Avalos Keeps Hartnell Pipeline to Alaska Going

Sophomore distance ace Jesus Avalos did not end up at Hartnell College by the traditional route out of cross country powerhouse King City High School. Avalos attended rival Monterey Peninsula College his first year but did not compete. In addition, he was working part-time at a gas station in King City. One fateful day, he was held up at gunpoint and forced to relinquish the store's register cash. Despite making the right decision for his own personal safety, he was let go from his job. No longer running and out of a job, Avalos looked to his former Mustang teammates for direction. He had witnessed the success of his classmates Edgar Bonilla, Eduardo Orozco, and Williams Ordaz. He chose shortly after that fateful day to transfer and run again for the Panthers. That decision set in motion a series of events that now has Jesus a graduate from Hartnell College with an A.S. in Kinesiology and transferring to NCAA DII powerhouse University of Alaska Anchorage.

This past fall, Jesus lead the Panthers in all but one meet. He earned all-region honors after placing sixth overall at the Northern CA Championship in front of family and friends at Toro Park. He was also the 2019 Coast Conference individual champion helping the Panthers to seven consecutive individual wins. The team placed a solid seventh overall at the CCCAA State Championship lead by his 23rd place finish in 21:18 at Woodward Park. Avalos won the Chabot Invitational held at Las Positas College as well. Just a year prior, he was dealing with return-to-competition injuries and was watching most of the season before earning all-conference and earning a spot on the state championship squad.

In track, Jesus was the 2019 Northern CA Champion in the 10,000 meters and went on to earn All-American honors over the same distance in 31:52 at the CCCAA State Championship. He was the Coast Conference 10,000 meter champion and placed in the 1500 meters and 5000 meters as well. His final track season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic but he had set a new 3000 meter personal best. 

Jesus will become the fifth Panther male to transfer to the University of Alaska Anchorage following high school teammate Eduardo Orozco, Jorge Sancez, Justin Carrancho, and Michel Ramirez. UAA competes in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.