Bigger isn't always better
SPORTS
The Cuestonian
February 25, 2014 11
Off the beaten path: Cuesta’s secret running trails
Photos by Mike Satchell/The Cuestonian
By Mike Satchell Editor-in-Chief
It is a map called the Road to Fitness and that is exactly where it leads you. As it turns out, fitness is not a destination you can drive to, but if you make your way toward the 1000 building (by the parking lot near the pool) you can find a poster on the wall, and that, my friends, is the key to the city. That monument to sweet trail action began in the 2010-2011 school year with a 5k race around its first track, the Coaches Loop. It now highlights five measured trails around Cuesta’s campus which range from 1.64 to 5.1 miles. The wellness committee, which organized the map, is co-chaired by Jani Johnson, the kinesiology, health sciences and athletics division chair and Cherie Moore, a human development teacher. On your fitness adventures you have the opportunity to experience roaming cows, signs for unexploded ordnance, beautiful views, rolling California hills, rattlesnake/tick/wildcat warnings and rogue golf carts.
Cuesta Loop 1.64 miles
Old Campus Loop 2.57 miles
This is a walk that takes you around campus, which is great if you want to see more of the school. You get to pass the track, the baseball field, the areas by the gym, the welding and automotive buildings, the community garden and the administration building.
Just southeast of the Road to Fitness is Hollister road, which you can follow away from Highway 1 toward Colusa Avenue. The trail is completely flat and offers views of mountain ranges as well as the barracks that Cuesta used to inhabit before the college built its current campus.
Pistol Range Loop 5.1 miles
Achievement House Loop 2.56 miles
Meandering cattle and rolling, golden hills complete this picturesqe California country trail. To get there, cross Highway 1 towards the northern end of campus and follow Education Drive around to the left. Take that road all the way until it forms a “T”. The last gate on your left begins Pistol Range Loop.
This is a flat trail that features partial shade and is a great ride on a bicycle. At the end of Achievement House Road on the northeast side of campus is also a thrift store by the same name.
Coaches Loop 4.57 miles
This trail was named due to how popular it was with the academic and athletic coaches. Like Pistol Range, make your way down Education Drive but take a right at the “T” and follow the paved road all the way around the golf course exiting near the corner of Hollister and Highway 1.
Bigger isn’t always better
Cuesta athletic teams take on larger schools and remain competetive By Trevor Nickel Sports Editor
With just over 7,000 students enrolled at Cuesta, it would be easy to assume that the school’s athletics struggles. In reality though, Cuesta’s athletic teams put up a good fight. They have enjoyed a great run at being competitive and are not planning on stopping. The men’s water polo team took first in their conference, the wrestling team is currently ranked sixth in state, the volleyball team came in third for their division and both the men’s and women’s basketball teams are number one and two in their conference. Although Cuesta lacks enrollment compared to the bigger schools in their division, they still manage to compete.
Ventura has about 5,000 more students than Cuesta, Santa Barbara and LA Pierce have about 10,000 more. Cuesta continues to produce competitive teams because of its successful coaches and talented players. The teams that play against Cuesta in their division are Santa Barbara, Allan Hancock, LA Pierce, Oxnard and Ventura. All of the teams play against each other and a few other games against non-divisional teams. The leader of the divison is the team with the best record. Rusty Blair, the men’s basketball coach, has led Cuesta to ten 20 win seasons and eight Western State Conference titles. John Marsh, the water polo head coach led the team to Western State Conference titles in each of his first four seasons and back-to-
back State Championship appearances. Cuesta builds its sports teams around proven coaches that are able to get the best out of the athletes. The players are still the main part, though, because it takes their skill to win the games. When combined with the wellrespected coaches, they turn into an even stronger team. The coaches have proven that they can develop great players and, with the help of the players, they generate a dominant athletics program. Cu e s t a ’s a t h l e t i c s program may be the runt, but they have a big bite. All of the teams feel that even though they may be undermatched, it is nothing to be scared about. They are just as talented as every other program.
SPORTS CALENDAR
Baseball
TUES. 3/25 Oxnard THU. 3/27 Allan Hancock SAT. 3/29 Allan Hancock TUES. 4/1 LA Pierce THU. 4/3 LA Pierce
Softball
TUES. 3/25 TUES. 4/1 THU. 4/3 TUES. 4/8 THU. 4/10
Allan Hancock Ventura Oxnard Moorpark Santa Barbara
2:30 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 1 p.m. 1 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 1/3 p.m. 1/3 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 1/3 p.m. 2:30 p.m.
