A Back Bay blitz at CIF finals

cross country championshipsGirls’ cross country teams from Corona del Mar and Newport Harbor take home section titles Saturday at Mount SAC.WALNUT -- Known for ideal weather, pristine beaches and multi-million dollar homes, Newport Beach made a name for itself in the running world Saturday afternoon.

Narrowly separated by the Back Bay, causing intense rivalries in other sports, Corona del Mar High and Newport Harbor unleashed their running prowess on the rest of the field at the CIF Southern Section cross country championships at Mount SAC.

The girls’ teams from both schools were crowned CIF champions together for the first time since 1993.

The Sea Kings successfully defended their Division III title, setting a course record in 89 minutes, 42 seconds, while the Sailors claimed the Division II title in 94:28 to complete the Back Bay sweep.

“I think that’s really spectacular,” Sailors Coach Eric Tweit said. “Great for Corona del Mar; they deserve all their success.

“Newport Beach is a great place to run. It’s great weather and obviously both schools have a lot of successful people. I also think it really has to do with the continuity of coaches.”

Sea Kings senior Annie St. Geme blazed the course in a lifetime-best 16:51, good for a Southern Section all-division postseason record for the Mount SAC course, while junior Sarah Cummings (17:55) finished second, and sophomores Shelby Buckley (18:06) and Allison Damon (18:12) finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Junior Nichole Slykhaus (18:38) rounded out CdM’s top five with a 10th-place finish.

Sailors senior Whitney Blue placed second in 17:28, followed by junior Taylor Bryson (22nd, 19:04), junior Melissa Mead (25th, 19:06), freshman Desiree Alexander (29th, 19:11), and junior Lauren Maddox (43rd, 19:39).

“It was something we hoped for and we’re grateful for this race,” CdM Coach Bill Sumner said about his team’s victory. “We actually pulled up in the car this morning and I asked anyone if they were nervous. Everyone said they were nervous.”

Both squads qualified for the CIF state championships, to be held Saturday at Woodward Park in Fresno. Other Newport-Mesa qualifiers included the boys’ teams from Corona del Mar, Estancia and Sage Hill, along with the Sage Hill girls’ squad.

St. Geme and the CdM girls’ are considered a favorite heading into the state championships next week.

“I want to win state and I want to try and get close to, or beat the state record,” said St. Geme, who won the 2004 state championship in track and field’s 1,600 meters. “I’ve come a long way since last year and the year before.”

St. Geme, who was hampered by plantar fasciitis during the 2004 cross country season, finished seventh in last year’s Division III state final in 17:28. She said she is hoping to finish in less than 17 minutes on Saturday.

Blue, the Division II runner-up in last year’s state championships, is still neck and neck with Serrano’s Kauren Tarver, the 2004 Division II state champion.

Tarver finished three seconds ahead of Blue on Saturday for first.

“It’s cool; I’ve run against her before, so I know how she runs,” Blue said. “But I just want to try and run my own race, do what I did today and just go after her.”

The Sage Hill girls, who finished sixth in Division V, were paced by sophomore Katie McKeon (seventh, 20:05), freshman Cait Williamson (29th, 21:06), freshman Aiyana Bobrownicki (30th, 21:11), freshman Mackenzie Muhonen (51st, 22:25) and senior Kelsey Rose (58th, 22:50).

The Corona del Mar boys, who finished third in Division III, were led by junior Tim Scott (19th, 16:03), senior Kenneth Wong (29th, 16:21), sophomore Thomas Dialynas (31st, 16:22), junior Tommy Hutchison (35th, 16:28), senior Jack Turner (37th, 16:30) and senior Ryan Guthrie (51st, 16:50).

The Estancia boys, who placed seventh in Division III, were paced by senior Ernesto Castaneda (fifth, 15:23), sophomore Hector Gomez (27th, 16:19), senior CJ Buchmann (30th, 16:21), freshman Fernando Orozco (70th, 17:23) and freshman Wes Barloon (72nd, 17:25).

The Sage Hill boys finished seventh in Division V led by freshman Connor Rose (ninth, 16:46), junior Tyler Ellis (29th, 17:37), sophomore Sean McElroy (39th, 17:49), senior Zach Chandy (55th, 18:22) and junior Conrad Whitaker (66th, 18:56).