Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week: Mike Casillas

Barry Faulkner

Of all the impressive strides Mike Casillas made last week to help

his Estancia High boys track and field team establish itself as a Pacific

Coast League title contender, the most important may have been on his

infield dash toward Eagles’ Coach Charlie Appell.

Not originally scheduled to add the 800 meters to his already

strenuous schedule that included the 1,600 and the 3,200 in the Eagles’

league dual meet at Corona del Mar March 28, Casillas volunteered to run

the 800 when he discovered teammate Humberto Rojas was focusing on other

events.

“I went over to coach and told him I could triple to help us try to

get more points,” Casillas said.

Casillas finished third in the 800, adding to the Eagles

come-from-behind 73-63 triumph that was also keyed by his victories in

the 1,600 (4:43.2) and 3,200 (10:18.9).

That willingness to give his all for the team was indicative of why

Casillas is the Eagles’ captain. It also speaks to the kind of

determination that has helped him maximize his abilities over an enduring

prep running career that has spanned four varsity cross country and three

varsity track and field seasons.

“Mike’s work ethic is his savior,” said Appell, who openly admires his

senior leader’s commitment to improve. “If I give him a choice of

workouts to do, he’ll pick the one that is most arduous. That’s pretty

rare. And he is always willing to be wherever we need him.”

Not blessed with rare talent, Casillas has made himself into a

formidable distance threat with relentless training. And, noting a

propensity for being outkicked at the finish -- specifically last year’s

3,200 at PCL Finals, when CdM’s Josh Yelsey and Travis Beardslee forced

him to settle for third place -- the Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week has

shaped his workouts to emphasize speed this spring.

“When I got outkicked by those two guys last year, I told myself I

needed to work on my kick,” Casillas said.

Appell, for one, has noticed the results.

“His kick has really improved this year,” Appell said. “Before, he was

just trying to hang on at the end of races. Now, he’s kicking to the

finish.”

Like his effort down the stretch, Casillas’ contributions to the

Eagles seldom end with just two events. In addition to his demanding

three-race performance against CdM, he often runs on the 1,600 relay.

In the Trabuco Hills Invitational March 30, he warmed up for his

personal-best performance in the 3,200 by taking a leg on the 1,600 relay

quartet that finished fourth.

His 9:53 clocking in the 3,200 at Trabuco Hills, good for eighth

place, came despite a painful side ache that developed in the third lap.

“It must have been something I ate,” Casillas said of the side ache,

which he overcame to trim three seconds off his previous best time in his

featured event.

Casillas helped the Eagles compete in three CIF State Cross Country

Championships and he finished second to teammate Humberto Rojas at the

PCL Finals last fall.

Casillas said Rojas, his best friend, has played a vital role in his

improvement over the years. And, hopefully, he says, the feeling is

mutual.

“Humberto pushes me by always giving me someone to chase,” Casillas

said. “And I think I push him because he knows I’m always chasing him.”

While Rojas is dominant in the 1,600, Casillas chases few in the

3,200, where his extensive training base and newly developed finishing

speed serve him well.

“He’s still learning when it comes to race strategy,” Appell said.

“But when you talk about Mr. Consistency, that’s Mike.”

Casillas, whose best time in the 1,600 is 4:30, said he would like to

run faster than 4:25 in the coming weeks. A two-time qualifier for the

CIF Southern Section preliminaries in the 3,200, he also cites 9:40 as

his target time in that event. He said his 9:53 at Trabuco Hills

indicates he may be ahead of schedule.

Appell believes Casillas’ progress should continue as he moves on to

Orange Coast College.

“I think he still has a lot of room to improve,” Appell said.