St. Geme signs with Stanford

annie st. geme signsCdM’s standout runner will continue career with Cardinal next season.Corona del Mar High senior Annie St. Geme, the CIF State champion in the 1,600 meters as a junior, has signed a national letter of intent to continue her running career at Stanford, Sea Kings’ Coach Bill Sumner confirmed Monday.

St. Geme, the top runner on the CdM girls’ cross country team, said she will compete in cross country and track and field for the Cardinal.

“She was the most recruited athlete that I have ever had in my 22 years as coach,” Sumner said. “She is the [most heavily recruited] athlete at CdM.”

St. Geme signed with the university on Friday.

“It pretty much came down to Duke and Stanford,” said St. Geme, who will be shooting for the CIF Southern Section Division III cross country crown Saturday at Mount SAC.

“But there’s no other school in the country in my mind that could beat the athletic and academic balance that Stanford has.”

The Corona del Mar cross country team, which Sumner calls the strongest in the history of the school, was named No. 1 in the nation in the Nike/Footlocker Super 25 high school poll earlier this season.

The defending Southern Section champions are seeking not only another section title on Saturday, but a state championship on Nov. 26.

St. Geme, who was hampered by plantar fasciitis during the 2004 cross country season, is considered a favorite at this year’s CIF State championships at Woodward Park in Fresno.

-- Chris Yemma