Boys track and field: Powered by Pasta

Steve Virgen

CORONA DEL MAR - Blake Dillion, pounds of pasta and a proverbial

slap in the face, resulted in the Corona del Mar High boys track and

field team’s best performance of the season Thursday, when the Sea Kings

blew out Pacific Coast League visitor Costa Mesa, 106-30.

Dillion, a junior who also competes in cross country and soccer at

CdM, held a pasta party at his house Wednesday night, inviting his track

teammates with hopes of creating unity. The results were evident

Thursday, as the Sea Kings (2-2 in the PCL) won 10 events and both

relays, dominating in a meet that was expected to be tight.

“We have a lot less spectacular runners than last season, but it’s

just bringing the team closer,” Dillion said. “We did the pasta party for

cross country and we carried it over for track, and I’m planning to get

the throwers and hurdlers to join us next week.”

Sea King Coach Bill Sumner said the team’s new team attitude is

something he has never seen at CdM.

“They weren’t thinking like this before, but they said: If we came

together ... let’s have fun and let’s have fun trying,” Sumner said.

“Mark Cianciulli, Chris Ringstrom, Blake Dillion and LP (Brian Leperle)

have been doing it for us as a team. They’re happy to do the sprints and

they started to realize the relays are fun.”

Ringstrom, a sophomore, tripled for the Sea Kings, winning the

100-meter race (11.3), the 200 (23.1) and the high jump (5-8), and

contributed in CdM’s victorious 400 relay. He said he is motivated by

Cianciulli. The duo train together, and they finished 1-2 in the 100 and

200.

Cianciulli, an All-PCL first team tailback for the CdM football team,

was inspired by Ringstrom and also drew motivation from trying to beat

Costa Mesa All-PCL running back Keola Asuega, who finished fourth in the

100.

Chris Carpenter (110 and 300 hurdles) and Joe Barber (shot put and

discus) doubled for the Sea Kings, while Costa Mesa’s Danny Krikorian

(long jump and triple jump) and Irwin Salas (1,600 and 3,200) doubled for

the Mustangs (2-2 in the PCL).

Salas and CdM sophomore Kevin Artz provided wire-to-wire thrills in

the 1,600. The Costa Mesa senior finished just ahead of Artz by

two-tenths of a second. Artz came back to win the 800, besting Salas by

one second.

Zach Powell battled a tight hamstring, but still won the 400 (55.0)

for the Mustangs. His coach, George Greenwalt, did not want him to

compete Thursday, but Powell asked to run the 400. Yet, Powell did not

run his specialty, the hurdles.

“I love his attitude, but sometimes discretion is the better part of

valor,” said Greenwalt, who was concerned with Powell’s hamstring because

the PCL Finals are in two weeks and the Orange County Championships are

Saturday at Trabuco Hills High.

Along with Powell, Krikorian, Salas and Devant Xiao will also compete

Saturday, and for CdM, Mark Pomerantz, Brandon Borcoman, Bo Wiedner,

Dustin Hodges, Justin Walk Steven Russell, Andrew Norman, John Turco,

Artz, Cianciulli, Barber and Dillion will represent the Sea Kings.