Cross Country: Estancia takes personal approach for win

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - It was a personal-best frenzy at Costa Mesa High

Thursday as Costa Mesa faced Estancia with its top-10 finishers in the

boys and girls races earning personal best times.

Estancia had seven personal-bests among the boys team that won 19-40,

in the Pacific Coast League matchup. And the girls turned in six

personal-bests with a 21-37 victory.

Mesa had six personal-best times, four for the girls.

The quick pace resulted from a relatively flat course at Costa Mesa.

During the boys’ race, Estancia’s Humberto Rojas, who finished first,

built excitement when he realized the flatness of the course.

“I just said, ‘whoa, I have to go for it,”’ said Rojas, who came in at

15:10. “This race was important because we always have a big battle with

Mesa. I really wanted to win it today.”

Mesa’s Irwin Salas trailed Rojas and finished at 15:10. Salas, just as

the rest of the boys team, dyed his hair green for the rivalry-race

against Estancia.

“We thought this was a special day against our rival school,” Salas

explained. “We just did it for today.”

He said he was surprised to earn a personal-best time, 1:08 better

than his previous best.

Estancia’s Mike Casillas endured a side ache and came in third at

15:18. He said he started to feel pain at the two-mile point.

The Eagles had seven runners finish in the top-10, which included

Rojas and Casillas and Luis Segoviano, Gerardo Orozco, Aaron Van Geem,

Abel Flores and Sean Zich.

In the girls’ race, Liz Huipe of Estancia came in first at 18:03,

followed by teammate Diana Rosete at 18:19 and Mesa’s Eileen Bello

finished in third place at 19:35.

“The course was real easy,” said Huipe. “I didn’t think I would PR. I

thought I was taking it real easy because I didn’t want to get lost. I

guess it was an easy course.”

Even though the Mesa-Estancia rivalry is alive, runners from each

school congratulated each other after the race. In one instance,

Estancia’s Jessica Butler and Mesa runner Lyndsay Gravis posed for a

picture. Butler and Gravis grew up playing youth soccer on the same team

in Costa Mesa.

“We’re not rivals because we’re still friends,” Butler said.

The Eagles’ Arasely Morales finished the race despite tendinitis in

her knee. After the race she embraced Huipe and shed tears. Huipe cried

as well because she had sympathy for her teammate. Morales still finished

the race at 22:55.