Boys cross country: Eagles take second at CIF finals

Tony Altobelli

WALNUT - The Estancia High boys cross country team is always easy

to spot during a cross country race.

Not only are the Eagles one of the only teams decked out in the

fan-favorite “hot pink” outfits, they are also always near the head of

the pack, like in Saturday’s CIF Southern Section Division IV finals at

Mt. San Antonio College.

Despite dealing with a flu bug that went through most of the team all

week long, the Eagles took second place in the team competition with 73

points, only eight points behind champion Oak Park.

“This group has worked as a team all year long,” Coach Charlie Appell

said. “Their togetherness has been very strong as of late and I’m very

proud of what they accomplished today.”

The Eagles had four runners place in the top 20, the first time in

school history an Estancia squad has pulled that off.

Sophomore Humberto Rojas paced the Eagles’ troops with a sixth-place

time of 15:43.3. Mike Casillas was 12th with a 16:08.6, while Luis

Segoviano (16:14.7) and Gerardo Orozco (16:16.0) placed 16th and 17th,

respectively. Aaron Van Geem completed Estancia’s top five with a

16:56.3, good for 36th.

“I try to teach the kids to treat each race as if it were their last

one,” Appell said. “To have four finish in the top 20 says a lot about

the guys running for us.”

With this effort, the Eagles will advance to next weekend’s CIF state

finals in Fresno.

The key to Estancia’s success was a fast start. Rojas, Segoviano and

Orozco were all in the top 10 at the halfway point and pushed hard all

the way to the finish.

Even though Corona del Mar’s team did not qualify for the upcoming CIF

state finals, but two Sea Kings will make the trip.

Senior Travis Beardslee posted the second-fastest time in Division IV

with a 15:17.6, while Josh Yelsey came in seventh with a 15:50.8.

In fact, Beardslee’s time was the second-fastest among all divisions.

Only Division II bullet-train Ryan Hall from Big Bear’s course-record

time of 14:28.30 was faster.

“Travis’ time was only one second off a school record, which ain’t too

shabby,” CdM Coach Bill Sumner said. “Our two bug guys each ran solid

races and both should be a factor in Fresno.”

Another CdM runner with a high-quality time, according to Sumner, was

Blake Dillion. The sophomore took the famous course on head-first and

posted a 17:13.3, the third-fastest among the Sea King runners.

Juniors Dustin Hodges (58th, 17:33.8) and Mark Pomerantz (66th,

17:45.6) complete CdM’s top five.

Corona del Mar boys:

2. Travis Beardslee, 15:17.6; 7. Josh Yelsey, 15:50.8; 45. Blake

Dillion, 17:13.3; 64. Dustin Hodges, 17:33.8; 72. Mark Pomerantz,

17:45.0.

Estancia Boys

6. Humberto Rojas, 15:43.3; 12. Mike Casillas, 16:08.6; 16. Luis

Segoviano, 16:14.7; 17. Gerardo Orozco, 16:16.0; 33. Aaron Van Geem,

16:56.3.