Walker completes unprecedented season with state title; Crush women second, men 13th at State Championships
FRESNO – It was the perfect ending to a historic season for Clovis Community College sophomore Rhiannon Walker.
Despite gloomy and soggy conditions on her home course, Walker capped off the finest season in Crush cross country history by taking first place at the 3C2A State Championships on Saturday morning at Woodward Park.
Walker's time of 18:22.9 on the 5,000-meter course was her best in three races at Woodward Park this season. She outdistanced runner up and Southern California champion Danna Ibarra Canales of Saddleback College who ran 18:33.5.
"This was my goal and I came out and executed it," Walker said after the win. "It just means so much."
Walker was the women's individual winner in six events this season. Her lone non-victory came early in the season at the University of the Pacific Invitational when she finished 18th among NCAA Division I athletes on a 6,000-meter course.
She closes out her Clovis cross country career as a two-time All-American as well as two-time All-State honoree after finishing in sixth place as a freshman last year. Walker also captured the college's first-ever state title last spring by taking first place in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 3C2A Track & Field State Championships.
Her cross country individual state title helped lead the Crush women to a program-best state championships runner-up finish. Clovis totaled 125 points to finish second behind state champion San Diego Mesa College with a team score of 85 points.
Freshman Magy Marcelo earned second-team All-State recognition by finishing in 19th place overall with her time of 19:39.3. Sophomore Genevieve Tamondong was up next for the Crush in 33rd place at 20:11.1.
Other results for the Clovis women included:
Maria Garcia, 47th, 20:35.2
Alyona Beams, 49th, 20:37.7
Lisbeth Mendez, 54th, 20:39.7
Macie Riddle, 95th, 21:31.8
The Crush women continue to improve each season under the direction of head coach CJ Albertson. Clovis finished fourth in 2021 and 2022, third in 2023, and now a second-place showing in 2024. The Crush will definitely have their sights set on the state title next season in 2025.
The Clovis men's cross country team totaled 410 points to close out the season in 13th place at the 3C2A State Championships.
Freshman Ivan Barranco led the way with a 50th-place individual finish. He clocked in at 22:02.7 on the four-mile Woodward Park Course. Up next was sophomore Joaquin McGee in 78th place at 22:28.4, followed by freshman Edwin Quiroz-Cisneros in 103rd with a time of 22:44.5.
Other times for the Clovis men included:
Jose Diaz Hernandez, 109th, 22:50.1
Anders Vasconcellos, 128th, 23:04.7
Izak Samorano, 133rd, 23:12.5
Isaak Camacho, 153rd, 23:37.9