Estancia’s path to victory not in plain view

COSTA MESA — Fairview Park can be a deceiving course for cross country athletes who have not tread upon it.

The landscape appears like a plain, vast and flat. There are no trees, and houses are easily viewed on the other side of the river a mile away. But, buried among the expansive field of tall dry grass, lies a pair of challenging hills only visible to those running the course.

Runners unprepared for these hills will be devoured, while those with knowledge of the course will be propelled to victory.

Estancia High’s Sydney Barloon and Fernando Orozco used the hills to lead their teams to the Orange Coast League victory over Costa Mesa Thursday at the three-mile course.

Orozco, a sophomore, finished in 16 minutes, 32 seconds as the Eagles’ boys’ team cruised to a 17-45 victory over the Mustangs.

Barloon’s finish in 20:22 helped the Estancia girls, ranked No. 9 in CIF Southern Section Division III, to an 18-46 victory over Costa Mesa.

Barloon, a senior, was tied with Mustangs’ senior Emily Cotton for two-thirds of the race, but at the final hill Barloon made her move.

But Barloon, who defeated Cotton by 20 seconds, was not finished being challenged. Sophomore Alexa Aguilar closed in with 100 yards remaining.

“I don’t want an underclassman to beat me. No way,” Barloon said of Aguilar who finished second in 20:33. “She pushes me until the finish. She was telling me to keep going. She has the flu and shin splints. She’s a mess.”

But Aguilar, who said she has run with a stress fracture before, was not about to let her injuries keep her from competition. And, not even Coach Charlie Appell’s request for her to take it easy on her body could stop Aguilar from running hard.

“Nothing stops me,” Aguilar said. “I don’t think about it. I just run. Charlie told me to take it easy and I didn’t want to get into trouble. Sydney was yelling at me to slow down. I told her to ‘Go. Don’t worry about me. Just beat her.’ The whole time I was saying that.”

A hill played a slightly different role in the boys’ race. Orozco was feeling good when he hit the hill, so he pushed himself harder, leaving teammate Wes Barloon, who finished second in 17:11, behind him.

Orozo insisted he will not taunt Wes Barloon about the margin of victory.

“He’ll probably do that to himself,” Orozco said.

The first two-thirds of the race the two were at each others’ side.

“I was just trying to keep up with him,” Orozco said.

Orozco said that he feels the boys’ team can make run at qualifying for the state meet, even without last season’s top runner Ernesto Castaneda, who graduated.

“At the beginning, we were worried we might not make it,” Orozco said. “But I think we can make it to state.”

The Eagles might use their unity to get there. To bring the team closer, they have different ideas, one that might be described as a bit quirky.

Estancia’s jerseys are pink. For the girls, the color is the source of a cheer before each race. “Pinkies rock the house! Pinkies rock the house! Pinkies rock the house, all the way down!” It’s said in a circle with intensity at the starting line.

For the boys’ team, the color brings a different source of pride, the one that girls notice.

“It’s fun,” Orozco said.

Sydney Barloon added: “The boys think it’s cool. They get a lot of compliments from girls.”

In the girls’ race for Estancia, Magali Onofre finished fourth in 21:26, Eunice Rodriguez was fifth in 21:27 and Paula Negrete was sixth in 21:27. For the Mustangs, Wendi Way was ninth in 23:26, Courtney Green was 10th in 23:36, Brittany Way was 11th in 23:37 and Alyssa Nunez was 12th in 24:54.

In the boys’ race, Adreil Robles finished third in 17:36 for Estancia, while Mitch Friedmann was fourth in 17:38.

For Estancia, Damion Leon was fifth in 17:45 and Cesar Casillas was sixth in 17:53. For Costa Mesa, John Zapata was eighth in 18:14, Drake Burnette was 10th in 19:29 and Jason Rosello was 12th in 19:56.