CdM looks to pack the house

Despite returning the same lineup for this year’s Corona del Mar High

boys cross country team, Coach Bill Sumner deems it a different team

entirely.

“It’s a whole new team with a whole new attitude,” said Sumner,

entering his 22nd season at the helm. “It’s the same guys, but these

guys always used to cut themselves short. They used to hang around,

thinking they couldn’t do what the girls do because the girls have so

much talent.”

Indeed, the girls are loaded with talent this year and have been

in the past, but the boys squad is looking to make some noise of

their own this time around.

It’s not going to be a one-man show, Sumner said, rather a

cumulative effort from the whole group.

“There is no one man,” he said. “There is a team, which is a

pack.”

Paving the way this season are seniors Kenneth Wong, Paris

Salgado, Jack Turner and Ryan Guthrie, along with junior Tim Scott.

Juniors Timmy Timmons, Tommy Hutchison and Brian Licorish are also

expected to do some damage.

This squad produced the points the Sea Kings needed to claim

second at the Pacific Coast League finals last season and second in

the league standings.

Guthrie finished third at the finals at Irvine Park in 15 minutes,

32 seconds, while Wong was 12th (16:15), Scott was 13th (16:16),

Turner was 14th (16:21) and Salgado was 20th (16:31).

CdM’s second-place finish in league enabled the team to advance to

the CIF Southern Section Division III preliminaries, and eventually

on to the finals where the Sea Kings finished 11th and just missed

state qualification.

Guthrie led CdM in the finals, finishing 29th, followed by Wong

(44th), Hutchison (56th), Scott (60th) and Salgado (76th).

“Those will be my point guys,” Sumner said. “They’re a whole

different breed. Their [training] mileage is up about 15% from last

year. They would be lucky to get 40 miles a week last year and now

they’re doing 50.

“These guys have been solid and consistent, working out over the

summer. That’s when you know you’ve got a team. Cross country is a

team thing and that’s what these boys are doing.”

Sumner said he thinks the team will get picked to finish second or

third in league, but he said he sees the team finishing first.

“I’d pick that we would win league,” he said.

Other expected contributors this season include juniors Tri Nguyen

and Jiho Choi.