Girls cross country: Steen, CdM continue to dominate

Joseph Boo

LAGUNA HILLS - For Corona del Mar High’s girls cross country team

and Newport Harbor’s Amber Steen, it’s as if last year never ended.

The Sea Kings, the No. 1 team in the CIF Southern Section Division IV,

proved they were not ready to relinquish their state and section crowns

by thoroughly dominating the Division III junior/senior field at

Saturday’s Laguna Hills Invitational.

For CdM Coach Bill Sumner, this opening meet of the year 2000 might as

well have been a weekend practice for his girls.

“(Saturday) wasn’t anything,” he said. “This was more of an end of the

summer practice than the first meet of the season. We didn’t come out

aggressive because we thought it would be 90 degrees today. This was just

a nice, hard workout.”

Junior Season Meservey led CdM’s pack with an 18:49, the only sub-19

minute time in her race.

“This was a very good time for Season,” Sumner said. “Last year, she

faded in the last mile. This year, she faded only in the last half-mile.

If I had her for another year, she would have finished strong.”

Sumner then let out a laugh.

“Wait, I do have her for another year?”

CdM grabbed five of the top six spots. Senior Diana Hossfeld was

second (19:01), Katie Quinlan was third (19:13), Jenny Cummins placed

fourth (19:21) and Jennifer Long came in sixth (19:27).

In the lower Division III races, CdM’s Keelan Cuyler was fourth in the

sophomore run with a 21:09. That was the ninth best on the team. CdM’s

Kinzie Kramer won the freshman race with a 21:48.

Steen, the defending CIF Division II champ, easily lapped the

junior/senior Division II field with a 17:58, almost a minute better than

the runner-up. It was also Steen’s best mark at Laguna Hills by 40

seconds.

“I’ve been looking to the start of the season all summer long,” Steen

said. “I’m glad to get that first meet under my belt, and I could start

focusing on Woodbridge next week and the start of the (Sea View League).”

Natalie St. Andre and Lynn Rinek posted the next best times for

Newport. St. Andre was 17th in the junior/senior race with a 20:39 while

Rinek was 22nd in the same event with a 20:51.

Lauren Paul was fifth in the Division II freshman race with a 21:33.

That was the fourth-best time for the Sailors and it solidified a varsity

roster spot for Paul.

“These early races are important for later on in the year,” Newport

Coach Eric Tweit said. “We can use these races as a building stone and

that’s why Laguna Hills is such a great meet. We can see where we are now

and find out what we’ve got to do.”

For Costa Mesa, Eileen Bello had the top overall time with a 22:05.

She placed 31st in the junior/senior Division III match. Freshman

Christine Bjelland had the Mustangs’ best finish. She was sixth in the

freshmen race with a 23:00.