BHS Cross Country: Aztecs begin new era

BARSTOW • New team.

New coach.

New course.

New result.

Almost all aspects of the Barstow High School cross country first home meet of the season against Burroughs High School at the Robert A. Sessions Memorial Sportspark were different on Wednesday afternoon.

The Barstow boys team dropped the meet 18-43, while the girls had just one runner and forfeited the meet 15-50.

Very little remains from the Aztecs dominant cross-country past. Gone are coach Jim Duarte, assistant coach Keith Shipman and the seven runners from a year ago who helped propel Barstow to its fourth-straight and sixth overall CIF Division III title.

Curtis Bell took over for Duarte in May. Since then he’s worked to build a new program with a completely new roster. No one on the current varsity team raced for the Aztecs a year ago.

“Actually it’s not tough it’s impossible so I don’t even try,” said Bell of trying to replace Duarte and the Aztecs’ legacy. “I’m just waiting for time to pass and to make my own mark. That takes patience. We are patiently building our team and our day will come.”

Although Burroughs came out with its first victory in Barstow in years, Burroughs coach Anthony Barnes is looking forward to the day when the Aztecs are at peak strength again.

Stronger competition breads better runners, Barnes argued. He credited the Aztecs setting a high standard for some of the success his team was able to achieve during recent years.  

“Mr. Bell has a very tough task,” Barnes said. “People I hope will give him time and patience. He needs to learn and will learn like all of us have at some point in our lives.”

Karlan Smith led the Aztecs boys team. He finished third at 17 minutes, 39 seconds behind Burroughs runners Caleb Rosales and Michael Estabridis. The Burroughs runners established the pace early on. Smith slid into the third spot within the first mile and didn’t relinquish it but wasn’t able to advance either.

“In the middle of the race I started to feel a cramp in my stomach so I started to slow down,” Smith said. “I wanted to catch the second-place guy but his pace was faster than mine. I think if I tried to pass him up I would have died out.”

Smith didn’t start running long distance until last track season when he was inspired by former Barstow runners Isaac Chavez and Andrew Romano. He’s now the Aztecs No. 1 runner. Bell said he’s proud of the progress each runner has made so far. Runners continue to cut significant time off each race they run, he said.

Gone also was the Aztecs’ treacherous home course behind Henderson Elementary School. Bell instead opted for the more spectator friendly setting at the Sportspark.

“It’s tradition that each cross country coach makes his own course,” Bell said. “So this is going to be our course until another coach takes over.”

Wednesday marked Barstow’s lone home meet of the season. Victor Valley was scheduled to visit the Aztecs, however the Jackrabbits dropped their cross country program this season. The Aztecs next travel to face Silverado on Oct. 7.

BOYS
Burroughs 18, Barstow 43
Burroughs
1. Rosales 17:05; 2. Estabridis 17:27; 4. Woodman 18:08; 5. Woods 18:22; 6. Haugen 18:31.
Barstow
3. Smith 17:39; 7. Victor Corral 18:37.
GIRLS
Burroughs 15, Barstow 50
Burroughs
1. Wood 21:42; 2. Ernst 22:13; 3. Argain 29:55; 4. Benson 30:15; 5. Vanmeter 31:19.
Barstow
Sophie Manzanares 33:48.

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mpeters@desertdispatch.com