Pirates working to hold off competition

Bryce Alderton

This season, Orange Coast College men’s and women’s cross country

coach John Knox took his two teams to Mammoth for preseason

conditioning workouts instead of Big Bear, where they had gone the

prior two years.

“It’s at a higher altitude, not quite so hot and beautiful,” Knox

said.

The women’s team has looked down from atop the California

community college cross country world the last two seasons, having

claimed consecutive state titles to bring the program’s total to

eight.

“The pressure is [on the women] because they are the two-time

defending champions, but it is tough because this is not the same

team,” Knox said. “Only two girls on this year’s team ran in the

state meet last year, so this is whole different year.”

Ava Jones finished third at the state meet and leads the Coast

charge this season with Sandra Montoya alongside. Each earned a spot

on the All-Orange Empire Conference team a year ago and will attempt

to form a similar 1-2 punch as did Jones and Michelle Icban, the

conference’s Runner of the Year in both track and cross country last

season. Icban earned back-to-back state titles in both the 5,000 and

10,000 meters in track, while claiming the state’s cross country

crown last fall. She continues her running career at Adams State in

Colorado this fall.

Coast will also have to replace Natalie St. Andre, Roseann Peters,

Natalie Elliott and Susie Dinoso. Dinoso, St. Andre, Elliott and

Peters all ran in the state meet last year and have moved on to

four-year schools. Peters transferred to UC Santa Barbara while St.

Andre is at UC Irvine, Dinoso went to Cal State Fullerton and Elliott

is at UCLA.

Despite the losses, Knox, entering his third season at Coast,

still isn’ convinced the Pirates can’t be just as good as his two

previous teams.

“Replacing five of seven girls is a big task, but we have Ava back

along with Montoya, who is our most improved runner and a team

captain.” Knox said. “Sandra is a hard worker who puts her nose down

and goes through it. She will be pushing Ava.”

Hanni and Jasmine Geider, sophomore sisters who attended Estancia

High, finished seventh and eighth, respectively, in the heptathlon at

last spring’s state track and field championships and will run for

Coast this season.

Newcomers Ludi Valdez, from Estancia, Ventura College transfer

Jessica Huerta, Christian Joyce, Annie Garton, who ran track two

years ago at Coast, freshman Araceli Morales, who missed most of last

year with a foot injury, and Jane Alder -- another team captain --

all figure to boost Coast’s chances. Felix-Maria Alvarez, Eileen

Bello, Sarah Delano, Viviana Gutierrez, Melissa Haskins, Yuri

Hernandez, Lucia Perez, Claudia Sanchez, Jennifer Sliwa and Emile Vo

add to Coast’s depth.

“Both the men’s and the women’s teams are real good as units,”

said Knox, who is a full-time physical education teacher at Coast.

“Team values are important to us. At practice, we stress what is best

for the team and they have followed that concept.”

Assisting Knox will be Marco Ochoa and Dave Fier.

Knox is equally excited about the men’s team, which has four

returners from a unit that finished second in the state a year ago

and features a crop of freshmen.

Humberto Rojas, who earned Newport-Mesa Boys Athlete of the Year

for his efforts in cross country and track last year as an Estancia

senior, begins his Coast career this fall.

“Humberto is a great kid and hard worker,” Knox said. “His better

sport is track because of his speed, but he is going to be a good

one.”

Rojas won individual CIF Southern Section titles in the 1,600

meters (Division III as a senior) and cross country (Division III as

a junior) while finishing second in the CIF State finals in the 1,600

last spring.

Sophomore Art Diaz, who won the 10,000 (31:25.58) at last spring’s

state meet, is Coast’s No. 1 runner, according to Knox. Diaz

transferred from El Camino last fall and did not run cross country at

Coast.

Rojas joins returners David Ojeda, one of the team’s two captains

(the other is freshman Pedro Nambo), Juan Altamirano, Costa Mesa High

product Irwin Salas and Kohyar Naderi. Salas finished 19th at the

state championships last fall while Ojeda finished 25th.

Vidal Barragan, Andre Brown, Jose Casillas, Scott Cole, Marlo

Cruz, Chris Durst, Abel Flores, from Estancia, Joshua Gerard, Carlos

Leon, Chris Massi, Francisco Morales, Artie Moreno, Ignacio Perez,

Ralph Pettus, Matt Staggs, Jason Thomas and Jason Valenzuela round

out the 25 runners on the men’s team, an increase from 18 a year ago.

Perception goes a long way in drawing athletes to OCC, Knox said.

“Kids know we have a good program and a good environment,” he

said. “Our goal is to win the state meet this year and we have the

guys to do it.”