Rangel Can’t Put Success Into Words

Jose Rangel, a sophomore at Rancho Santiago College, has been asked to explain himself all season.

Truth is, he can’t.

Looking at the questioner, he earnestly and politely says he doesn’t have any idea why he’s won four of five races.

Rangel said he isn’t training much differently than he did at Santiago High, where he was an also-ran.

Rangel’s best finish in a high-school invitational was 30th. Last season at Rancho Santiago, he finished fifth in an Orange Empire Conference race and also qualified for the State meet. He ran track in the spring.

In early September, Rangel won the Fresno Invitational, for his first victory of any kind on any level.

He went on to win the Orange Empire Conference Preview run, the Crystal Springs Invitational and the Irvine Invitational. He finished third at the Santa Barbara Invitational.

His success this season has left him with a rather eclectic collection of high school and collegiate awards.

“They look kind of weird when I put them together,” Rangel said. “Everybody has told me different reasons [for my success]. I feel stronger mentally and physically but I’m very surprised.

“I didn’t expect anything like this. . . I was scared the last mile at Fresno when I was in first. It’s just weird.”

Rangel’s rapid pace this season was established right way.

Mario Ochoa, the Dons’ assistant coach, wanted all the members the team to sprint to the lead as a group from the start at Fresno.

Rangel, the team captain, dashed out with the others but while his teammates fell back, he stayed up front and slowly pulled away. Rangel’s strength is the final mile.

“I just think it was in him all along,” Rancho Santiago Coach Al Siddons said. “You don’t see this a lot but it’s just a case of him maturing. Plus, he really likes to run and that helps a lot.”

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More cross-country: Rancho Santiago also has had a solid season, with four first-place finishes this season.

The Dons, along with El Camino and Glendale, will be among the favorites Saturday at the Johnny “O” Invitational at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa. The women race at 10 a.m. and the men at 11.

The race, and the conference championship races the following week, will determine the 14 Southern California teams that take part in the State meet Nov. 18 at Fresno Woodward Park.

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Football poll: El Camino’s 21-16 loss to Saddleback knocked the Warriors out of the top spot in the weekly Southland poll.

Los Angeles Valley (7-0) takes over at No. 1. Long Beach (7-0) is second, San Bernardino Valley (7-0) third, Bakersfield (5-1) fourth, El Camino (6-1) fifth, Citrus (6-0) sixth, Moorpark (6-1) seventh, Mt. San Antonio (5-1) eighth, College of the Desert (6-1) ninth and Rancho Santiago (4-2) is 10th.

Rancho Santiago, the first-place team in the Mission Conference Central Division, is at Pasadena at 1:30 p.m. Saturday for a non-divisional game.

Fullerton (2-3-1, 2-0), which is in second place, plays Golden West (3-4, 1-2) at Orange Coast at 7 p.m. Saddleback (3-3, 1-1) is at Riverside (1-5, 1-2) at 7 p.m. and Orange Coast (2-4, 1-1) plays host to Southwestern (2-4, 0-3) at 1 p.m.

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Career honors: The State office has created a women’s volleyball hall of fame and three former Orange County coaches will be among the first inducted.

Orange Coast’s Jane Hilgendorf, Nancy Warren of Rancho Santiago and Fullerton’s Marty Orner will be honored Dec. 1 at the State tournament at Cerritos College.

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Shine commits: Jamie Shine, a sophomore forward for the Orange Coast women’s basketball team, made an oral commitment to attend St. Mary’s. Shine, from El Modena High, averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds and shot 52% from the field as a freshman last season. She will sign in mid-November.

Shine had 330 rebounds, the second most in a season at OCC. She was also a volleyball and track and field standout in high school.

Notes

Jamie Simpson of Fullerton leads the conference in scoring with 16 goals but was shutout as Cypress, the top-ranked team in the State, beat the Hornets, 2-0, Friday. Colby Morgan had a goal for Cypress in the victory, giving her nine this season. Robyn Camarillo of Rancho Santiago has eight goals. Cypress goalkeeper Jessica Lubman has a conference-best 10 shutouts.