Team of the Week: Cuyamaca College hopes its ‘David story’ continues with upset of Goliaths

With an enrollment of 9,163 students, Cuyamaca College is one of the smallest programs in the California Community College Athletic Association.

But the Coyotes made history last year, when the men’s soccer team defied the odds by winning Cuyamaca’s first state championship.

Eleven months later, another Cuyamaca team is bidding for a state title. The Coyotes’ men’s cross country team is ranked second in the state heading into Friday morning’s Southern California Regionals at Liberty Station and the Nov. 22 state championship meet in Fresno.

“We’re a feel-good story,” coach Tim Seaman said earlier this week. “We’re a smaller team (that is) totally composed of runners from the East County area. And while they were very good runners in high school, they weren’t great. We knew going into the season that we had a strong team. I thought these guys had a shot to be a top-five team. But now we have a shot to be on the podium at Fresno … and who knows beyond that?”

Area colleges have a rich history in the state championships. Mesa College won the first state title in 1964. Grossmont College won the first of its 11 state men’s titles the following year. Last year, Mesa College won both the men’s and women’s state team titles.

Now comes Cuyamaca, which won the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference title two weeks ago by 10 points over defending champion Mesa.

“We’re a ‘David’ story,” said Seaman of the Coyotes’ underdog roots. “We know that, we’re proud of that, and we’re motivated by that. But we’re also devoted to succeed.”

Added runner Steven Valadez: “We want to run strong for more than ourselves. Many people don’t see cross country as a team sport, but it is. Every runner any of us passes is a point for the team. We’re committed to each other.”

Ivan Guzman is Cuyamaca’s No. 1 runner, followed by Valadez, Dominic Rizzo, Daniel Vestemean, Orlando Carrillo, Dason Hege and Adan Hurtado.

The Coyotes also take pride in being a true “community” college team. Guzman attended Liberty Charter High in Alpine. Valadez went to Monte Vista High School near the Cuyamaca campus. Rizzo graduated from Steele Canyon, Vestemean from West Hills, Carrillo from Granite Hills, Hege from Mount Miguel and Hurtado from Bonita Vista.

“I think that strengthens the sense of who we are and what we’re here for,” said Guzman, who is headed to Cal Baptist. “We get talent just from the area. We train by running through Rancho San Diego. People recognize us. And we explore the area by running different routes.”

Guzman has won three major individual titles already this season, finishing first at the Golden West Invitational, the open division at Riverside and the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference championships.

Vestemean finished third in the PCAC finals ahead of teammates Rizzo (sixth), Valadez (seventh), Carillo (eighth), Hege (14th) and Hurtado (16th).

Guzman is relatively new to cross country. Before he started running as a 16-year-old, Guzman was one of the area’s leading amateur youth boxers.

“I had a lot of success early in boxing, and there was some talk about me eventually turning pro,” Guzman said. “But I’ve been blessed with the ability to look ahead. I wanted to go to college. Running was a way to add opportunity to my life and kept me focused on a better path than boxing.”

Seaman sees Friday’s Southern California Regionals as a stepping stone.

“It’s a qualifying race for the state championships,” he said. “I don’t expect to go blood-and-guts.  We’re working up to the state finals. We want to stay healthy and run smart.”

SoCal Regionals

Friday’s meet in the park at Liberty Station will include a women’s race that starts at 10 a.m. and a men’s race that begins an hour later.

Mt. San Antonio College is the No. 1 seed in both races. Cuyamaca is second-seeded among the men, while PCAC (and defending state) champion Mesa College is second-seeded in the women’s race.

Jazzlyn Islas and Natalie Allen of Mesa ran first and second, respectively, in the PCAC women’s championship. Marseel Bahnan of Cuyamaca finished third, followed by Kayden Coker, Galia Salazar and Lindsay Rhodes of Mesa. Cuyamaca’s Tabitha Reardon was ninth, but the Coyotes don’t have a full team in the women’s division of the regionals.

Every week during the school year, U-T contributor Bill Center highlights one San Diego college team that’s making strides on and off the field. To nominate a team, email wcenter27@gmail.com.