Fast 5ks for Panthers In LA

With a small group of men at the Occidental Spring Break Distance Carnival in Eagle Rock, the Panthers returned with the top three 5000 meter marks in Northern California. Freshmen Isaac Gensel, Esteban Deniz, and Francisco Maciel produced the sixth, seventh, and eighth fastest 5000m times in program history and took the top three spots in Northern California. Running in a heat all together, Deniz kept the pace honest in the thirty person field until teammate Gensel took over with 2000m to go. Gensel would cross first of the three in 14:49.25 to take the regional lead. Deniz would close over the final lap to overtake teammate Maciel in 14:50.76 in his season debut at the distance. Maciel was a fraction of a second behind in 14:50.88. Deniz had yet to join his teammates with the State "A" Mark in the event and now gives the Panthers three in the Northern California final on May 14. 

Also running in the 5000m, freshman Daniel Pantoja covered the 12.5 laps in a personal best 15:58.33 to move up in the regional rankings and secure a spot in the final for his first full year of track. Ricky Diaz III pulled double duty running a season best 1500 meter in 4:08.27 and in the 5000 meters with 15:40.28. In the fall, Diaz posted a time of 14:57 and is slowly working his way back to that fitness in time for the championship portion of the season. Arturo Ponce doubled back from the running the 1500 and 800 in Modesto the day before to record a season best and second fastest ever 4:12.77 in the 1500 meters. 

The Panther distance men will join the rest of the squad in San Luis Obispo on Friday, March 25th for the Coast vs Valley Challenge.