UCI NOTEBOOK : Cervantes Ready to Start Running With the Leaders

During the first year or two on the UC Irvine women’s cross-country team, a runner can just run. But with experience comes responsibility, and year after year, new runners find it’s their turn to run in front.

It has not always been an easy role to embrace. In a tradition of outstanding runners, from Jill Harrington to Beth McGrann to Brigid Stirling to Buffy Rabbitt and now Rayna Cervantes, there has been the occasional reluctant leader.

That could be part of what Cervantes experienced this year.

She was an All-American last year, finishing 24th at the NCAA championships while Rabbitt, a senior, finished fourth.

This season was Cervantes’ turn to lead. But in the first three races, Cervantes, a junior, finished behind Irvine sophomore Traci Goodrich, a slight but potent runner.

“When I came in my first year, Buffy and Brigid were up there, and I knew both of them had two years left,” Cervantes said. “There was not so much expected of me. But this season, I’m expected to be up there.”

Until the Stanford Invitational in October, when Cervantes finished just six seconds behind Goodrich, she was lagging well behind, with times in the 18-minute range, not the low 17-minute range she’s capable of.

“At the beginning, I didn’t get into it mentally,” Cervantes said. “Stanford is when I started kicking myself mentally to get into it. It was hard to accept not doing as good as I had.”

With the help of some counseling sessions with Coach Vince O’Boyle, Cervantes found her stride in the final regular-season meet, winning the individual title in the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Invitational in 17:13.

“We’ve had long, two-hour talks,” she said. “I’ve come in once a week, and a couple of other times just to talk and try to figure this out.”

Now the test will be the Big West Conference championships Saturday in Las Cruces, N.M., where Irvine’s 11th-ranked women’s team and its men’s team will try to repeat as champions.

Cervantes was third last year, Goodrich fourth. They’ll be vying for the title in a contending group that also includes Fresno State’s Dina Fagane and Irvine’s strong freshman, Tiffany York.

“I should be in the top three,” Cervantes said.

Goodrich, who qualified for the NCAA track championships in the 10,000 meters last season, has had a solid year, finishing as Irvine’s top runner in three of four races.

And York, who came from a strong Agoura High School program that won a state cross-country title during her career, is giving notice that she’ll help carry on Irvine’s cross-country tradition.

“I think she’s going to develop into one,” O’Boyle said. “She’s come in here and adjusted. A lot have a real tough time. She came from a real good high school program. She wasn’t overwhelmed. She doesn’t show nerves.”

The Irvine men’s team has won five of the past six conference titles and is favored again.

Aaron Mascorro, a senior who was second in the Big West in 1989 but redshirted last year, is the team’s top runner. He’ll have friendly competition from teammates Ben Ayers and Robbie Price, but the conference favorite is Fresno State’s Jamey Harris.

The water polo team, ranked third in last week’s poll, finished fourth in the Cal State Long Beach tournament last weekend.

Irvine (15-5) beat Chaminade and USC Saturday, but lost to Stanford and Pepperdine Sunday. It was the first time this season the team had lost back-to-back games.

Stanford, ranked seventh last week, took a six-goal, first-half lead and went on to win, 11-6.

“Against Stanford, we came out flat and got kicked in our pazookies,” Coach Ted Newland said. “Call it whatever you like, they kicked ours bad.”

Irvine’s best performance was against Pepperdine in an 11-10 overtime loss.

It was the third of four scheduled meetings between the teams this season. Irvine won the first, 10-9, in overtime at the UCI tournament, and Pepperdine defeated the Anteaters, 8-4, in Malibu.

Sunday, Irvine made it close even though leading scorer Steve Gill fouled out in the third quarter.

“We had our chances to win in overtime (Sunday),” Newland said. “I thought we played well.”

The tournament was won by top-ranked California, the defending NCAA champion.

Mike Roberts, the No. 1 singles player for the tennis team last season, is leaving school after this quarter to turn professional, Coach Greg Patton said.

Roberts, a strong serve-and-volley player, would have been the team’s only senior. He was 23-9 last season for Irvine, which was ranked 16th in the final poll.

“We’re going to miss him, but I think it’s exciting to go out and play,” Patton said. “I’d love to see him do well.”

After a 5-10 freshman season, Roberts improved to 22-19 as a sophomore before taking over the No. 1 spot last season.

Roberts’ departure shouldn’t affect Irvine’s No. 18 preseason ranking, however. Patton said the roster he submitted didn’t include Roberts, who was considering the move.

Irvine’s top player is Brett Hansen-Dent, who is playing on the professional satellite tour in Hawaii as an amateur this quarter. Patton says Hansen-Dent has told him he will return for the season.

Danielle Pajer, the school record-holder in the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke, returns after a redshirt season when the women’s swimming team opens the season against the University of San Diego at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Crawford Hall pool.