Boys track and field: One for Humberto

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - Estancia High senior Mike Casillas made sure his vow

to his sick friend would prove true Wednesday, when the visiting Eagles

defeated crosstown rival Costa Mesa, 88-40, in Pacific Coast League

action.

During his lunch break Wednesday, Casillas went to junior Humberto

Rojas’ house and found his best friend sick with the flu and a 101 degree

temperature. The two had been planning for the past week how they would

take down their rivals, the Mustangs. But when Rojas had to sit out,

Casillas stepped up.

Casillas won the 1,600-meter race and the 3,200, while sophomore Nic

Koreerat tripled (100, 200 and triple jump), and sophomore Jason Johnston

doubled (110 and 300 hurdles).

“Me and Humberto, we were planning on ways to win this,” Casillas

said. “When I found out he had the flu, I knew I had to take the lead.

And when I won the 1,600 and (Johnston) won the hurdles, I knew we were

going to win. I told (Rojas) we would win and this (win) is just for

him.”

Estancia distance coach Charlie Appell said he sensed Rojas and

Casillas would be prepared and was disheartened to find out Rojas was ill

Wednesday morning.

“It’s not like football where they get all wild and pumped up,” Appell

said of his two star distance runners. “But they were calm about it and

they knew what they wanted to do.”

Casillas’ 1,600 was perhaps the best race of the day. Casillas

practically went stride for stride with Costa Mesa senior Irwin Salas

throughout the entire race. And, in the last 200 meters Casillas and

Salas turned on the after-burners. Casillas finished in 4:41.0 and Salas

came in 4:41.9, and they exchanged high-fives and a light hug afterward.

“This is how a rivalry should be,” Mesa Coach George Greenwalt said.

“These are two schools that really respect each other and the kids are

having fun. They bring out the best in each other.”

Another exciting race came in the 400, where Costa Mesa’s Zach Powell

won in 53.7 and Estancia’s Panfilo Elias followed in 53.9; and in the

800, Estancia’s Abel Flores won in 2:14.2 and Salas trailed at 2:14.8,

while Casillas came in third at 2:14.9.

In the last 100 meters of the 400, Powell tightened his sore hamstring

and did not compete in any other events. He would have competed in the

100, 200 and 300 hurdles. He plans to go up against Corona del Mar’s

Chris Carpenter for the PCL title in the 300 hurdles next week. The PCL

preliminaries begin Tuesday at Irvine High.

Estancia finished 3-2 in league and Mesa was 2-3.