Mesa View’s Ornelas wins wire-to-wire race

In an intense sixth-grade boys race that featured some terrific

running, Mesa View’s Gabe Ornelas outleaned Marine View’s Jeff Van

Doornum at the tape to win the division at the Ocean View School

District’s Sixth-Grade Cross Country Championships held at Huntington

Central Park.

Ornelas’ time of 8:28 eclipsed the previous district record of 8:37, set

by Marine View’s Mark Abdou in 1996.

Van Doornum, who also was clocked at 8:28, and Marine View teammate Scott

Schauer, who finished in 8:34, also topped Abdou’s mark.

‘There were some incredible times recorded by these boys, and Gabe

(Ornelas) and Jeff (Van Doornum) were stride-for-stride the entire race,’

Marine View Coach Kelly Painter said.

Ornelas’ win led a strong showing by the Mesa View boys contingent, which

took six of the race’s top 11 finishes.

A pair of Mesa View runners rounded out the top five as Mitch Masters

(8:42) and Greg Bartolme (9:00) finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

In the girls run, Marine View’s Loren Kortizija led teammate Kristen

Fronk to the finish line to finish 1-2 and lead a race that saw the

Mariner girls claim seven of the top 11 spots.

Kortizija won the race in 9:32, with Fronk next at 9:47.

Fronk just did edge Spring View’s Jasmine Higgins and Vista View’s

Crystal Reed, both of whom also ran a 9:47.

Mesa View’s Kristy Wallace took fifth-place with a 10:03.