Cross-Country: Ocean View’s day of reckoning

Passersby might want to look both ways before traversing Orange County’s parks for the next couple of days.

Herds of gazelles, otherwise known as cross country runners, will be racing down the open pathways.

They should be regarded as very dangerous, as they will stop at nothing when it comes to their chance to make history.

Four area league finals meets will take place between now and Thursday, the first two of which will be the Golden West and Orange Coast League championships on Wednesday afternoon.

Ocean View’s boys’ team was so close to its first league title since 1983 one year ago. The Seahawks placed third, but they were just three points behind first-place Segerstrom.

An offseason of reflection was capped by a trip to Big Bear in August, where the Seahawks laid out their goals. Every night on the week-long trip ended with a discussion about league finals.

Now, the meet is here, and Ocean View is in a position to capitalize. The team won all of its dual meets by double-digit margins.

“We’re all on the same page,” Seahawks Coach Daniel Hurtado said. “Everyone wants to be league champion. They’re ready. I can tell by the workouts, the way they talk about Wednesday.”

In the new installment of CIF Southern Section rankings, Ocean View was ranked eighth in Division 3. The top seven teams in a divisional race at the CIF-SS Finals advance to the state meet.

Knowing his team’s ultimate goal, Hurtado isn’t bothered by the fact that his team does not currently possess one of the top seven spots. He believes that his team understands what it needs to do to meet its goals, and he is happy to let another team carry that target on its back.

As one who reveres history, Hurtado made sure he took his team inside the gym to look at the championship banners. All of his runners know that they are attempting to end a 33-year title drought.

When the clock strikes 4 p.m. on Wednesday, the Seahawks will toe the Central Park course starting line, undoubtedly reciting the team’s two slogans: “Let’s make history,” and “Today is forever.”

Santa Ana’s Jorge Suarez, an All-County selection in 2015, is the favorite to take home the boys’ title.

Ocean View’s Kelsie Newman is in contention for the individual honor on the girls’ side.

As Close As It Gets

Back on Sept. 28, it took a tie-breaker to separate the boys’ cross country squads of Costa Mesa and Godinez. The Mustangs got the victory, winning via the fastest sixth runner (Jacob Wrubel, 17:08, 16th).

The teams were tied with 34 points a piece after their scoring five runners were tallied.

Five weeks later, Costa Mesa hopes that a recent addition can swing things further in its favor.

Junior Jeremy McIntyre has made the jump from junior varsity after overcoming a recent bout with asthma.

“The last two weeks, he’s been coming on really strong, so I think he’s going to be one of those X-factors,” Mustangs coach Steve Moreno said. “I think he can be one of our top five scorers. I think that is going to be in our favor.”

Costa Mesa is looking to make a little history of its own, as the team has not won a league title since it joined the Orange Coast League.

In the girls’ race, defending league champion Laguna Beach is in good shape to win again. The Breakers put five runners in the top eight at the league cluster.

Add the fact that last year’s individual champion Grace La Montagne has not run her best race yet, and the rest of the field is in for trouble.

Laguna Beach dominated the league’s first meet, topping Costa Mesa, 23-51.

Rivals Square Off

Corona del Mar’s Leif Hellgren made it very clear following his race in the Mt. SAC Invitational who he wants to beat in the Pacific Coast League Finals on Thursday at Mason Park in Irvine.

“I’m going against my rival Ryuya [Souther] from Woodbridge,” he said. “It’s expected to be just us two racing. He’s beaten me the last two years with me beating him in track.”

Souther is the reigning league champion in cross country. Hellgren struck back by edging out his rival for the league title in the 1,600 meters in the spring.

In the league cluster at Irvine Regional Park, Hellgren fell to Souther by nine seconds.

“Those guys are even-up,” Sea Kings Coach Bill Sumner said of the matchup. “It can go either way. I like Leif’s chances. Leif has enough talent to beat him, but you still have to run the race.”

The Sea Kings have another standout on their girls’ team in Raquel Powers, but the door appears to be shut on a possible league crown due to a surprising story.

Northwood’s Erika Adler, a three-year cheerleader, came out for cross country for the first time as a senior. She has shocked the sport, as she took second in the Orange County Championships Girls’ Sweepstakes in just the fifth race of her career.

No surprises are expected in the team races. In the girls’ meet, Northwood appears to be the title favorite, while Woodbridge and CdM will battle for second. In the league preview, Woodbridge clipped the Sea Kings, 68-70.

University’s Cecilia Langlois could advance as an individual. She was fourth in the league’s first meeting.

Woodbridge should win the boys’ team title, with Beckman and CdM grabbing the league’s last two bids to the CIF-SS Preliminaries.

One Step at a Time

Both of Los Amigos’ teams placed fifth in the Garden Grove League Finals a year ago. They will aim to improve their standing on Thursday at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley.

League Finals This Week (Includes CIF Qualifier Predictions):

Wednesday, Nov. 2 - Orange Coast League Finals at Irvine Regional Park, 2 p.m.

Boys: Godinez, Costa Mesa, Laguna Beach

Girls: Laguna Beach, Costa Mesa, Godinez

Individual: Armando Zamora, Saddleback, Sr.

Wednesday, Nov. 2 - Golden West League Finals at Central Park, Huntington Beach, 2 p.m.

Boys: Ocean View, Santa Ana, Segerstrom

Girls: Segerstrom, Santa Ana, Ocean View

Thursday, Nov. 3 – Pacific Coast League Finals at Mason Park, Irvine, 1 p.m.

Boys: Woodbridge, Beckman, Corona del Mar

Girls: Northwood, Corona del Mar, Woodbridge

Individual: Cecilia Langlois, University, So.

Thursday, Nov. 3 – Garden Grove League Finals at Mile Square Park, Fountain Valley, 2 p.m.

Boys: Santiago, Bolsa Grande, La Quinta

Girls: La Quinta, Bolsa Grande, Garden Grove