SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Cross Country

From left, junior Mikkel Conver, junior Martin Jimenez, freshman Hector Diaz-Meza, senior Victor Mariscal, senior Ivan Villarreal and junior Roberto Hernandez comprise Chula Vista High's 2004 impact runners.

CV runners on fast track to success

By Phillip Brents

Posted Sept. 9, 2004

CHULA VISTA -- Chula Vista High cross country coach Art Johnson put his up-and-coming team on notice last year when he said the Spartans would make a run for the CIF title in two years. Johnson’s team is halfway to that goal and thus far does not appear to be disappointing.

The Spartans had two runners place among the top seven finishers in the junior/senior race in last Saturday’s Vaquero Stampede and four runners place among the top 17 finishers overall.
Chula Vista posted an equally strong finish in the boys frosh/soph race as the Spartans recorded one top 10 finisher and had four runners place among the top 23 finishers.

Ivan Villarreal, a senior, placed fourth among individuals in the junior/senior race, timing 10:40 on the 2.15-mile course at Lindo Lakes. He finished seven seconds behind Vista’s Chris Jacobs and 17 seconds off the winning time turned in by Vista’s Alejandro Vargas.

Villarreal is the Spartans’ top returning runner after placing fourth at last year’s Metro Conference championship meet. He ranks second among returning Mesa League runners behind Bonita Vista’s Abraham Alvarez.

Junior Roberto Hernandez (13th at last year’s Metro finals) followed Villarreal across the finish line at last Saturday’s Vaquero Stampede in 11:02 to place seventh. Senior Victor Mariscal (11:37) was 16th in the race, followed by teammate Mikkel Conver (11:40) in 17th place.
The race featured a total of 52 finishers.

Freshman Hector Diaz-Meza led the contingent of five Spartans across the finish line in the boys frosh/soph race, timing 8:48 for 1.65 miles in ninth place. Oscar Alarcon finished 15th in 9:00, followed by Cristian Fuentes in 22nd place and Carlos Sanchez in 23rd place, both with 9:22 times. Ulysses Banvelos was 48th in 11:26. A total of 55 runners finished the race won by Granite Hills’ Alex Guaderrama (8:28).

Wolf Pack Invitational
The 2004 prep cross country season officially stepped off with last Friday’s West Hills Invitational. Coronado’s Jake Ruzevick captured the 2.1-mile boys senior race in 10:59. Rancho Bernardo’s Carl Dargitz won the junior boys race in 11:16. Valhalla’s Anthony Bareno captured the boys sophomore race in 11:10. Girls race winners (1.6 miles) included Rancho Bernardo’s Lindsay delaMontaigne (8:55, senior division), West Hills’ Kristen Peters (9:23, junior division) and Torrey Pines’ Sarah Gill (9:29, sophomore division).