Community College State Championships - November 21, 2009

Last year, Hartnell sophomore Daniel Tapia was the second best cross country runner in the state. The memory and sting of that second place finish can now be replaced with the memories and joy of knowing that a year's worth of hard work produced the school's first ever individual state champion. On a beautiful day for running in Fresno, the former North Monterey County Condor made the most of his second attempt at a title. In a race that mirrored last year's edition, Tapia fought off a series of challenges by the Southern California champion Dahir Mohammed of Southwestern College. Mohammed answered a surge by Tapia just pass the two mile mark with an assertion of his own on the most challenging hill of the course. It was at this hill last year that Muluken Beressa of San Diego Mesa separated himself from Tapia before pushing the Panther to runner-up honors. But this year Tapia was ready and answered. With one mile to go, Tapia gained the precious few meters on his competition knowing he could win. Daniel Tapia would stop the clock at 20:05 producing the fifth fastest time ever run on the course, in the process lowering his own Hartnell record by 11 seconds. Mohammed would actually lose three spots as three runners would catch him over the final mile. Sophomore Jesus Cabrera made up for his absence at the Norcal championship taking 21st in the state with a time of 20:54. That time makes the former North Salinas Viking the sixth best performer at Woodward Park behind current teammate Tapia and Hartnell legends Enrique Lopez, Brian Wilkinson, Beau Rogers, and Steve Moreno. Cabrera was the seventh highest Norcal performer in the state championship. Rigo Vasquez (21:38), Alejandro Alcaraz (21:56), Robert Anderson (22:16), Eric Yepez (22:43), and Edgar Hernandez (25:51) rounded out the ninth place team. Hartnell placed fourth amongst Norcal competition after finishing just eighth at the regional meet.

Next up for Daniel Tapia is the 2010 USA Half Marathon Championships in Houston, Texas. To be held January 17th, the half marathon championships brings together the country's best long distance runners.

Northern California Championship - November 7, 2009

Sophomore Daniel Tapia is just one more race away from becoming the greatest distance runner Hartnell College has ever seen. Already a two time Coast Conference champion in cross country, double state champion in track at 5,000 and 10,000 meters, school record holder in the same events, last year's Norcal cross country champion, and the state runner-up in 2008, Tapia came one step closer by winning his second Northern California title. Tapia, a former North Monterey County Condor, eased away from the field just before the three mile mark. In winning the race in a time of 20:49, Tapia broke a 13 year old school record at Crystal Springs held by Steve Moreno. Moreno went on to UC Berkeley fame and competed in the US Olympic Marathon Trials. With similar aspirations, Tapia has one more race he has yet to win. On November 21 at Woodward Park in Fresno, he will look to become Hartnell's first ever state champion in cross country. Already the school record holder at Woodward Park, his time of 20:16 in 2008 was only good for runner-up honors. Tapia will look to improve on that finish and potentially become only the third athlete to ever dip under the 20 minute mark on the four mile course.

Unfortunately Hartnell's team title hopes were dashed over the final weeks leading into the Norcal meet. Manuel Esparza and Jesus Cabrera, two of the top individuals in the region, were lost indefinitely. As a team, Hartnell would place an unusually low eighth but still manage to place as the top Coast Conference team and advance to the state championships on the fine running of Rigo Vasquez, Alejandro Alcaraz, Robert Anderson, and Eric Yepez. Vasquez (22:04) was 19th, Alcaraz (22:27) in 28th, Anderson (23:08) at 55th, and Yepez in 95th. Vasquez, Alcaraz, and Anderson all put up school all-time performances on the tough course at Crystal Springs. Edgar Hernandez (26:04) and Cesar Alvarez (31:36) finished off the team scoring for the Panthers. Figuring in previous performances this season on the Crystal Springs course by Cabrera and Esparza, the Panthers would have had a legitimate chance to knock off repeat champion City College of San Francisco.


The 2010 Norcal Championships will be held on the Panthers home course at Toro Park and provide a chance to win men's and women's trophies just a few miles from the Hartnell College campus.