Mesa’s Day, Flores endure tough race

Chris Yemma

Before Saturday’s CIF State cross country championships, Costa Mesa

High Coach Joe Busi had said he hoped his two individual runners

would finish in the top 10 in the girls Division III race.

As it turned out Saturday here at Woodward Park, the competition

proved to be stiffer than what he had expected.

His top runner, Jasmin Day finished 19th in 19:03, and his second

runner, Kyla Flores, finished 43rd in 19:36 on the five-kilometer,

sloppy-wet course. On a day when the Corona del Mar girls had hoped

to win the state title in the same race, but placed fourth, the Costa

Mesa girls also came up a little slower than expected.

At the CIF final Nov. 20 at Mt. San Antonio College, Day finished

fifth in 18:41 and Flores finished ninth in 18:52 to both qualify for

the state meet. But this time around, Day and Flores were running

against the top Division III competition in California.

Both juniors should have one last shot next season, though.

For Estancia’s Ernie Castaneda, Eagles’ Coach Charlie Appell had

said he was expecting tough competition for the junior. Castaneda had

finished ninth in the CIF Southern Section final at Mt. SAC, but

Appell said Castaneda probably wouldn’t place as high at the state

meet.

Castaneda ended up in 18th place in the Division III race at the

state meet, running the course in 16:04. Redwood’s Jake Schmitt was

first in 15:14.

Sage Hill’s Katie McKeon, who was expected to run in the Division

V race at the state meet, was not among the 75 girls in competition.