Next step the finals

Steve Virgen

As the Sage Hill School boys cross country team prepared for the

program’s first appearance in the CIF Southern Section preliminaries,

Coach Nate Miller reminded his runners of the hard work they have put

in during the season.

He reminded them that they were the first team to win a league

title in the school’s history, when the Lightning won the Academy

League championship Nov. 3. He told them to enjoy the experience.

However, the Sage Hill boys are not merely satisfied qualifying for

the CIF prelims. They want to advance to the finals.

Sage Hill’s story is just one of many that will come to the

spotlight today at Mt. San Antonio College, where Corona del Mar,

Costa Mesa, Newport Harbor and Estancia’s Alex Cahuantzi and

Jeannette Abrego will also compete.

The Lightning, led by Michael Voge, Zach Chandy and Chris

Chiboucas, will be in the final race of the day, at 4 p.m. in

Division V.

The Costa Mesa girls, who won the Golden West League title and

feature league champion Jasmin Day, will compete at 8:50 a.m. in CIF

Division III, which will also include Abrego, the Estancia freshman.

Newport Harbor’s boys, led by Kenny Rakestraw, will go at 9:10 a.m.

in Division II.

In girls Division III, the Corona del Mar girls, the Pacific Coast

League champions, will run in a different heat than Costa Mesa,

racing at 9:20 a.m., while the Sea King boys team, led by PCL

champion Kevin Artz, will compete at 10:50 a.m.

The Newport girls squad, featuring Lauren Paul, Courtney Marshall

and Whitney Blue, is in Division II, heat No. 3, at 11 a.m., and

Cahuantzi, a junior, is in Division III, heat No. 2 at 11:15 am.