Easy does it for CdM

Steve Virgen

With undefeated Pacific Coast League regular-season records, it was

evident who was the team to beat at the preliminaries of the track

and field league championships at Irvine High Tuesday.

The Corona del Mar High Sea Kings, who won the boys and girls PCL

titles last year, have the bull’s-eye on them once again. Both

squads, especially the CdM girls team, seemed to step up to the

pressure and are in place to repeat as league champions Friday at

Irvine.

The Corona del Mar girls earned 25 qualifying times in the seven

track events. The Sea Kings boys squad had 13 qualifying times. Anne

St. Geme, Kevin Artz and Chris Ringstrom were the top qualifiers in

their respective events.

“We’re good to go,” Sea Kings Coach Bill Sumner said of his girls

team. “The girls are having a much easier time than the boys. It’s

going to be competitive for the boys. Tesoro and Northwood should be

right there.”

Sumner also delivered a noteworthy statement during the meet,

calling his girls squad the best team he has had in 10 years. That

doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with what the girls

accomplish this year, but what they achieve within the next three

years.

Tuesday, the Sea Kings qualified at least two in each event and

had six of the 12 qualifiers in the 1,600 meters, led by St. Geme,

who cruised to a 5:25.87. She also paced herself in the 800,

qualifying first in 2:17.29.

St. Geme will also compete in the 3,200 final Friday at Irvine.

Hilary May, Tiffany Liu, Whitney Weidner, Melissa Swigert and

Kelly Morgan qualified second in their respective events. May grabbed

the No. 2 seed in the 1,600 in 5:25.87 and 800 in 2:20.77, while Liu

did the same in the 100 hurdles (16.82). Weidner qualified second in

the 100 in 13.24, Swigert in the 200 in 26.53 and Morgan in the 400

in 59.51.

In the 1,600, Christie St. Geme qualified fourth in 5:33.07,

Nichole Slykhous qualified fifth in 5:34.08, Ahlia Kattan eighth in

5:45.40 and Devon Ahearn 12th in 5:30.30.

In the 800, Sara Claster qualified fourth in 2:28.50, while

Slykhous advanced sixth in 2:28.90.

Swigert, who qualified third in 1:01.80, Claster, who qualified

fourth in 1:02.05, and Alex Tobiessen, who qualified sixth in

1:02.63, also moved on to the 400 final.

In the 200, Weidner qualified third in 27.35, Morgan qualified

fourth in 26.76 and Tobiessen was sixth in 27.48. Trisha Mizusawa

qualified sixth in the 100 hurdles (18.29) and eighth in the 300

hurdles (54.06) and Norlyn Corpuz qualified seventh in the 100

hurdles (19.01). Kinzie Kramer qualified eighth in the 100 in 13.73.

On the boys side, Ringstrom will be the top seed in the 400 with

his time of 50.07. Artz qualified first in the 800 in 2:00.36.

Ringstrom will compete in the 100, 200, 400 and 1,600 relay Friday.

He said he is ready for the challenge of competing in back-to-back

events: the 400 and 100.

Ringstrom qualified second in the 100 in 11.39 and the 200 in

22.95. Brandon Borcoman qualified third in the 200 in 23.30 and fifth

in the 400 in 51.93.

In the 1,600, Artz (4:42.15) qualified second, Kenneth Wong was

fifth in 4:48.41, a personal record, and Ryan Guthrie qualified ninth

in 4:52.56. Eemaan Jalili qualified third in the 110 high hurdles in

16.70, and Steve Minard qualified fourth in 17.67.

Ross McKee qualified seventh in the 300 intermediate hurdles

(45.37), while Cliff Taylor qualified eighth in the 400 in 53.54.