Locals trek to Mt. SAC

Bryce Alderton

All five local high schools will be represented at this weekend’s

Mt. San Antonio Cross Country Invitational that begins today and runs

through Saturday.

About 20 boys teams and 17 girls teams will compete on the

three-mile course with teams in CIF Divisions III, IV and V racing

today and teams in Divisions I and II racing Saturday.

Estancia High senior Diana Rosete, coming off her fastest race of

the season (18:33) to win the Division III championship at the Orange

County Championships Saturday, will lead the Eagle girls into today’s

competition along with Crystal Rincon, Areli Flores, Lucy Leon,

Fatima Carrasco and Brittanie Starn.

Costa Mesa girls will race without their top runner, Christine

Bjelland, who is out for the season with a hip injury.

Mustang sophomore Kindra Bailey led Mesa with a 21:51 clocking

last week and will run today at Mt. SAC with teammates Ana Rodriguez,

Hahn Nguyen, Sara Bryant, Cara Doone and Katherine Connell in

Division III.

“The girls are coming along very well,” said Costa Mesa Coach

Glenn Mitchell. “I just want the girls to see the course and not be

afraid of it, run some (personal records), have a good time and

surprise some people.”

Corona del Mar High’s Becky Cummins took 22nd at last year’s Mt.

SAC Invitational to lead the Sea Kings to a fifth-place finish.

Sage Hill girls will also compete at Mt. San Antonio with Kelsey

Rose, Alis Brito, Sarah Cowan, Yao Lopez and Ashley Negrette.

Estancia’s boys are led by senior Humberto Rojas, who has been

battling the flu but is expected to race today, according to Eagles

Coach Charlie Appell. Rojas took ninth at the OC Championships in

15:32 to lead all Newport-Mesa runners. Rojas will be joined by Abel

Flores, Alex Cahuantzi, Aaron Van Geem, Geraldo Orozco, Ponfilo Elias

and Matt Zich.

Rojas finished second at this weekend’s race last season, leading

the Eagles to a third-place finish in their division. Van Geem ran

the Mt. SAC course in 16:42 last season.

Corona del Mar High’s Kevin Artz took the fastest time (16:26)

among Newport-Mesa runners in Division II at the OC Championships and

leads the Sea Kings into action today. The Sea Kings are coming off

an eighth-place finish at the OC Championships on the feet of Jack

Turner, Bo Weidner, Blake Dillion, James Turner, Brandon Borcoman and

Danny Quinlan.

Costa Mesa boys took seventh in Division III Saturday with Marco

Huipe leading the Mustang charge with a 16:45, 10 seconds off his

previous-best time. Huipe took 16th overall with a 17:25 at last

year’s Mt. SAC Invitational where the Mustangs took third.

He will be joined by Mario Herrera, Carlos Ibarra, Stephen

Kosnosky, Tommy Payne and Saul Palomar, who will all race today.

Newport Harbor boys cross country team will race in Division II

beginning at 8:13 a.m. Saturday and features Alec Urtusuastegui, who

ran a 16:37 at the OC Championships, along with Nick Miller, Nick St.

Andre, Wes Pohman and Martin Bernard.

Sage Hill boys, coming off a 28-29 win over Capistrano Valley

Christian Tuesday, feature junior Chris Chiboucas, who took fifth

overall at the Lightning’s tri-meet Tuesday with a 17:30. Zach Chandy

took seventh at the meet with a 17:32 and Tim Lefler took ninth

(17:54).

Sage Hill’s top runner Mike Voge will race for the second time in

a week after nursing an injured hip. He finished seventh overall in

Division V at last year’s Mt. SAC Invitational with an 18:09.