Hartnell Women Just Seven Points Shy of NorCal Crown

It has been 36 years since the Northern California Championship was held on the course at Woodward Park but the opportunity this season provided the developing Hartnell College women's team a second chance on the course prior to the 3C2A State Championship on November 22nd. The Panther women came within seven points of winning the program's eleventh Norcal team title. With six of the seven competing women all freshmen, the future appears to be bright for 2026 and an eleventh title run. 

Freshman Gabriela Cardenas continued her impressive first season as a Panther with a fifth place overall finish in her first Northern California Championship. Cardenas ran as high as third place at the two mile mark before falling back two spots. Her time of 19:07 is the twelfth fastest all-time in Hartnell women's cross country history and she will get one more opportunity at state to join the sub 19:00 club, of which there are only eight women to have accomplished the feat. Cardenas was only sixth at the Coast Conference Championship and was able to better two of her conference foes this go around. Fellow freshman Crystal Madrigal had her best race of this season placing tenth overall, earning All-Northern California honors. Her time of 19:26 over the 5km layout was her first performance under 20 minutes this season. Madrigal, who was just tenth overall at the conference meet, was the eighth highest Coast Conference finisher showing the tremendous depth of the conference. Former Salinas High School teammate Jenna Partida used a strong final mile to place 22nd (20:28) with Alexa Flores (20:32) right behind. Freshman Deisy Gracida Gabriel placed 30th (20:45) to complete the team scoring. Angelina Tran (20:52) broke 21 minutes for the first time all season with Karen Perez (20:58) also producing a Woodward Park personal best by 37 seconds. The Hartnell women would come up 7 points short to Coast Conference champion De Anza College 67 to 75 points. This was the Hartnell women's fourteenth top 3 regional finish in the last 19 years. 

The Hartnell College women's cross country team will compete next at the 3C2A State Cross Country Championship held also at Woodward Park in Fresno on Saturday, November 22.