Cross Country

Tony Altobelli COSTA MESA - The year is over, the decade is over and even the Millennium is over. For the Vanguard University men's and women's cross country teams. That fresh start couldn't have come at a fast enough. On the women's side, the Lions will be 11 runners deep with the top five seasoned with experience. Included in that mix will be senior team captain Maribel Delgado (a 5K personal-best time of 18:59.0) and three-sport standout, junior Beth Weidler (19:41)

IRVINE - It came down to the wire, but in the end, Humberto Rojas edged teammate Mike Casillas by a step for individual honors as Estancia High posted a 15-50 drubbing of University High Thursday at Mason Park. Both Rojas and Casillas finished at 16:41, with Luis Segoviano right behind at 16:42 and Danny Bargas at 16:43 for the Eagles in their Pacific Coast League opener. On the girls side, Liz Huipe was the top Eagles runner, taking third place at 18:53, behind Charlotte Manafran (18:28)

BAKERSFIELD - It was a clean sweep for Orange Coast College's cross country teams as the men and women took the crown at the Bakersfield Cross Country Invitational Saturday. On the women's side, the Pirates literally ran away with the title, winning by 26 points over second-place Mt. San Antonio College. Zoila Gomez maintained her dominant form, taking first place on the three-mile course with a time of 18:21, nearly a full minute ahead of teammate and runner-up Berenice Carbajal's 19:19.

Estancia High's boys cross country team was heavily recognized on this year's All-Pacific Coast League team. Juniors Luis Segoviano and Mike Casillas, as well as sophomore Humberto Rojas, were repeat selections, while sophomores Gerardo Orozco and Aaron Van Geem were first-time choices. Corona del Mar seniors Josh Yelsey and Travis Beardslee also made the All-PCL list for the second year in a row. Also joining the group is Costa Mesa junior standout Irwin Islas.

Several local cross country runners were recently named to the Pacific Coast All League team. Sophomore Marco Huipe of Costa Mesa and sophomore Kevin Artz of Corona del Mar were honored along with junior Geraldo Orozco, junior Abel Flores, junior Aaron Van Geem, senior Mike Casillas and junior Humberto Rojas of Estancia. The girls were paced by senior Julie Allen, junior Becky Cummings, sophomore Taryn Kawata and sophomore Ahlia Kattan from Corona del Mar. Christine Bjelland, a sophomore from Costa Mesa, and junior Diana Rosete from Estancia also earned the distinction.

Steve Virgen LAGUNA BEACH - The Costa Mesa High boys and girls cross country teams lost its second Pacific Coast League dual meet Thursday. But, Coach Eric Davies said the team is improving. "We've got a lot of young faces. And they're starting to come into their own," Davies said. "With each race they are getting stronger." For the Mesa boys, Irwin Salas earned first place with 17:34. Mustangs sophomore Zach Powell also finished in the top-10 at 20:03.

SAN DIEGO - Despite some rather odd happenings, Orange Coast College men's and women's cross country teams fared well in the San Diego Mesa Cross Country Invitational. The Pirate women placed 1-2-3-4 and grabbed six of the top nine spots. Zoila Gomez, last year's OCC Female Athlete of the Year, won the race, despite being directed the wrong way. The invalid directions caused her to go from first place to fifth, but she was able to make up the time and pull out the win at 20:04.

IRVINE - The Costa Mesa High cross country teams each lost to Northwood and University at Thursday's tri-meet, held at Irvine High. The Mustangs' boys team fell to University, 20-40 and to Northwood, 26-29. Mea falls to 0-5. Junior Irwin Salas was the lone Mustangs' highlight, winning the three-mile race with a time of 16:27. On the girls side, Costa Mesa (0-5) fell to University, 15-48 and to Northwood, 15-46. PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE University 20, Costa Mesa 40 Northwood 26, Costa Mesa 29 Universtiy 27, Northwood 32 1. Salas (CM)

IRVINE - Both the men's and women's cross country teams competed for Orange Coast College at the Orange Empire Conference Preview meet Saturday and Pirate Coach John Goldman was pleased with the results. "We were just edged out by Santa Ana by nine points and it looks like by the time conference championships roll around, the title will be very close," Goldman said. The women's crew led by last year's OCC Female Athlete of the Year, Zoila Gomez, finished nearly 40 points ahead of the nearest competition.

Tony Altobelli WALNUT - The Corona del Mar High girls cross country team took on not only a tough field at Saturday's CIF Southern Section Division IV preliminaries, but also an unforgiving three-mile course at Mt. San Antonio College and walked away all smiles. The gleeful pack of Sea Kings took care of business, compiling the lowest point total of all the three heats with 34. "This group has worked hard all year long and this is why," Sea Kings Coach Bill Sumner said.

