Sea Kings united in quest for championship

With so many athletes on the Corona del Mar High girls’ track and field team capable of challenging for championships, the team aspect could easily be ignored during competition.

But Sea Kings Coach Bill Sumner said it is actually the opposite. Corona del Mar only has eyes for its fifth consecutive Pacific Coast League title, Sumner said, after that it will be time for the athletes to shine as individuals as well as pursue a third straight section title.

“We’re very team oriented week to week,” Sumner said. “We don’t break up until CIF. We try to stay in a single group until then.”

The Sea Kings will continue on their path to the goal of a league title today at the Trabuco Hills Invitational where all Newport-Mesa schools will compete.

Having a deep cross country team, which won the Division III state championship in the fall, has led to wealth of talent in the 800 meters, 1,600 and 3,200 races. Senior Sarah Cummings, the Division III state cross country champion, will compete in the 3,200 along with junior Alison Gushue and senior Nicole Slykhous.

“We all work out together and everyone pushes each other,” said Cummings, who was bothered by a foot injury early in the season.

Junior Shelby Buckley, junior Allison Damon and senior Hilary May will run in the 800 and 1,600. They each ran about a five-minute 1,600 at a recent dual meet.

“It’s what I like,” May said of the 800 and 1,600, which she was third and fourth in respectively at the league finals last season. “It’s really neat because it makes it really competitive in practice. It’s nice to have your teammates there pushing you.”

Damon said the 1,600 and 800 are a better fit for her because she can just run without the worry of pacing.

“I like going fast,” Damon said. “We work together well. We help each other. I think we can go back to CIF. We definitely want to make it to state.”

In the league finals, Buckley finished second to Corona del Mar’s Annie St. Geme, currently at Stanford, in the 800 and 1,600.

Helping to make the Sea Kings dangerous as a team is senior Tiffany Liu, the defending league champion in the 100 hurdles, the long jump and the triple jump.

Sophomore Claire Schmidt gives Corona del Mar a runner capable of taking the 200 and 400 as well as a complement to the 1,600 relay team.

Senior Ann Klunder is the defending league champion in the discus and finished second in the shot put.

COSTA MESA

COACH: Diane Bjelland (second year)

2006 FINISH: Girls, Golden West League champions; boys, fifth in league.

TOP RETURNERS: (Girls) Danielle Morton (Sr., triple jump, long jump), Emily Cotton (Sr., hurdles, distance), Alle Krikorian (So., 200, relays), Tejan LaBare (So., 200, relays), Whitney Crosby (So., relays), Cheyenne Lopez (So., throws), Shelby Herbel (So., relays, hurdles). (Boys) Antwon Byrd (So., 100), Asa Hawks (Sr., 200, 400), Cody De La Mater (Sr., throws), Steven Nguyen (Sr., jumps, hurdles), Robbie Gemayel (So., hurdles, jumps), Drake Brunette (So., hurdles, distance), Mitch Friedmann (Sr., distance), Gilbert Johnson (Sr., sprints, hurdles, relays).

TOP NEWCOMERS: (Girls) Tatiana Williams (Fr., high jump, 200), Rachel Daley (Fr., high jump), Seu Teremia (So., throws), Alysia Werdel (Fr., throws), Natalie Argueta (So., 400), Arlene Sanchez (Jr., distance), Bree LaBare (Fr., sprints), Amanda Monette (So., sprints), Brittney Way (Fr., distance), Wendi Way (Fr., distance). (Boys) Thomas Guzowski (So, relay, sprints, throws), Duke Yasuda (So., hurdles, jumps), Juan Garces (So., throws), Steven Guzowski (Jr., throws).

OUTLOOK: The Costa Mesa girls strength lies in its depth and they are young. There will not be a sophomore slump for Bjelland as she coached at the Costa Mesa junior high level for five years making her familiar with all of the team’s athletes.

Byrd is on the verge of breaking 11 seconds in the 100, making him a serious threat to go far in the sprint. Hawks won the Golden West League title in the 200 and is one of the top runners in the 400. Morton set the school record in the triple jump (33 feet, 9 inches) at the Surf City Invitational.

ESTANCIA

COACH: Charlie Appell (18th year)

2006 FINISH: Girls, fifth in Golden West League; boys, fourth

TOP RETURNERS: (Girls) Unise Rodriguez (Jr., 1,600, 3,200), Jennifer Thomas (Jr., hurdles, triple jump). (Boys) Ryan Whites (Jr., hurdles, jumps).

TOP NEWCOMERS: (Girls) Erica Soto (Fr., sprints), Sandy Ramirez (So., 1,600, 3,200), Blanca Morales (So., distance), Katherine Fuentes (Fr., distance), Alejandra Peralta (So., distance). (Boys) Damien Leon (So., 800), Cesar Casillas (Jr., 1,600), Wes Barloon (Jr., 3,200), John Beck (Jr., throws), Vincent Esponoza (Jr., throws), Fernando Orozco (So., distance).

