Barry FaulknerHumberto “Pepino” Rojas shares his nickname...

Barry Faulkner

Humberto “Pepino” Rojas shares his nickname with a former boxing

champion, but it was his legs, not his fists, with which he built his

legacy at Estancia High.

Rojas, who graduated June 19, left behind a trail of individual

and team success in cross country and track and field that longtime

Estancia coach Charlie Appell believes propels Rojas to the front of

the pack in school annals.

“He’s probably the best runner in Estancia history,” Appell said

after the four-year track and cross country standout compiled two

individual CIF Southern Section division titles, six individual

league championships, to go with one relay league crown, and four

league team titles (three in cross country) as a prep.

Rojas, bound for Orange Coast College, eclipsed a 25-year-old

school record in his specialty -- the 1,600 meters -- as a sophomore,

a record he would lower on numerous occasions over the next two

years, en route to being named the Eagles’ Boys Athlete of the Year.

His best 1,600 clocking came in his final high school race, as he

posted a time of 4:10.58 to finish second at the CIF State finals at

Cerritos College. He was third at the Southern Section Masters Meet

(4:12.73), after winning the CIF Southern Section Division III title

in 4:14.28.

He won his heat and qualified ninth in the 800 at the CIF Southern

Section Division III preliminaries, but elected to drop the event to

concentrate on the 1,600 the rest of the postseason.

His senior postseason began with victories in the 800 (1:55.36)

and 1,600 (4:18.33, a league record by more than four seconds), as

well as a leg on the victorious 1,600 relay at the Golden West League

finals. His individual effort helped the Eagles claim the program’s

first league championship since 1990.

Rojas’ senior cross country season ended with a seventh-place

finish at the state meet (15:47). He was second at CIF Southern

Section Division III finals (15:21), after claiming the Golden West

League individual title in 15:21, helping the Eagles finish second as

a team.

The 2002 track season included a ninth-place finish in the 1,600

at state finals, after a dramatic second-place finish at the Southern

Section Masters Meet (4:14.71), for which he was given a spot after

qualifying as an alternate.

He was third in the 1,600 at the 2002 Southern Section Division

III finals (4:16.40), after winning Pacific Coast League crowns in

the 800 (1:58.81) and 1,600 (4:28.14).

His junior cross country season was capped by a fifth-place finish

in Division III at the state meet, after winning the CIF Southern

Section Division III championship in 15:25.1. As it did his senor

year, the Estancia team finished fourth in its division at the

section finals.

His individual title at the 2002 PCL finals (15:14) helped the

Eagles win their fifth straight league team title.

The 2001 track and field season ended at the Masters Meet, where

he finished sixth (4:18.67). He was fourth at CIF Southern Section

Division III finals that spring, clocking a 4:17.81. The time, converted to 4:19.41 for the mile, broke the aforementioned school

record that had stood for 25 years.

Rojas was runner-up in the 1,600 and 800 at PCL finals as a

sophomore, after finishing second in the 1,600 at PCL finals as a

freshman.

He was sixth at the 2000 PCL cross country championships as a

sophomore, then went on to finish sixth in CIF Southern Section

Division IV, where the Eagles were second as a team. He was 12th in

Division IV at the CIF State finals that fall.

Rojas was third at league finals as a freshman, then went on to

finish 12th at the CIF Southern Section Division IV finals.