Maddie O'Connor and Annie Alvarado have known each other since they were 5 years old. They played AYSO together, then on rival club teams, before they reunited at Corona del Mar High. As the two prepare for the stretch run of their final season with the CdM girls' soccer team, they each made a big decision regarding their future after high school on Wednesday. In the next stage of their lives, they won't be on the same team. Alvarado and O'Connor still shared a special moment as they signed national letters of intent with the UCLA and UC Santa Barbara women's soccer programs, respectively.

UC Irvine junior pitcher Andrew Thurman and senior catcher Ronnie Shaeffer were voted to the All-Big West Conference preseason first team and second team, respectively by College Sports Madness. Thurman, a first-team all-conference choice in 2012, posted an 8-3 record and a 2.66 earned-run average as a sophomore, including a no-hitter. He struck out 69 in 98 innings and held opposing teams to a .195 batting average in 15 starts. Shaeffer, who sat out last season with a broken finger, was a first-team All-Big West performer in 2011, when he won the American Baseball Coaches Assn.

WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY State championships FRESNO - Orange Coast College claimed the team title, led by freshman Karen Silvas, who finished eighth. Silvas completed the 5,000-meter course in 18 minutes, 37.77 seconds to help the Pirates produce 79 points, 21 better than runner-up Glendale. Freshman Leanne Allen (16th in 18:58.93), sophomore Chelsea Clifford (18:59.64), sophomore Camille Garcia (21st in 19:07.08), freshman Nirseen Rizk (23rd in 19:08.72), freshman Raeanna Cortez (31st in 19:20.40)

ORANGE - The Orange Coast College women's cross country team won its 17th straight Orange Empire Conference team title on Friday, thanks to a dominating performance at the OEC Meet at Irvine Regional Park. The Pirates used a 1-2-3-4-6 finish to cruise to a dominating 16-point team score. OCC freshman Leanne Allen claimed the individual title, with a 5K time of 19 minutes, 29.98 seconds. Teammates Karen Silvas (19:38.38), Chelsea Clifford (19:44.77) and Nisreen Rizk (19:44.95)

Paige Tennison still has those conversations with her mother, the ones she has been having since her sophomore year at Newport Harbor High. Tennison sees a cross country time and is amazed by it, perhaps temporarily forgetting the times that she is now capable of producing as a senior. "I'm just going out and working as hard as I can," Tennison said. "I'll tell my mom, 'Oh my gosh, she's amazing!' And my mom will be like, 'Paige, you've ran faster than that.' And it's like, 'Oh, right.' It hasn't clicked still, I guess.

Newsflash - Woodbridge High has a good cross country program. OK, so maybe it's not news that Woodbridge's boys' and girls' teams once again are expected to be the teams to beat for the Pacific Coast League titles. But this year it's a little different at the top. Warriors coach George Varvas has stepped down to an assistant's role to create an opportunity for new head coach Bryan Pacheco. "It's exciting for me," said Pacheco, 37. "I enjoy cross country, I enjoy working with the kids and running with the kids.

Costa Mesa firefighters responded to a call Saturday morning when eight junior college athletes reportedly experienced heat exhaustion at Fairview Park. At about 11:43 a.m., six runners at the Orange Coast Cross-Country Classic - hosted by Orange Coast College - were transported to local hospitals for minor heat-related injuries. Two other runners also experienced heat exhaustion but were released after receiving attention at a medical tent at the park, Capt. Chip Dill of the Costa Mesa Fire Dept., said.

The Orange Coast College football game against Long Beach on Saturday has been changed to a 6 p.m. kickoff at Veterans Stadium. The nonconference game was originally scheduled for 1 p.m., but the change was made in an effort to avoid predicted extreme mid-day temperatures. — From staff reports * UCI's Nelson honored UC Irvine senior Rex Nelson has been named the Big West Conference Athlete of the Week in men's cross country following his season-opening performance Saturday.

Vanguard University Athletic Director Bob Wilson said the positives outnumber negatives when it comes to the reformation of the Golden State Athletic Conference, and increased conference championship opportunities for the Lions are foremost among the former. After the 2011-12 school year, Azusa Pacific, Fresno Pacific and Point Loma Nazarene left the conference to join the NCAA Division II ranks, just as former GSAC member Cal Baptist did one year earlier. The seven remaining GSAC schools - Vanguard, Biola, Concordia, Hope International, San Diego Christian, The Master's and Westmont - will be joined by incoming member Arizona Christian in an eight-team alliance beginning in 2012-13.

There are amazing feats that stand out on the resumès of Bill Barnett and Joe Fisher that have caused them to reach legendary status in their profession. Add another noteworthy accomplishment for both. Barnett, the highly regarded girls' water polo coach at Newport Harbor High, and Fisher, the former great cross country coach at Cosa Mesa, have been recognized as CIF Southern Section Hall of Fame awardees, the CIF Southern Section announced last week. They are among 10 Hall of Famers and nine others who will be honored for Distinguished Service at an award luncheon on Oct. 25. Debbie Fleming, a former Los Alamitos athletic director and swim and tennis coach who is a Newport Beach resident, is also a Hall of Famer, as is the late Jim Harris, a great boys' basketball coach at Ocean View.