SOUTHERN SHINES AT WILLIAM JESSUP INVITATIONAL

ROCKLIN, Calif. – Shasta College's cross-country team competed against athletes at four-year programs Saturday at the William Jessup Warrior Invitational in Rocklin.

Sophomore Grace Southern finished 22nd out of 88 runners, completing the 5K (3.1-mile) course in 18 minutes, 54 seconds for an average mile time of 6:05. Southern's time was her best of the season, besting last weeks' time at the Siskiyous Invitational by 12 seconds.

Sophomore Marcus Francescut took 78th out of 108 competitors in the 8K race and was on pace for a personal record in the 4-mile course, which is the usual race distance junior college runners compete in, said Shasta College cross-country coach Anthony Williams. Francescut completed the 8K course in 27:54.5 with an average mile time of 5:36.8.

"It's good to see the runners battling hard even on tired legs," Williams said. "We didn't know how they would perform this week considering we have upped the stimulus so much in practice as they prepare to peak for the NorCal meet. But they went out and ran the fastest they ever have."

Both Southern and Francescut are set to compete Friday at the Golden Valley Conference championships at College of the Redwoods in Eureka.