Saddleback's Top Runner Scores Full-Ride Scholarship

A San Juan Hills High graduate attending Saddleback College is getting a full-ride to a Kansas university for competing on their cross country and track teams.

Saddleback sophomore Ana Gamboa has signed her letter of intent to attend the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, Kansas. She plans to major in global studies.

Here's more from Saddleback College:

At Saddleback, Gamboa was the No. 2 runner on the cross country team as a freshman a year ago, finishing in the top half of all runners at both the Southern California regional championship as well as the state championship.  As a sophomore this past season, she was Saddleback’s top runner, placing eighth at the conference finals and earning all-conference recognition.

She finished 30^th out of more than 200 runners at the regional championship with a time of 19:51 over the 5,000-meter course and then placed 44^th overall out of 207 runners at the state championship race (19:39).

On the track team, she was the top middle distance runner in 2012 as a freshman, posting a time of 2:24 in the 800-meters and 4:55 in the 1,500-meters, both marks being listed among the college’s all-time top 10 times.

Gamboa will follow in the footsteps of former Gaucho Amy Jystad who signed with the University of Saint Mary last season.