Men’s cross country: Pirates hope to pick on some opponents

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - The Orange Coast College men’s cross country team will

rely on the belief, you reap what you sow, in the 2001 season.

While last year was a transition season, Coach John Goldman said, this

year the Pirates are poised to make their move to the top.

Just as in 2000, another strong recruiting class has entered OCC.

Combine the freshman with the experienced returnees and it’s easy to

understand Goldman’s anticipation for the upcoming season.

“There’s no question the depth that we have is more than last year,”

said Goldman, who enters his sixth season as head coach of the Pirates.

“We had some good runners last year, but we were without experience. This

year we have a very nice mix. With the returnees and the great recruiting

class, it makes for a nice balance.”

Last year, OCC failed to defend its 1999 state title and its

inexperience led to an 11th-place finish in state.

The state title was the second championship in the school’s history,

the first since 1981. The Pirates also took second in the Orange Empire

Conference, just as they did in ’99.

“We had a lot of new athletes,” Goldman said of last year’s squad.

“From my 1999 team I lost my top five runners.”

Yet in 2000, Goldman returns one of his top runners from last year in

Victor Lopez, who placed in the top two throughout last season.

Also leading the Pirates with their experience are Juan Carrillo,

Danny Vargas (Estancia) and Mark Cipolla.

Goldman said the sophomores are aided by one of OCC’s best recruiting

classes, which includes Arizona State University transfer Ryan Bosquet,

who ran for Esperanza High before becoming a Wildcat.

“We have some really outstanding guys coming in,” Goldman said. “We’ve

got Ryan Bosquet, who is one of the top milers in the country. He has a

4:06 in the mile and a 3:48 in the 1,500 meters.”

Goldman also said Bosquet “wanted to make a change” and leave Arizona

State. Lindsay Allen, viewed as OCC’s top female cross country runner for

the upcoming season, had been keeping in touch with Bosquet as both are

from Orange County. She told Bosquet he would enjoy competing with the

Pirates.

Also included in the recruiting class of 2001 is Augie Escobar, who

was one of the top prep runners in Orange County in 1999 when he was at

Villa Park High. Goldman said Escobar runs an 8:58 in the two-mile.

Matt Pooley, whose father went to OCC and ran for former track and

field coach Gordie Fitzel, will also be among the freshman.

“The nice thing about the recruits is that we also have great athletes

that are coming back,” Goldman said. “Experience. That’s really

important. Sometimes there’s a lot of good athletes, but there is really

no substitute for experience. I’m really excited about this team because

we have the experience.”

Dave Fier and new track and field head coach John Knox will be

Goldman’s assistants this season.

Ricky Rehanek, Kevin McCarter, Artie Moreno and a Santa Ana High duo

of Carmello Balbuena and Joel Guzman and Santa Ana Valley grad Vidal

Barragan will also look to contribute in the upcoming season, which

starts Sept. 7 as the Pirates will compete in the Antelope Valley

Invitational.

OCC usually enters the Fresno Invitational for its first meet, but

since Antelope Valley is the site of the Southern California

Championships (Nov. 3), Goldman said he wanted his runners to become

familiar with the course.

The Pirates will host the OEC Preview meet (Sept. 15) on the Newport

Back Bay course and they will also host the OEC Championships at Fairview

Park on Oct. 27.

“It’s going to be tough,” Goldman said of the competition this season,

both in state and in the Orange Empire Conference. “San Diego Mesa is

going to be very tough. (Mt. San Antonio College) is always good. El

Camino will be strong. Fullerton is the defending conference champ. It’s

going to be a real dogfight.”

ORANGE COAST COLLEGE

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY TEAM

Carmelo Balbuena Fr.

Vidal Barragan Fr.

Steven Bautista Fr.

Ryan Bousquet So.

Juan Carrillo So.

Mark Cipolla So.

Allen Childress So.

Augie Escobar Fr.

Joel Guzman Fr.

Victor Lopez So.

Kevin McCarter Fr.

Brian McNamara Fr.

Artie Moreno Fr.

Alberto Morgado So.

Daniel Orduna So.

Matthew Pooley Fr.

David Pei Fr.

Ricky Rehanek Fr.

Michael Williams Fr.

Danny Vargas So.

Coach: John Goldman

Assistants: Dave Fier and John Knox