The refresher course

The winged shoe that once adorned the uniforms of the Costa Mesa High boys’ cross country team was more than a logo to Chuck Lester. For him, then an impressionable freshman and running novice who thought cross country might help make him a better basketball player, the symbol became a metaphor for a foundation from which his life took flight.

Lester, who competed for three varsity seasons in the middle of legendary former Mesa coach Joe Fisher’s 1970s dynasty that included a 10-year unbeaten streak in league dual meets, is now a first-year walk-on head coach trying to give the Mustangs’ programs wings once again.

“It’s going to take time, but any dedicated coach with a vision for a great program can make it happen,” said Lester, whose sister, Diane Bjelland, has coached the Costa Mesa boys’ and girls’ track and field teams the last three seasons, and encouraged him to take the reins at his alma mater this fall. “Being a part of that program when I was 14 to 18 made such a big impact on my life, I’d love to have these kids experience what I did, running for a top program.”

Lester, 51, who said he plans to move from Anaheim to Costa Mesa soon, has built a career in land planning and urban design. He stopped running after one season at Orange Coast College, but his family remained involved in the sport over the years.

Sisters Jan Lester (Costa Mesa Class of 1973) and Diane (Class of ’74) preceded him at Costa Mesa, from which he graduated in 1975. Both sisters went on to run at UCLA and both are coaching track and field at the school.

Chuck Lester said he began coaching junior high runners at Costa Mesa three or four years ago and elected to try to provide stability to the Mustangs’ cross country programs by taking over as coach during the summer.

“This group hasn’t really had consistent coaching during their high school career,” said Chuck Lester, who has enlisted former co-coach Mike Sciacca as an assistant. “Mike is more of a track guy, so the group is very new to the concepts of distance running. They’ve got a lot to learn.”

Lester said he was eager to learn when he showed up for his first cross country workout at Mesa.