Michelle Icban

Bryce Alderton

One race, that’s all 19-year-old Michelle Icban wanted.

And she got it -- it meaning the women’s California individual

championship in women’s community college cross country this season

to help lead the Orange Coast College women to a second consecutive

state championship, sixth in the last seven seasons.

Icban ran the three-mile Woodward Park course in 17:56 Nov. 23 to add to her two state titles she won last spring in track. The

sophomore won the 5,000 and 10,000-meter races as a freshman and was

named the Orange Empire Conference Distance Runner of the Year and

OEC Female Athlete of the Year last year.

Her victory a couple weeks ago was the icing on the cake to a

stellar cross country career at OCC that now includes being named OEC

Female Runner of the Year for this cross country season.

“I was training all summer for a rematch with Trina Cox (in the

State race),” Icban said. “I was out there every day training since

June. That one race I wanted really bad.”

Cox, from Santa Rosa College, defeated Icban for the state title

last season.

Cox sprung out to an early lead and led until the final 100

meters, when Icban made her move.

“There were three of us until the last 100 meters when I had to

make my move,” Icban said.

This season, Coast took first place eight times and Icban took

first overall four times.

The Cypress resident credits the Pirates’ success to an unyielding

work ethic where all runners strive for excellence.

“If the other girls are working really hard I should be working on

the same things,” Icban said. “I feel the same pain they do.”

During training Icban spends four to five hours each day solely on

running but the team camaraderie doesn’t stop there.

Along with head coach John Knox, Pirates’ assistant Macro Ochoa

helped Icban in her workouts this season.

“Ochoa was the missing link in workouts and has become one of us,”

Icban said. “He knows what workouts need to be done to win again.”

The Pirates have become “really close this year,” according to

Icban. The group often spends free time together off the track.

One of the reasons Icban prefers cross country to track are the

hours spent together.

“The team is way more important to me than the individual awards,”

Icban said. In cross country you depend more on each other and are

more closer with the team.”

Going into the season Icban wanted the team to finish first, with

individual awards coming second.

“I wanted the girls to win (state) again and I concentrated on

what I could do to get them to the state title as an individual,”

Icban said.

One of the ways is the girls following the leads of runners such

as co-captains Icban and Natalie St. Andre and Ava Jones. Icban and

Jones placed 1-2 during four of OCC’s eight wins this season.

“Without (Ava) by my side I could not have attained as much as I

have,” Icban said. “We push each other every day in speed workouts.

(The team) is always encouraging me to keep going and that was the

success to our team.”

Knox said Icban pushes runners to do their best.

“She’s the ultimate team leader that will go back on the course

and cheer for her teammates until they are all in,” Knox said.

“(Jones) helps push Michelle in workouts and watches Michelle train

and how seriously she takes it.”

Icban plans on transferring to Adams State in Alomosa, Colo. next

fall and eventually wants to be a marathon runner. She has only done

half-marathons.

“If I can run circles around the track 25 times, I can do a

marathon,” Icban said chuckling. “I love running.”

Running acts as a stress reliever, a time to catch up with her

teammates and a time to relax for Icban.

“I have the patience for running,” Icban said. “It’s more fun

running with more people to take your mind off of stuff and a time

for chatting.”