College of the Sequoias' Women's & Men's Cross Country teams after the women's finished 1st and the men's finished 2nd in the 2025 Central Valley Conference Cross Country Championships on October 29, 2025. (Norma Foster / COS Athletics)

November 4, 2025

Ramirez-Romero Leads COS Women's to CVC XC Crown; Men Post Strong Runner-Up Finish

FRESNO, Calif. – The College of the Sequoias cross country teams turned in standout performances at the 2025 Central Valley Conference (CVC) Championships, held Wednesday, October 29 at Woodward Park. The Giants women's team secured the CVC title with a narrow win over Clovis Community College, while the men earned a solid runner-up finish in a deep and competitive field.

WOMEN'S RECAP
COS claimed the women's team title with 25 points, outpacing Clovis. Sophomore Arianna Ramirez-Romero (Chowchilla HS) was the individual champion, pulling away from the pack early. She crossed the line in 19:23.61, nearly 30 seconds ahead of second place, and delivered the kind of dominant front-running the Giants needed.

The depth of the Sequoias lineup proved decisive in the team scoring. Freshman Giada Ortega (Mission Oak HS) placed fifth overall in 20:08.96, running a composed race and surging in the second half. Sophomore Elizabeth Urquilla (Farmersville HS) followed closely behind in sixth (20:36.51). while freshman Ana Landeros (Tulare Union HS) clocked 20:59.31 to place eighth. Freshman Lizzet Rodriguez (Porterville HS) clinched the scoring five with a 10th-place finish in 21:05.55, giving the Giants five runners in the top 10.

"I'm so proud of the women's team and the way they ran today," said Head Coach Arianna Perry. "Arianna [Ramirez-Romero] really set the tone with a gutsy performance, but the team win came down to our depth and the ability of our younger runners to step up. They've worked so hard all season, and it paid off when it mattered most."

Additional contributions came from Trinity Ortega (Mission Oak HS) in 15th, Vanessa Medina (Tulare Western HS) in 16th, and Jizelle Loza (Redwood HS) in 19th, helping to push down the scores of opposing teams.

MEN'S RECAP
The Giants men's team finished second overall with 41 points, trailing only Clovis, which put on a performance to win with 20 points. Leading the charge for COS was sophomore Julian Valdivia (Tulare Western HS), who finished runner-up in 21:12.78 — less than a second behind 1st place runner.

Freshman Ryan Herrera (Golden West HS) stepped up with a great performance, finishing sixth in 21:49.51, giving Sequoias another top-10 finisher and early momentum in the scoring.

Freshman Marcos Soltero (Avenal HS) (12th, 22:18.64), sophomore Reyes Contreras (Farmersville HS) (15th, 22:24.61), and freshman Beckham Ybarra (El Diamante HS) (17th, 22:32.89) rounded out the scoring five. Their consistent pacing and strong finishes helped the Giants hold off other contenders in a deep field of runners.

"I was really pleased with the fight our men showed," said Perry. "Julian gave everything he had and nearly pulled off the win, and the rest of the team worked hard all race. This group is learning how to race together and support each other, and we're right where we need to be heading into NorCals."

Additional runners who gained experience and helped displace opposing scores included Enrique Ramirez (Tulare Western HS), Daniel Julian Campos (Farmersville HS), Angel Delgado (Tulare Union HS), Mathew Cancio (Riverdale HS), Cristo Salado (Tulare Western HS), and Randy Lopez (Tulare Western HS).

UP NEXT
College of the Sequoias will now prepare for the NorCal Cross Country Championships, set for Friday, November 7, once again at Woodward Park in Fresno. The Giants will aim to qualify for the 3C2A State Championships, with both teams poised to contend against the top programs in Northern California.