Mesa aiming for CIF finals
It has been a little more than a week since the Costa Mesa High girls’ cross-country team returned from its four-day camp in Fawnskin, right next door to Big Bear Lake.
Coach Steve Moreno has taken the Mustangs to the same YMCA site in each of his seven seasons at the helm. During their time up in the mountains, he noticed them come together.
With four returners back, Moreno believes they can climb to a place they have never reached under his watch: the CIF Southern Section Division 4 finals.
“Hopefully they carry that energy off the mountain and into the season,” Moreno said. “We’re very optimistic about this season.”
The Mustangs made the section preliminaries last year for the second time in six seasons, and their top runner from a year ago – Holly Reiland – is back. She finished 31st at the preliminaries as a junior. The other returners are seniors Bridget Devlin and Emily Olvera, and junior Louisse Castillo.
Before the section preliminaries, the Mustangs must finish in the top three in the Orange Coast League to qualify. They took third last year.
“The league favorite is going to be Laguna Beach,” Moreno said of the defending league champion.
Costa Mesa Girls’ Cross-Country
League: Orange Coast
CIF Division: 4
Head Coach: Steve Moreno (seventh year)
Coaching Staff: Helen Moreno, assistant coach; Robert Blackwell, assistant coach; Rachel Daley, assistant coach
2015 league finish: Third
2015 CIF results: Finished 13th in the Southern Section Division 4 preliminaries
Returning starters: Four
Returning with honors: Holly Reiland
Coach’s take: “Team outlook is very promising for this season. With four seasoned returners (Holly Reiland, Bridget Devlin, Emily Olvera and Louisse Castillo) and the addition of a promising freshman (Diana Molina), team should make a run for another CIF prelim visit and potentially take it to the next level, [the] CIF finals.”
One to watch: “Senior Holly Reiland is the team’s top returnee,” Moreno said. “[She] placed fourth at last year’s league finals. Holly had a solid track season and [had] a good summer of training. Holly will be one of the top runners in the league.”
Schedule
Sept. 3: at Fastback Shootout at Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas, 8 a.m.
Sept. 10: at Laguna Hills Invitational, 8 a.m.
Sept. 16: at Woodbridge Classic at Silverlakes Sports Complex in Norco, 5 p.m.
Sept. 28: at Orange Coast League cluster meet at Irvine Regional Park in Orange, 2 p.m.
Sept. 30: at Palos Verdes Invitational, 12:35 p.m.
Oct. 14: at Orange County Championships at Irvine Regional Park in Orange, 3 p.m.
Oct. 21: at Mt. SAC Invitational at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut, 12 p.m.
Oct. 28: at Apache Invitational at Arcadia County Park in Arcadia, 1 p.m.
Nov. 2: at Orange Coast League Championships at Irvine Regional Park in Orange, 1:45 p.m.
