HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. – The Golden West College men's and women's cross country teams proudly represented the Rustlers at the 31st Annual Central Park Classic on Friday morning, hosting dozens of programs from across the state at Huntington Beach Central Park. The women's 5K race began at 9:30 a.m., followed by the men's four-mile race at 10:15 a.m.

On the women's side, Lowyn Pereyda led the way for Golden West, crossing the line in 21:04.82 to finish 17th overall in a competitive field of more than 120 runners. Hannah Prieto also contributed for the Rustlers, placing 89th with a time of 26:18.88. Both runners gained valuable experience competing against some of the top community college athletes in California.

In the men's four-mile race, Alejandro Lewis paced Golden West with a strong run of 23:32.55, finishing 74th overall in the crowded field of over 200 competitors. Edwin Orzuna followed with a time of 28:05.19 to place 169th, while Darren Nguyen rounded out the Rustlers' efforts, clocking 35:06.94 to finish 200th overall.

The Central Park Classic provided the Rustlers with an opportunity to test themselves on their home course against powerhouse programs such as Cuyamaca, Riverside City, and Cerritos. Golden West will look to build on this performance as the season progresses and the team gears up for conference and regional competition.

The Rustlers return to action next week when they travel to the Pomona Pitzer Invite on Saturday, October 4th with a 7:45am start for the men's race followed with a 8:30am start for the women.