New-look Eagles

Bryce Alderton

Instead of competing against running powerhouses Corona del Mar

High and University, the Estancia High girls cross country team heads

into the 2002 CIF Division III season in a new league that features

strongholds such as Saddleback, Santa Ana and Orange.

Just another challenge for Eagles’ coach Charlie Appell, but one

he is excited to undertake.

“We go from being around in first place in the Pacific Coast

League to No. 3 or 4 in the Golden West League so now it’s more of a

challenge, more work,” Appell said. “You can’t peak for every race.

If there are nine races, you’re trying to make an end product in

regards to ranking in the top three in league.”

Estancia will still face Costa Mesa in league play. Appell praised

junior Mustang runner Christine Bjelland.

“Costa Mesa is vastly improved,” Appell said. “(Bjelland) might

get first (individually).”

To combat league rivals, Estancia returns three runners that

include seniors Diana Rosette and Ludy Valdez and junior Marilyn

Reich.

Rosette ran a personal-best 19:03.5 to place sixth in the CIF

Division III Finals, and finished 21st (19:47) at the CIF Division

III State Finals. She posted a fourth-place finish at PCL finals

leading the Eagles to a fifth-place finish in team standings.

Senior Jessica Butler returns after sitting out last season to

bolster Estancia’s roster, that also features newcomers Crystal

Rincon, Britta Pitti and Fatima Carrasco, all juniors, along with

sophomores Rachel McMasters, Okairy Lomeli and Areli Flores and

freshman Marina Abdul.

“It’s almost a brand new show for us,” Appell said.

Pitti is a swimmer and water polo player that is making the jump

to cross country this season, and Appell has been pleased with her

progress.

“She’s making the transition very well,” he said.

Of the 20 runners Appell said he expects to carry, 12 of them

haven’t had any competitive running experience.

Appell hopes the older runners will spend some time with the newer

runners as they train as he assesses his team’s talent.

“The desire is there, but I haven’t necessarily found out who has

the talent,” Appell said. “(The team) is a lot of fun, it’s just a

matter of making special time to (train the newcomers) to where we

would normally be for the season.”

While Estancia wants to win each meet it competes in, Appell knows

from experience which meets to focus more heavily on.

“I’m trying to be a little more reserved for some of the

competition,” Appell said. “There might be only so much we can do in

a tri-meet because we have to do well in an invitational the next

Saturday that’s more important. We must do well in our own divisional

races to get to CIF (preliminaries) and the State Meet.”