Eastlake cross country team faces challenges in move up the ranks

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By Phillip Brents

CHULA VISTA, Aug. 26, 2002 -- The Eastlake High School cross country program collectively came of age at last year’s Metro Conference championship finals by running to South Bay League titles in four divisions. The Titans swept the girls junior varsity and varsity fields, captured the boys junior varsity field and tied for the boys varsity title (sharing the banner with Mar Vista).

While Eastlake faced its challenges and prevailed last season en route to its record-breaking campaign, the Titans will be facing even more challenges this year as the program moves into a new league and steps up into a larger enrollment division.

Eastlake joins perennial Mesa League powerhouses Bonita Vista, Chula Vista and Sweetwater on the course this fall along with Mesa League holdover Montgomery while Southwest moves to the South Bay League. For postseason competition, the Titans will move up from the Division II ranks to Division I.

Besides acquainting themselves with a new league and enrollment division, Eastlake’s runners will also be competing for a new coach as Alex Estrada takes over the reins from Chip Holmes.

A 1988 graduate of Hilltop High, Estrada has already entrenched himself at Eastlake High, having coached the boys varsity basketball team the past three years as well as serving as an assistant coach in both track and field and cross country. He describes the upcoming cross country campaign as one promoting both challenges and optimism.

"We’re moving up to the Mesa League. That’s going to be challenging to compete with Bonita Vista, Chula Vista and Sweetwater. We’re also moving up to Division I. That’s even more of a challenge. We’ve got a young team but we should be competitive. They’ve been working hard during the offseason. They’ve put their time in."

The Titan varsity boys are led by top returners Zach Avallone and John Stubbs, among the team’s four All-South Bay League runners last season along with graduated teammates Vernon Ng and Jake Cadwell. Avallone finished 20th in the combined conference field, trailing teammate Ng, and was 52nd out of 140 runners at last year’s Division II championships ahead of Stubbs (65th) and fellow returner Arturo Macias (92nd). Macias led a parade of eight Titan all-league runners in last season’s South Bay League JV finals that also includes key returners Saul Vasquez, Arturo Avina, James Ridgeway and Rodrigo Flores. Also back is varsity man Clifford Felarca.

Eastlake’s varsity girls team will look for support from veterans Mercedes Razo, Jackie Parra, Ashley Ronco and Janelle Daniel — the team’s highest returning place-finishers at last year’s divisional finals. Razo, a senior, was among the four all-league runners on last year’s squad (joining Pati and Sylvia Romero and Julia Floresta).

Leticia Flores and Priscilla Fernandez bolster the corps of returners after finishing first and third, respectively, at last year’s South Bay League girls JV finals. They join fellow varsity hopefuls Natalie Danielson and Adriana Rivas-Sandoval.

2002 EHS/Metro Conference Schedule

Friday, Sept. 6: Wolf Pack Invitational at West Hills High School, TBA

Friday, Sept. 13: Baron Invitational at Rohr Park, 3:05 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 14: Bronco Invitational at Rancho Bernardo Community Park, TBA

Saturday, Sept. 21: Mt. Carmel Sundevil Invitational at Morley Field, 8:30 a.m.

Frirday, Sept. 27: South Bay Invitational at Rohr Park, 4 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 4: Eastlake, Chula Vista and Hilltop at Discovery Park, 3 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 11: Sweetwater vs. Eastlake at Discovery Park, 3 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 18: Bonita Vista vs. Eastlake at Discovery Park, 3 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 19: Southern California Invitational at Guajome Park, 8:30 a.m.

Friday, Oct. 25: Mt. SAC Invitational at Mt. San Antonio College Invitational (Walnut), TBA

Saturday, Oct. 26: Mt. SAC Invitational at Mt. San Antonio College Invitational (Walnut), TBA

Friday, Nov. 1: Mar Vista, Marian Catholic and Eastlake at Imperial Beach Pier, 3 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 8: Eastlake, Montgomery and Southwest at Luckie Waller, 3 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 15: Metro Conference championship finals at Rohr Park, 2 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 23: San Diego Section divisional championships at Morley Field, 8:30 a.m.

Saturday, Nov. 30: California state championship finals at Woodward Park (Fresno), TBA

2001 Mesa League champions: Bonita Vista, Chula Vista (boys); Bonita Vista (girls)