ACCC harriers run well at Region VI; on to nationals

Gabriela Ruiz showed early on in the 2011 season she had the potential of becoming one of the top cross country runners in the Jayhawk Conference.
On Monday, she proved it. Ruiz, a freshman from Tulsa, Okla., not only became the second fastest female runner in the Jayhawk Conference and the NJCAA Region VI, she became the fastest female cross country runner for Allen County Community College’s program.
“Gabby proved why she has been one of the top runners in our conference all year and why she’ll vying for conference and region titles all year in track also,” said Vince DeGrado, ACCC’s first-year head coach.
Allen County’s cross country runners competed in the 2011 Jayhawk Conference/Region VI Cross Country Meet on Monday. DeGrado called the Buffalo Dunes Golf Course in Garden City, “the hardest course I’ve ever been to. It was very hilly and inconsistent with the hills. Times don’t reflect the effort level.”
Ruiz and teammate Kim Boyle ran for the ACCC women and claimed spots at the upcoming NJCAA National Cross Country Championships in Hobbs, N.M. Allen County’s men qualified for the national meet as a team, finishing second in the Jayhawk Eastern Division and fifth in Region VI.
The NJCAA national meet will be next Saturday on the Ocotillo Golf Course in Hobbs, N.M.
Ruiz, who earned All-Jayhawk East honors, placed second overall Monday just behind Neosho County’s Leslie Rosario. Ruiz ran the 5K race in 19 minutes, 33.80 seconds while Rosario won the race in 19:27.50.
“The layout of the course didn’t favor Gabby’s style of running. She let the Neosho girl get away from her in the middle of the race and had to spend all of her energy playing catch up,” DeGrado said.
Ruiz set the ACCC record with her 19:33.80 on Monday. The old top mark was 19:36.0 set in 2007 by Ashley Stanley at the NJCAA national meet that year.
Boyle ran her best race of the season finishing 19th overall and 11th among Jayhawk East runners. Her time of 21:10.10 moved her into the 10th spot on the ACCC all-time list. Boyle is a freshman from Lantana, Fla.
Allen County’s men were led by freshman Tegan Michael of Topeka. Michael finished just ahead of teammate Garrett Colglazier, freshman from Topeka, on Monday. Michael was 23rd overall in 27:45 in the men’s 8K race and Colglazier was 24th in 27:46.20. That put them ninth and 10th in Jayhawk East.
“With a young team (all freshmen), I really believed it would be rebuilding year here but by midseason our team goals changed,” DeGrado said. “We were out to challenge Johnson County but on that course on that day, Johnson County proved to be on a different level than everybody else.
“The stage is set for next year.”
DeGrado said Colglazier has been one of the top runners for the Red Devils all season. He said Colglazier is developing into a go-to-guy for the team. Gerald Christian, a freshman from Mayetta, has made up a lot of ground from a stress fracture coming into the season, DeGrado said.
All the ACCC men runners were freshmen. Evan Adams of Ash Grove, Mo., took 32nd overall, 12th in Jayhawk East at 28:32.80, Christian was 34th and 14th in 28:38.60, Josh Whittaker of Topeka was 37th and 16th in 28:50.40, Camille Charvet of Auge, France, was 43rd and 20th in 28:58.90, Kyle Stromgren of Osage City was 47th and 21st in 29:16.80, Jacob Spence of Baxter Springs was 48th and 22nd in 29:21.40 and Josh Klubek of Iola was 90th and 74th in 33:37.70.
DeGrado was deciding on the runners for the ACCC national team. Unfortunately, Michael probably will not be going to nationals because of disciplinary reasons.