De Anza Sweeps Team Titles At Pat Ryan Invitational

De Anza College turned in a dominant performance at the Pat Ryan Invitational, capturing both the men's and women's team titles in their final tune-up before the championship phase of the season.

The meet, held Friday at Spring Lake Park in Santa Rosa, served as a perfect momentum builder as the Lions continued to show depth, chemistry, and major year-over-year progress from their returning runners.

Sophomore Giovanni Lancellotti led the De Anza men (ranked No. 10 in NorCal) with a strong runner-up finish in 21:16, trimming over 40 seconds from his time on the same course last fall.

Fellow returners Jerry Dang and Toby Huynh posted improvements as well.  

Newcomers Jonathan Kammerer, Alexander Herrera, and Roee Biluar added crucial scoring depth, helping De Anza edge out Santa Rosa and Chabot for the team victory with 66 points.

The women's team (ranked No. 4) continued its impressive season with a near-perfect score, posting 21 points and placing five runners inside the top 10.

Siena Pignataro took runner-up honors in 18:10, improving by nearly six minutes from last year's effort at the same venue.

Corinne Thelen followed in 19:22, dropping a full minute from her 2024 time, while Romy Kiessling (19:27), Nathaly Bernal (21:10), and Angela Ellis (21:23) sealed the win with tight pack running and strong finishes down the homestretch.

Lions' Head Coach Andy Ponce de Leon praised the squad's progress and focus heading into the postseason.

"This meet was a great tune-up before the championships," he said.

"Every week this team gets a little sharper, and it's exciting to see how well they're coming together and feeding off each other's progress."

With regular-season competition now complete, the Lions will turn their attention to the Coast Conference Championships on Oct. 29 in Salinas.