Opening Meet Highlights

Sophomore Siena Pignataro (21:28.83) won the season's first 5,000 meter event, as De Anza College participated at the 2025 Tour De Cuesta in San Luis Obispo last weekend.

Sophomore Corinne Thelen (22:29.22) finished in third place; while teammates sophomore Erika Pham (23:57.30, 13th) and freshman Nathaly Bernal (24:10.80, 17th) rounded out the scoring.

In the men's 4-mile, sophomore Giovanni Lancellotti (23:33.64) placed seventh in a field of 50 runners. 

Freshman Alexander Herrera (24:55.56) finished 18th in his collegiate debut.

Three teammates - sophomore Jerry Dang (25:40.15), freshman Jonathan Kammerer (25:44.89) and freshman Roee Biluar (26:12.96) placed 24-26.

"I'm proud of the way our teams competed - and even more excited knowing how much higher our ceiling is," said DA head coach Andy Ponce de Leon.

"The effort was there, and the fact that we still have room to grow makes this journey even more motivating. Our athletes are starting to recognize their potential, and that belief is something we can build on. We're still cleaning up our process but everyone is hungry for the weeks ahead. With consistent training and purposeful racing, we'll keep closing the gaps and position ourselves to be at our very best when championship season arrives."

·  Women: De Anza 3rd place (47 points) 

·  Men: De Anza 4th place (86 points) 

Up Next: The Mountain Lions will compete at the Crush Invitational (Woodward Park, Fresno) on Sept. 6.