Swimming
FRI. 3/28 WSC Mini Meet #4 10 a.m. FRI-SAT 4/11-12 Regional Diving Championship ALL DAY THU-SAT.4/17-19 WSC Championship ALLDAY
Track and Field
FRI. 3/28 WSC Coast 1 p.m. SAT. 3/29 Cal Poly Invitational 10 a.m. FRI. 4/4 Orange Coast Team Invitational 10 a.m. Past games
Baseball TUES. 3/11 THU. 3/13 SAT. 3/15
LA Pierce Santa Barbara Santa Barbara
L 7-5 L 7-4 W 4-2
Softball THU. 3/6 TUES. 3/11 THU. 3/13
Ventura Oxnard Moorpark
L 7-3 W 10-1 W 11-6
The Cuestonian
February 25, 2014 11
Off the beaten path: Cuesta’s secret running trails
Photos by Mike Satchell/The Cuestonian
By Mike Satchell Editor-in-Chief
It is a map called the Road to Fitness and that is exactly where it leads you. As it turns out, fitness is not a destination you can drive to, but if you make your way toward the 1000 building (by the parking lot near the pool) you can find a poster on the wall, and that, my friends, is the key to the city. That monument to sweet trail action began in the 2010-2011 school year with a 5k race around its first track, the Coaches Loop. It now highlights five measured trails around Cuesta’s campus which range from 1.64 to 5.1 miles. The wellness committee, which organized the map, is co-chaired by Jani Johnson, the kinesiology, health sciences and athletics division chair and Cherie Moore, a human development teacher. On your fitness adventures you have the opportunity to experience roaming cows, signs for unexploded ordnance, beautiful views, rolling California hills, rattlesnake/tick/wildcat warnings and rogue golf carts.
Cuesta Loop 1.64 miles
Old Campus Loop 2.57 miles
This is a walk that takes you around campus, which is great if you want to see more of the school. You get to pass the track, the baseball field, the areas by the gym, the welding and automotive buildings, the community garden and the administration building.
Just southeast of the Road to Fitness is Hollister road, which you can follow away from Highway 1 toward Colusa Avenue. The trail is completely flat and offers views of mountain ranges as well as the barracks that Cuesta used to inhabit before the college built its current campus.
Pistol Range Loop 5.1 miles
Achievement House Loop 2.56 miles
Meandering cattle and rolling, golden hills complete this picturesqe California country trail. To get there, cross Highway 1 towards the northern end of campus and follow Education Drive around to the left. Take that road all the way until it forms a “T”. The last gate on your left begins Pistol Range Loop.
This is a flat trail that features partial shade and is a great ride on a bicycle. At the end of Achievement House Road on the northeast side of campus is also a thrift store by the same name.
Coaches Loop 4.57 miles
This trail was named due to how popular it was with the academic and athletic coaches. Like Pistol Range, make your way down Education Drive but take a right at the “T” and follow the paved road all the way around the golf course exiting near the corner of Hollister and Highway 1.
Bigger isn’t always better
Cuesta athletic teams take on larger schools and remain competetive By Trevor Nickel Sports Editor
With just over 7,000 students enrolled at Cuesta, it would be easy to assume that the school’s athletics struggles. In reality though, Cuesta’s athletic teams put up a good fight. They have enjoyed a great run at being competitive and are not planning on stopping. The men’s water polo team took first in their conference, the wrestling team is currently ranked sixth in state, the volleyball team came in third for their division and both the men’s and women’s basketball teams are number one and two in their conference. Although Cuesta lacks enrollment compared to the bigger schools in their division, they still manage to compete.
Ventura has about 5,000 more students than Cuesta, Santa Barbara and LA Pierce have about 10,000 more. Cuesta continues to produce competitive teams because of its successful coaches and talented players. The teams that play against Cuesta in their division are Santa Barbara, Allan Hancock, LA Pierce, Oxnard and Ventura. All of the teams play against each other and a few other games against non-divisional teams. The leader of the divison is the team with the best record. Rusty Blair, the men’s basketball coach, has led Cuesta to ten 20 win seasons and eight Western State Conference titles. John Marsh, the water polo head coach led the team to Western State Conference titles in each of his first four seasons and back-to-
back State Championship appearances. Cuesta builds its sports teams around proven coaches that are able to get the best out of the athletes. The players are still the main part, though, because it takes their skill to win the games. When combined with the wellrespected coaches, they turn into an even stronger team. The coaches have proven that they can develop great players and, with the help of the players, they generate a dominant athletics program. Cu e s t a ’s a t h l e t i c s program may be the runt, but they have a big bite. All of the teams feel that even though they may be undermatched, it is nothing to be scared about. They are just as talented as every other program.
SPORTS CALENDAR
Baseball
TUES. 3/25 Oxnard THU. 3/27 Allan Hancock SAT. 3/29 Allan Hancock TUES. 4/1 LA Pierce THU. 4/3 LA Pierce
Softball
TUES. 3/25 TUES. 4/1 THU. 4/3 TUES. 4/8 THU. 4/10
Allan Hancock Ventura Oxnard Moorpark Santa Barbara
2:30 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 1 p.m. 1 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 1/3 p.m. 1/3 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 1/3 p.m. 2:30 p.m.
Swimming
FRI. 3/28 WSC Mini Meet #4 10 a.m. FRI-SAT 4/11-12 Regional Diving Championship ALL DAY THU-SAT.4/17-19 WSC Championship ALLDAY
Track and Field
FRI. 3/28 WSC Coast 1 p.m. SAT. 3/29 Cal Poly Invitational 10 a.m. FRI. 4/4 Orange Coast Team Invitational 10 a.m. Past games
Baseball TUES. 3/11 THU. 3/13 SAT. 3/15
LA Pierce Santa Barbara Santa Barbara
L 7-5 L 7-4 W 4-2
Softball THU. 3/6 TUES. 3/11 THU. 3/13
Ventura Oxnard Moorpark
L 7-3 W 10-1 W 11-6
