The San Diego Mesa College women’s cross country team is once again hitting its stride as they head into championship season.

The Olympians once again claimed the PCAC conference title, finishing with a team score of 15 points. Southwestern College placed second with 46 points, and San Diego City College followed with 62.

What makes this year’s win even more impressive is that Mesa only raced five athletes due to injury and illness. Despite the setbacks, their teamwork made the difference today. 

Freshman Jazlyn Islas led the team, finishing first at 19:08, followed by sophomore Natalie Allen at 19:29. Islas said in a post-race interview that they worked together to push each other to the finish line. (See video here)

“Jazlyn Islas has had a smooth transition from track to cross country and has been consistent, healthy, coachable and is a great leader on the team,” said head coach Sean Ricketts. “She is barely scratching the surface of her ability, and it will be exciting to see what she does in the next couple of weeks, then in track season, and when she transfers. I am excited to see the team connect the pieces and how they perform in the next 4 weeks.”

Freshman Kayden Coker finished fourth at 21:25, followed closely by freshman Galia Salazar in fifth at 21:26. Freshman Lindsay Rhodes placed sixth with a time of 21:54, rounding out Mesa’s top-five scorers.

“Kayden Coker and Galia Salazar ran strong races,” adds Ricketts. “Lindsay Rhodes, our fifth scorer, continues to improve and has been steadily closing the scoring gap.”

Up next, Mesa will host the 2025 3C2A SoCal Championships on Friday, November 7, 2025, at Naval Training Center Park in Point Loma, California.