Boys track and field: Mesa falls to Northwood

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - Costa Mesa High senior Bernardo Falci hardly worried

during his race in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles Thursday in a

Pacific Coast League dual meet against visiting Northwood.

Falci, a foreign-exchange student from Brazil, went stride for stride

with a Timberwolves’ runner in the last 20 meters. Falci then cleared the

final hurdle as the Northwood runner didn’t and fell to the ground.

Falci’s first-place finish was one of the Mustangs’ four as they lost,

88-48, and fell to 0-3 in the PCL.

Mesa junior Irwin Salas won the 1,600 (4:56.9), while senior Louis Day

topped the Timberwolves in the high jump (5-foot-10). The Mustangs’ 400

relay team of Day, Zach Powell, Nick Cabico and Josh Strickland also

triumphed.

“I was just pushing as hard as I could,” said Falci, who showed little

sympathy for the Northwood runner. “I saw the guy fall down and I was

really happy.”

The Mesa senior also said he is trying to get the most out of his stay

before he returns to Brazil in June. He played on the Mustangs’ boys

soccer team that earned its first PCL title in school history.

When the soccer season ended, Falci had planned to join the boys

volleyball squad, but friends suggested he would meet more people while

competing in track and field.

“The purpose of my exchange program is to meet people,” Falci said.

While his intent is to meet more people, Falci’s participation in two

sports is quite welcomed at Costa Mesa. Most of the Mustangs’ boys team

is made up of athletes who are involved in more than one sport.

Just where would the track team be without multi-sport athletes?

“We wouldn’t have anybody out here,” Mesa track coach John Carney

said.

Cabico, a junior, actually competes in four sports. While his baseball

teammates practiced some 100 yards away, he sprinted and jumped for the

track team. Cabico grabbed third in the 200 and also competed in the long

jump.

“He’s the real deal,” Carney said. “He’s like that Bo Jackson.”

Salas, who also played soccer and ran cross country in the fall,

finished second in the 800 and third in the 3,200.

Powell and Day were on the soccer team as well. Day earned second

place in the long jump and Powell finished third in the triple jump and

400.