Pink spot for Eagles

Bryce Alderton

A pink blur blazed around the track at Veterans Stadium on Friday in

the CIF Southern Section Division III boys track and field

preliminaries, giving spectators a distinct spot to follow.

Clad in pink shorts, Estancia High’s Humberto Rojas won both of

his heats in the 800 and 1,600 meters, taking second overall in each

event to qualify in both for the CIF finals May 24 at Cerritos

College.

Both Estancia’s boys and girls cross country teams sport the pink

shorts in the fall, but this is the first time during the track

season they have donned the striking garments.

“They agreed to it,” Estancia Coach Steve Crenshaw said of the

athletes’ decision to wear the shorts. “It has stirred up comments in

the stands. If you are going to wear that, you better be good enough

to back it up.”

Rojas was good enough to make the CIF finals, finishing the 1,600

in 4:19.97 and the 800 in 1:55.52. He entered the 1,600 with the best

qualifying time (4:18.33).

The top nine finishers in each event and all heat winners advance

to the CIF finals.

“The first lap, I came out slow, about 1:09,” Rojas said of his

first split of the 1,600. “By the final lap, I had a 1:02.”

Rojas, a senior, qualified for the CIF finals last season with a

4:23.40, but did not compete in the 800 in the prelims because of a

sore hip.

“I still want to peak next week,” he said.

Estancia teammate, senior Zack Novak, will be joining Rojas at

next week’s finals after he tied for first in the high jump with a

clearance of 6 feet, 2 inches.

Novak, who began competing in track just last year, had never made

it to the CIF prelims prior to this year.

“It feels pretty good,” he said with a wide grin.

Corona del Mar had two athletes qualify for the finals in

individual events Friday.

Junior Chris Ringstrom won his heat in the 200 (22.58) and

finished sixth overall while sophomore Andrew Wong cleared 13 feet to

finish ninth in the pole vault. Ringstrom placed 11th in the 400.

Teammate Gordon Yould also cleared 13-0 in the pole vault, but lost

in a jump off and will not advance.

CdM junior Kevin Artz ran the 1,600 in 4:37.30 to finish 19th and

placed 22nd in the 800 (2:02.49).

The Eagles’ Jason Johnston leaped 21 feet in the long jump to

finish in 10th as an alternate next week, missing the ninth-place

mark by an inch, and he placed 12th in the triple jump (42-0 1/4).