The De Anza College women’s cross country team secured a spot in the 3C2A State Championships after competing at the Northern California Championships in Oroville on November 6, 2026. The Mountain Lions finished with 174 points, ensuring their qualification for the state finals set to take place at Woodward Park in Fresno in two weeks.
Freshman Naomi Seastrom led De Anza by placing 19th, completing the three-mile course in 18 minutes, 59.2 seconds. Sophomore Nathaly Bernal closely followed in 33rd place with a time of 19:34.8, and freshman Angelina Perez Felipe finished 43rd at 20:05.8. Despite a difficult week of training, the team’s top three runners showed determination crucial to the team’s success, according to head coach Andy Ponce de Leon.
Additional freshmen showed significant improvement, including Autumn Pacheco who cut 47 seconds off her time from a September meet, finishing in 21:06.9. Kayleigh Aquino improved by more than one minute to post a 22:01.3, while Aaliyah Martinez completed the lineup with a time of 22:13.3. These improvements helped the Mountain Lions reduce their combined top-five time by over two minutes compared with the September NorCal Preview on the same course.
Coach Ponce de Leon praised the team’s resilience, especially the progress made by the younger runners, noting that despite not being at full strength, the team competed effectively to clinch the state berth. The Mountain Lions will focus on recovery and preparation over the next two weeks ahead of the state championships.
CSB Take
De Anza College women’s cross country team’s qualification for the 3C2A State Championships highlights the squad’s depth and ongoing development. Freshman runners making significant time improvements signal promising future potential, complementing the efforts of the team’s leaders. As the team regains full health and sharpens its form, De Anza appears well-positioned to be a competitive contender at the state meet in Fresno.
Source: Original report
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