela Dishion (STAN) |
20:41.7 |
| 2 |
Sabrina Garcia (STAN) |
20:53.0 |
| 3 |
Gracie Dupuis (CHICO) |
20:56.7 |
| 4 |
Renee Laurenzana (CSUSM) |
21:06.8 |
| 5 |
Hannah Ryan (CHICO) |
21:10.4 |
| 6 |
Marissa D'Atri (CHICO) |
21:11.8 |
| 7 |
Nancy Juarez (STAN) |
21:14.6 |
| 8 |
Saedy Williamson (HSU) |
21:17.7 |
| 9 |
Amanda Navarro (CSUEB) |
21:20.1 |
| 10 |
Rosa Granados (HSU) |
21:23.0 |
| 11 |
Iris Carrillo (STAN) |
21:23.4 |
| 12 |
Chase Worthen (CSUEB) |
21:23.6 |
| 13 |
Samantha Aguilar (CPP) |
21:24.2 |
| 14 |
Natalie Schroeder (CSUSM) |
21:26.6 |
| 15 |
Carly Schuerger (CSUSM) |
21:28.4 |