The Aztecs men's cross country team claimed the program's first NJCAA Region I Championship since 1981 on Friday as they edged out Central Arizona College by one point in the final team standings. Freshman Emmanuel Corral (fifth from the left) was the top finisher for the Aztecs as he took third place with a time of 26:57.5. Left to right: Brendan Torres, Will Grobe, chalen Lozano, Zach Zobak, Emmanuel Corral, Joel Gardner, Caleb Rayman, Avery Dylla, Gabriel Puelo. Photo by Raymond Suarez
The Aztecs men's cross country team claimed the program's first NJCAA Region I Championship since 1981 on Friday as they edged out Central Arizona College by one point in the final team standings. Freshman Emmanuel Corral (fifth from the left) was the top finisher for the Aztecs as he took third place with a time of 26:57.5. Left to right: Brendan Torres, Will Grobe, chalen Lozano, Zach Zobak, Emmanuel Corral, Joel Gardner, Caleb Rayman, Avery Dylla, Gabriel Puelo. Photo by Raymond Suarez
Posted: Oct 29, 2021

Aztecs Men's Cross Country Claims First NJCAA Region I Team Championship since 1981

The Pima Community College men's cross country made history at the NJCAA Region I, Division I Championships on Friday at the Glendale Heroes Regional Park.

  • The Aztecs finished in first place and took home the program's first NJCAA Region I Team Championship since the 1981-82 season (according to Pima records) after edging out Central Arizona College by one point. The Aztecs had 28 team points and the Vaqueros had 29.
  • Freshman Emmanuel Corral (Pusch Ridge Christian HS) took third place in the 8K (4.97-mile) race with a time of 26 minutes, 57.5 seconds.
  • Player's Quote: "I was proud of my race for breaking 27 minutes but also with the progress I've made through the season," Corral said. The course was long, flat and straight and always along a canal with multiple turns. The entire team was ready to run hard on it."
  • Freshman Joel Gardner (Ironwood Ridge HS) finished in fourth place with a time of 27:22.2 while freshman Avery Dylla (Ironwood Ridge HS) claimed sixth with a finishing time of 27:47.2.
  • Freshman Caleb Rayman (Cienega HS) crossed the finish line in seventh place at 28:01.3 and freshman Chalen Lozano (Marana HS) was eighth with a time of 28:43.7. Freshman Brendan Torres (Empire HS) finished in ninth place and clocked a time of 29:02.0 and freshman Gabriel Puelo was 13th at 30:51.1.
  • All of  Pima men's cross country runners earned All-Region honors.
  • Player's Quote: "The entire team has come a long way since the start of the season. Our goal was to win the region and there were times where we weren't sure if we could get it done," Corral said. "We had some low points, but we trusted our coaches and our training. All seven runners played a major role."
  • The Aztecs will compete at the NJCAA Division I National Championships on Saturday, November 13 at Pole Green Park in Richmond, VA.

For complete results of the NJCAA Region I Championships, visit WingFootFinish