Dunn helps GCC get it done in Bakersfield; Sellers second in men's race

Former Saugus cross country standout Katie Dunn helped Glendale Community College move another step closer to defending its state title Friday, finishing fourth in 18 minutes, 3.99 seconds to lead the Vaqueros to a victory with 68 points at the Southern California regional final at Kern County Soccer Park in Bakersfield.

Thanks to information obtained from Saugus assistant Kathryn Nelson -- who was in attendance supporting Dunn -- it was learned that a wrong turn from defending state champion Crystal Reed of Orange Coast in the first mile led to a 27th-place finish on the 5-kilometer course in 19:01.32, resulting in a third-place finish for Orange Coast (79) behind Southwestern (77).

It appears the three teams will battle it out for state supremacy Nov. 22 at Woodward Park in Fresno, as Glendale ran three seconds faster as a team than Orange Coast and eight seconds ahead of Southwestern.

Orange Coast's Cassie Mitchell won the race in 17:48.99 and Andrea Guerra took eighth in 18:26.34. But Glendale placed three runners in front of Orange Coast's third and all five scoring runners in front of Orange Coast's fourth and Southwestern's fifth to repeat as Southern California champion.

Justina Sadauskaite took sixth (18:21.06), Brigette Fernandez was 15th (18:47.02), Rosa Del Toro placed 20th (18:51.87) and Angie Gonzalez finished 26th (19:00.76) for the Vaqueros, who had a 56-second margin between their Nos. 1 and 5 runners, compared to 1:15 for Orange Coast and 1:23 for Southwestern.

Moorpark's Madelyn Stoltz (18:48) placed 18th, helping the Raiders finish 12th. COC took 16th.

In the men's race, Crescenta Valley of La Crescenta graduate Nathan Sellers took second in the 4-mile competition in 20:06.43, trailing El Camino's Steven Calise (20:04.47).

College of the Canyons' Stephen Kent was 14th (20:31.13) and Valley College's Andrew Salg (20:39.95), who won the Southern California preview meet Oct. 3 in 20:21.80, finished 19th.

Glendale finished 10th in the team competition, enough to advance to the state meet. COC took 15th, Valley was 18th and Antelope Valley finished 28th.