Community College Notebook / Steve Kresal : It Took a While, but Lopez Is Off and Running

Roman Lopez didn’t take to cross-country right away.

He started only because track and field coaches at Mater Dei High School expected their runners to compete in cross-country in the fall.

When Lopez came to Rancho Santiago College last year, eager to run the half-mile, mile and 1,500 meters in the spring track season, he discovered the same pressure to run during the first semester. But he still wasn’t excited about spending his fall running four-mile races.

His first season at Rancho Santiago, Lopez didn’t do much serious cross-country training. At Mater Dei, he never really had to. He was the cross-country team’s top runner without working very hard at it.

But Lopez learned that he couldn’t just show up and do well in community college cross-country.

“When I first got to Rancho, I figured I would do OK, but I found out there were a lot of really good runners here,” Lopez said. “It seems like I spent most of last season chasing Sergio (O’Cadiz, who has used up his two years of eligibility) and could never beat him.

“You could say I got humbled here a lot.”

Lopez decided this summer he had enough of chasing others. Instead of just going through the motions, he began training seriously and has become the Rancho Santiago’s top runner.

His best finish has been a seventh place in the Moorpark Invitational last month, where he ran a career best 19:21.

“The big thing for him last season like any freshman was getting the experience of racing on the community college level,” said Al Siddons, Rancho Santiago coach. “He has a lot of ability, and it shows in the events he runs from the half-mile to cross-country. He’s maturing as a runner and has the self-discipline and drive it takes to be competitive.”

Lopez will be one of many Orange County community college runners to compete in the Irvine Invitational Friday at Irvine Park in Santa Ana. The race will also feature defending state champion Grossmont and El Camino, which won state titles in 1983 and ’84.

Orange Coast College football Coach Bill Workman will speak before the convention of the National Federation of Parents for Drug-Free Youth Saturday morning in Washington, D.C. Workman, who started a drug testing program at Edison High School in 1985, will discuss testing in schools, the benefits of such programs and how to overcome opposition to them. “I feel like it’s important enough to go there,” said Workman, who will leave Friday night and return Saturday afternoon in time for the Pirates’ 7:30 game against Grossmont. “We’re not trying to catch anybody. What we need is to give the kids a reason to say no and a way to deal with peer pressure. Drug testing will do that.”

Workman talked this summer of starting a drug-testing program at OCC. But his proposal resulted in heated debate among officials and trustees of the Coast Community College District. There has been no movement toward a drug-testing program at Orange Coast.

As impressive as Saddleback College’s offense has been at times this season, the Gauchos had a four-down series they would love to forget in Saturday’s 27-24 victory over Orange Coast. After a pass from quarterback Pat Hegarty to John Jungkeit gave Saddleback first and goal at OCC’s eight-yard line, the Gauchos moved 39 yards backward before punting. Jungkeit was called for a dead-ball personal foul after his catch, making it first and goal on the 23. A running play gained three yards and an incomplete pass on second down made it third and goal on the 20. Hegarty was then sacked for a 12-yard loss, and another dead-ball personal foul was called against the Gauchos. The result was fourth and goal from the OCC 47. The Gauchos punted.

Pat Penner update: The Golden West soccer player has scored 17 goals in 8 games. The school record is 27. Penner, a sophomore from Marina High School, scored 25 last season and was voted the South Coast Conference most valuable player.

South Coast Conference play opens Saturday with Golden West (0-0, 3-0) at Pasadena (0-0, 1-2) and Long Beach City at Fullerton (0-0, 1-2). In the Mission Conference, Riverside (2-0, 3-0) is at Saddleback (2-0, 3-0) as the Gauchos go for their 50th consecutive home victory. Grossmont (1-1, 2-1) is at Orange Coast (0-2, 0-3) and San Diego Mesa plays Rancho Santiago (1-1, 2-1) in Santa Ana Stadium.

Fullerton College running back Andrew Greer set a school record with a 99-yard touchdown run Saturday night in the Hornets’ 17-13 victory over Bakersfield. The sophomore from Alta Loma broke the record of 97 yards set by Larry Jackson in 1981 against Mt. San Antonio.