Track and Field: Santa Margarita Upsets Servite

A stunning victory in the first race of the day set the tone for Santa Margarita Catholic's track and field team, which got a 1-2 finish in the last race to upset Servite, 69-61, in a Trinity League dual meet Thursday. 

The victory over Orange County's fourth-ranked team was an outstanding way for the Eagles to head into the Orange County Championships Saturday at Mission Viejo High.

With the meet on the line and their teammates cheering them on for the full eight laps around the Courage Field track, Jason Engel and Guido Marasigan went for broke with 1,000 meters remaining and never looked back. They finished first and second, and gave the Eagles the points they needed for the victory. Anything but a 1-2 finish and Santa Margarita would have lost. Marasigan clocked 9 minutes 54.43 seconds and Engel 9:54.48.

It was Santa Margarita's third win in a row in the Trinity League, having beaten JSerra and St. John Bosco. The league prelims are April 28 at Mater Dei; the qualifiers from that meet advance to the league finals May 4, also at Mater Dei.

It was a monster day for Engel and Marasigan, who competed in the 1,600, 800 and 3,200 meter events. Together, they accounted for 20 of their team's 69 points; the first team to score 69 points cannot lose.

Engel won the 1,600 and 800, and Marisigan took third in both those events.

Engel clocked 4:36.17 in the 1,600 and 1:59.46 in the 800.Marasigan had times of 4:36.41 and 2:01.17

The meet opened with the 4x100 meter relay and anchor Alex Suchesk—down by 10 meters—completed a pass over the final 15 meters to give the Eagles a season-best time of 43.19 seconds, just enough to edge Servite's 43.34. Not only did the quartet of Ryan Wolpin, Matt Scott, Josh Baldus, and the aforementioned Suchesk set a season-best time, they set the tone for the day by putting the Eagles on top early.

In their first event of the day, Engel and Marasigan toed the line in what was going to be a long day. Running a strategy that nearly backfired, the tandem kept the pace pedestrian in the hopes of stringing a third place finish for teammate Braden Domier. With Servite’s Eric Resong hanging dangerously close, Engel and Marasigan found themselves in a battle down the homestretch for points. In the end, Engel was able to hang on to first place with his time of 4:36.17, but Resong snuck into second place to steal three points for the Friars with his time of 4:36.35, to Marasigan’s 4:36.41.

The 400 featured only three runners in the race, two Friars and the Eagles’ sophomore Vince Hernandez. Despite the windy conditions on the backstretch, Hernandez battled with the county’s best 400 meter runner through 300 meters and was able to hang on to a second place finish in 53.55, tallying three important points for the team.

In one of the premier events of the day, the 100 meters did not disappoint. Suchesk, a sophomore, got out of the blocks and never looked back. His person beest 10.92 tied Ryan Maxwell's mark from 2005 for the best time by a frosh/soph runner. 

Suchesk goes into the Orange County Championships hoping to set a meet record, which is 11.14 set by Fountain Valley's Kyle Feiler in 2001.

Also in the 100, junior Matt Scott shattered his previous personal best by claiming second place in an impressive 11.10 to win three additional points for the Eagles. Josh Baldus finished fourth in 11.24, a personal best.

With the points coming in a battle down the homestretch, Engel notched his second victory by winning the 800 in 1:59.56. Marasigan claimed the final point in the 5-3-1 scoring with a personal best of 2:01.17.

In the unpredictable race that is the hurdles, sophomore Christian Bohuslavizki stepped up to the plate for the Eagles in the point scheme. With a Servite runner tumbling at the fourth hurdler, “Boosh” smelled blood in the water and attacked the final four hurdles. In a photo finish that came down to the computer picture, the top two runners tied at 43.72, with the thousandth of a second going to Boosh for the vicotry and, most importantly, five points.

Locked in a neck-and-neck battle and needing 12 points between the 200 and the 3,200 to secure the victory, the Eagles got to work. They finished 2-3 in the 200 with Matt Graban (22.70) and Baldus (22.79) to gain four points.

Needing a 1-2 finish in the 3,200 to clinch the victory—anything else would have given the meet to Servite—the stage was set for Marasigan and Engel.

Field event winners were Dylan Fernandez in the long jump with a new personal best, 20 feet 2.75 inches; Zach Volpo won the triple jump and Jordan Fisher took second place; and Parker Curry won the pole vault at 14-6.