OUTLOOK: The Estancia season was made difficult before it even started. With the new stadium under construction for the next 18 months it has turned Appell’s squads into “gypsies.” The team practices twice a week at Orange Coast College, but can’t begin until 4 p.m. creating extra problem’s with athletes’ work schedules. The rest of the week, the Eagles work in the park behind the school which is suited to runners, but not those who compete in field events.

Prior to the season, senior jumper Jaye Hellmich and sophomore distance runner Alexa Aguilar informed Appell they would miss the season due to stress fractures. Whites was a league champ in the hurdles.

SAGE HILL

COACH: Elias Moreno (first year)

2006 FINISH: Boys second in Academy League, girls second in league.

TOP RETURNERS: (Boys) Blaine Bolus (So., jumps), Connor Rose (Jr., 800, 1,600), Tyler Ellis (Sr., 400, relays); Sean McElroy, (Jr. distance). (Girls) Cait Williamson (So., 800, 1,600), Mackenzie Muhonen (So., pole vault, jumps), Allison Ong (Jr., relays), Erica Faris (Sr., distance), Amelia Fletcher (Sr., jumps).

TOP NEWCOMERS: (Boys) Brian Sun (So., hurdles), Cody Gates (Jr., throws). (Girls) Kellee Kim (Jr., jumps), Jackie Dion (Fr., distance).

OUTLOOK: Moreno takes over for Nate Miller and inherits what is consistently one of the top schools in the Academy League. Zach Chandy, the league champion in the 200 and 400, is now at Stanford, but Rose returns as the league champion in the 800 and 1,600 and could expand that to the 3,200. Bolus came on late last season, taking the triple jump and brings a lot of potential. Ellis was tops in the 400 at a league meet March 22 as was Gates in the discus.

On the girls’ side, Williamson, who won the league title in the 800 last year, is poised to build on her collection after a strong cross country season. Kim set the school record in the high jump (4-8). The girls 4x100 team is also strong.

NEWPORT HARBOR

COACH: Eric Tweit (girls, 18th year), Nowell Kay (boys, fourth year)

2006 FINISH: Boys third in Sea View League, girls third in league

TOP RETURNERS: (Boys) Nick Nigro (Sr., sprinter), Rex Nelson (Jr., distance). (Girls) Allison Stokke (Sr., pole vault), Jessica Robson (Sr., jumps, hurdles, throws), Cassidy Gayner (Jr., hurdles, 400), Laura Clayton (Sr., hurdles, jumps), Melissa Mead (Sr., distance), Taylor Bryson (Sr., 800, 1,600), Lauren Maddox (Sr., 400, 800, distance).

TOP NEWCOMERS: (Boys) Jake Dawson (So., distance), Evan Walker (So, relay, sprints), Tim Lang (Jr., relays), Murphy Hitchcock (Jr., relays), Mike Puncel (Jr., 200, 400), Matt Vissonnette (Fr., hurdles), Cecil Whiteside (Fr., throws), Brandon Kula (So., throws), Chase Openhauer (Jr., throws), Nathan Talbot (Jr., throws), Garrett Heiser (Jr., jumps). (Girls) Elizabeth Tennison (So., sprints, relay), Brooke Nelson (Fr., sprints, relay), Melissa Hancock (Fr., jumps, sprints), Lilly Berry (Fr., sprints, relay), Erica Pearson (So., 800, 1,600, 3,200), Desire Alexander (So., 3,200), Sophia Ditty (Jr., 3,200), Christina Cooley (Jr., relay), Kirby Burnham (Fr., hurdles, jumps).

OUTLOOK: The Sailors boys’ team is probably in for a bumpy ride its first time through the Sunset League due to its youth. Nigro and Nelson will supply some stability.

On the girls’ side, the Sailors are stacked in every event but the throws. Stokke is rounding into form and is a lock to compete once again for a state title, having posted the highest mark, 12-0, in the section so far. Robson is riding high on her high jump mark of 5-10, which is tied for tops in the states.

CORONA DEL MAR

COACH: Bill Sumner (23rd year)

2006 FINISH: Girls Pacific Coast League champions, boys third in league.

TOP RETURNERS: (Girls) Sarah Cummings (Sr., 3,200), Shelby Buckley (Jr., 800, 1,600), Allison Damon (Jr., 800, 1,600), Hilary May (Sr., 800, 1,600), Nichole Slykhous (Sr., 3,200), Allison Gushue (Jr., 3,200), Tiffany Liu (Sr., jumps, hurdles), Claire Schmidt (So., 200, 400), Ann Klunder (Sr., throws). (Boys) Spencer Aguilar (Sr., hurdles, jumps), Matthew Shapiro (Jr., jumps), Tim Scott (Sr., 800, 1,600), Tommy Hutchison (Sr., distance), Ricky Townsend (Jr., sprints), Bret Grainger (Sr., 400, 800).

TOP NEWCOMERS: (Girls) Laura Bilder (So., jumps), Sarah Keddington (Fr., 400), Bren Johnson (Fr., throws). (Boys) Thomas Dialynas (Jr., distance), Travis Leyton (Jr., sprints), Alex Swigart (Fr., hurdles).

OUTLOOK:

For the boys, Aguilar is consistently strong in the jumps and hurdles, while Scott, Hutchison and Dialynas can score in the running events.