NO. 1 MESA WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY CLAIMS ACCAC AND REGION I TITLES

Friday October 24,  2025 - 8:00 p.m. | Dylan DeVlieger    

No. 1-ranked Mesa Community College Women's Cross Country team continued its dominant season Friday morning, capturing both the ACCAC Championship and the NJCAA Region I Division II Championship at Crossroads Park.

The Thunderbirds tallied 29 points to secure the team title, finishing ahead of runner-up Paradise Valley Community College, who posted 49 points. The victory marks Mesa's second straight NJCAA Region I title and their fourth in the last five years, as well as their first ACCAC Championship since 2022, further cementing the T-Birds' dominance in the conference and region.

Leading the way once again was Olivia Baker, who claimed the individual championship with a time of 18:23.8, nearly 20 seconds ahead of the next finisher. Baker's victory capped off a stellar regular season in which she consistently led the top-ranked T-Birds.

Kinley Jackson placed fourth in 18:42.4, while Lucy Melzer (19:10.0) and Katie Munoz (19:51.5) finished fifth and seventh, respectively, giving Mesa four runners inside the top seven. Marissa Hernandez rounded out Mesa's scoring with a strong 12th-place finish in 20:14.9.

Also competing for Mesa were Evalyn Perez (21:17.3, 20th) and Olivia Scroggins (21:38.9, 26th), adding valuable depth to the championship squad.

With the win, Mesa adds another banner moment to its historic season as the T-Birds now turn their focus to the NJCAA Division II National Championships in November.