Haji wins 4-mile race for Knights
Injuries hinder Shasta's cross country team's men, women at invite
By Jeffrey Jen (Redding Record Searchlight)
Sunday, September 16, 2007 

Abdow Haji came to Shasta College all the way from El Toro High School in Orange County to become the backbone of 
Aaron Junta's first cross country team. Haji backed up the hype for now by winning the men's 4-mile race at the 
Shasta College Invitational cross country meet at West Valley High School on Saturday.

The event drew three teams because it fell the same weekend as a more prestigious race in Fresno. The men's race 
turned into a duel between Shasta and rival Butte. While the deeper Roadrunners won in the team standings, Haji held 
off top Butte runner Ryan Martz in 22 minutes, 48.30 seconds. Martz crossed the finish line in 22:58.58.

"It was my first time racing the course," Haji said. "It was a pretty hard course, some steep hills. But I tried to 
run my pace. I looked back once and the other guy was almost next to me, so I picked it up near the end."

Haji and Martz finished more than 90 seconds ahead of the rest of the pack. Wesley Newman was the next best Knights 
finisher in fifth place in 24:46.60, followed by Tyler Bowman in sixth in 24:54.40.

In the women's 3-mile race, injuries pared the Knights down to their top three runners. Trudy Mohr, an unattached 
runner, won the race in 21:02.78, followed by Sierra's Brittany Cino in 22:00.05. The next three finishers were 
Shasta runners, led by Maggie Roberts, a former Knights volleyball player, in 22:18.55. Ashley Britton (22:38.62) 
and Danielle Moriarty (22:52.10) were fourth and fifth. Sierra's women beat Butte in the team competition.

Junta, who is in his first year as head cross country/track and field coach at Shasta College, had mixed feelings 
after the race. He remained optimistic about the women's team qualifying for the state meet.

"Our top three runners are pretty solid," Junta said. "Once we get some of the girls healthy to run behind them, 
we should have enough to make state." More problematic is the competitive men's side. Junta has experienced runners, 
but injuries have stung his small squad, including Zeke Bates from Shasta High School and Brice Peters from Yreka 
High School. They ran below their usual times Saturday because they have only recently got back into running.

Haji looks like a sound top runner for Junta and should qualify for state individually. But "there's a lot of work 
to be done" if the Knights wants to qualify for the state as a team, Junta said.

Shasta has next week off before the Lou Vasquez meet in San Francisco on Sept. 27. Two days later, the Knights 
compete in the Stanford Invitational.

COLLEGE CROSS COUNTRY 

Shasta Invitational 

The Butte men won the three-team meet in Cottonwood with 24 points, followed by Shasta with 35. Sierra won the 
women's race. Butte's Ryan Matz finished second in the men's race, with teammate James Johnstone in third, Daniel 
Collins in fourth, Angel Ventura in seventh and Aurelio Guzman in eighth. 

Francesca Lacebal was seventh in the women's race for Butte, and Courtney Reese was ninth. 

Men's Race
1. Abdow Haji 	   Shasta 22:48
2. Ryan Matz 	   Butte  22:59
3. James Johnstone Butte ~24:30
4. Daniel Collins  Butte    nt
5. Wesley Newman   Shasta 24:47
6. Tyler Bowman    Shasta 24:54
7. Angel Ventura   Butte
8. Aurelio Guzman  Butte
9. Butte
10. Butte
11. Shasta
12. Shasta

Women's Race
1. Trudy Mohr unattached 21:03
2. Brittany Cino Sierra 22:00
3. Maggie Roberts Shasta 22:19
4. Ashley Britton Shasta 22:39
5. Danielle Moriarty Shasta 22:52
6. Sierra 
7. Francesca Lacebal Butte
8. Sierra
9. Courtney Reese Butte
10. Sierra

Sierra College only has a women's team