Cuesta's Harriers remained close to home for their second event of the season.  The Cougars traveled to nearby Santa Maria last Friday to compete in the Bulldog Invitational.   Freshmen Isabella Efner and Jeff Mendonca, once again, led the Cougars in their respective races.  The women finished second as a team and Efner finished 5th overall with a time of 22:09.37 to lead the way, however teammates Rebekah Waterbury and Sophia Esparza Perez were hot on her heels.  The duo joined her in the race's Top 10, with Waterbury finishing 6th and Esparza Perez landing in the 10th spot, while the Cougars' entire scoring team cracked the Top 20.  Mendonca paced the Cougars' seven-man unit to a team Bronze, while also holding off teammate John-Paul Walsh to lead the team in 6th and 7th place, respectively.  Freshmen Alex Schindler (13th- pict) and Colton Baker (15th) joined Sophomore Aiden Gibson (17th) to complete the scoring team, while Freshman Ivan Behr claimed the 20th spot.  Overall, the men placed six harriers among the event's Top 20.  

After back-to-back races to start the season, the Cougars return to training mode for the next two weeks.  Cuesta's Harriers will be back in action for the Western State Conference Preview Meet at Ventura's Arroyo Verde Park on September 12.