Pirates cross (country) trained

Bryce Alderton

The Orange Coast College men’s and women’s track and field teams

aren’t short on experience when it comes to winning a state title, no

matter if it was in a different sport.

OCC men’s and women’s cross country teams each claimed state

championships last fall and several runners off those teams are ready

for similar success this spring on the track.

On the men’s side, freshman Humberto Rojas (Estancia High) claimed

the state individual cross country title (20 minutes, 18 seconds) on

the four-mile Woodward Park course in Fresno while Ava Jones claimed

the women’s title in 17:44 on a 3.1-mile course.

Jones and Rojas anchor track teams that placed third and eighth,

respectively, last year under Coach John Knox, who returns for his

third season.

The Pirate women feature 11 sophomores, including Jones and Sandra

Montoya. Jones placed sixth in the 5,000 meters (18:21) while Montoya finished fourth in the 10,000.

The OCC women’s team features seven athletes who attended

Newport-Mesa high schools (six from Estancia and one from Newport

Harbor). Eileen Bello, sophomore sisters Hanni and Jasmine Geider,

Yuriana Hernandez, Araceli Morales and Ludi Valdez all hail from

Estancia while Knox welcomes freshman Elda Hernandez from Newport.

Hernandez was part of the 1,600 relay team that set a school

record (3:56.64) and placed third at last spring’s CIF Southern

Section Division II finals.

Valdez won the Golden West League title in the 300 hurdles (49.34)

last season.

Knox lost Michelle Icban, who repeated as state champion in both

the 5,000 and 10,000, to graduation, but maintains a solid corps of

returners and newcomers to bolster the Pirates’ chances this season.

OCC’s men’s team has 12 sophomores, which include Peter Bas

(Newport Harbor) and Rolando Vivar (Estancia).

The freshmen have already made an impact in the season-opening

Orange Empire Conference relays -- a non-scoring meet held Feb. 5.

Coast had three individual winners at the meet, including Blake

Dorman in the shot put (44-11), Mike Occhino in the hammer throw

(114-3), and Derek Davis in the discus (124-2). Zack Novak (Estancia)

placed second in the high jump (6-4) while Tim Burnham cleared 14

feet in the pole vault.

The men’s 6,400 relay team topped the field in 18:57.83.

OCC’s women’s distance medley team took first in 13:15 while

freshman Joanna Williams placed second in the high jump (4-8).

Freshman Tayler Cusick finished fourth in the long jump (14-5).

OCC’s men and women open the Orange Empire Conference dual-meet

season Friday at 2 p.m. against visiting Golden West College.