Rise of the Roadrunners, Crafton Hills College capture conference title

In just four years, the Roadrunners have captured their first Inland Empire Athletic Conference men's cross country championship, ending San Bernardino Valley College's title streak that dated back to the conference's inaugural season in 2019.

Crafton Hills finished with 20 points to San Bernardino Valley's 39, announcing the Roadrunners have arrived.   

"It means more than I can put into words," head coach Martin Zamudio said. "For Crafton Hills College, this is the first men's conference championship in the history of our athletics program, so that's something incredibly special that will forever be part of the school's history."

For Zamudio, who has spent two decades coaching distance runners throughout the Inland Empire, the title is another milestone in a career that included stops at Banning and Beaumont high schools. It is also his first conference championship as a collegiate head coach. He is quick to credit his assistant coaches Lun Phirun Son and Gabi Jimenez for helping build the program and tight connections with the local running community.

Zamudio's strategy centered on recruiting local runners and creating an environment where athletes from different backgrounds could develop together."Our strategy  was to assemble an experienced coaching staff and bring together runners in the Inland Empire, while also creating a environment that embraces athletes from all walks of life," Zamudio added.

That approach has helped the men's roster grow to more than 20 runners, which gives Crafton depth to compete against more established programs. 

Some of the standouts are Thomas Carr, a former Banning High School runner and state championship qualifier captured the individual title in 19:35.9, and also earning conference MVP honors.

Jacob Light, a Beaumont High School product, finished second in 19:40.4, while Ramon Dorado, formerly of Cajon High School, also broke the 20-minute mark.

The roster includes several other accomplished local runners, including Aidan Joyce, Isaiah Garay, Elijah Light, Harper Hernandez, and Alan Canela, who returned to competitive running after taking a year away from the sport.

Zamudio calls his men's team "The Avengers," referring to the collection of former high school standouts who have joined forces at Crafton Hills.

"What's remarkable is that many of these young men were the leaders of their respective high school programs, and several of them have the talent to be the number-one runner on just about any team in our area," Zamudio said.

In addition to the success on the course,  Zamudio also emphasizes academic success, athlete development, and building a positive team culture.

His philosophy puts together structured training with a supportive environment where his athletes are encouraged to challenge themselves while enjoying the collegiate experience.

"You can have the best training plan in the world, but if your athletes don't feel supported, don't trust the people coaching them, or don't enjoy being part of the team, you're missing an incredibly important piece of the puzzle," Zamudio said. That philosophy has become part of the program's recruiting message, particularly for local athletes looking to compete at the college level while helping establish a new tradition.

"When you come to Crafton, you're not joining a program with decades of tradition behind it, you're helping create that tradition yourself," says Zamudio.  "We've been talking about creating a legacy since the very beginning, and seeing these young men turn that vision into reality is something I'll never forget.”

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