CdM girls dominate the field at track finals

CORONA DEL MAR — Starting today, Corona del Mar High girls’ track team members Sarah Cummings, Hilary May, Shelby Buckley and Allison Damon will compete at the CIF State Track and Field Championships in Sacramento.

“There’s more where that came from” seemed to be the theme of Thursday’s Coastal Athletic League junior high track finals at CdM, at least on the girls’ side.

CdM won the overall girls’ title, with the Sea Kings’ total of 265 points easily topping defending champion Dwyer’s tally of 158. The CdM girls also won the eighth-grade and C (athletes under 5-foot-4) divisions, while they were edged by Ensign (77 points to 74) in the seventh-grade girls’ division.

CdM eighth-grader Sarah Craig won the 400 and 800 meters, a year after setting the seventh-grade league record in both events.

Alex Holbrook of Ensign broke Craig’s 400 record with a time of 1 minute, 2.15 seconds, but Craig said she didn’t mind.

“I was very happy,” said Craig, who narrowly missed setting an eighth-grade league record in the 400 with her time of 1:03.15. “I just tried to keep with my regular times and go as fast as I can. That’s what running is.”

And running is something Craig knows, even if her stomach didn’t necessarily agree with her mind.

“You know you’ve run your fastest when you feel like you’re about to puke,” Craig said. “I feel like I could do that right now.”

Fellow CdM eighth-grader Taylor Hebb also had a strong day, winning the 1,600 meters and finishing second behind Craig in the 800. Teammate Hailey Senske was second in the 1,600.

“They all won as a team,” CdM Coach Chris Brude said. “Every team [eighth-grade, seventh-grade, C Division] was first or second. That was neat to see them put it all together.”

Martina Go had Costa Mesa’s best finish, taking second in the eighth-grade girls’ shot put.

Holbrook of Ensign won the 400 meters and was second in the 200, helping the Sea Bees to the seventh-grade crown.

But CdM was also strong in that division, with Mary McKennon winning the 200 and Katie Donahue winning the 800 in a league-record time of 2:33.71.

Donahue also finished second in the 400 and third in the long jump, while Harbor Day’s Ally Brahs won the seventh-grade girls’ high jump and was third in the shot put.

Corona del Mar’s Ashley Powers, meanwhile, set a league record with her 1,600 meters time of 5:40.34.

“I really wanted it, really bad,” Powers said. “I wanted to at least set something. I was really anxious because [second-place finisher Sabah Ramirez of Dwyer] beat me the last time we raced.

“At the end, I thought I should just go for it.”

The Sea Kings’ Natalie Rempalski set the new C Division girls’ record in the high jump by clearing five feet even.

“She’s 5-foot-2, so she almost jumped her height,” said Brude with a smile.

MATT SZABO may be reached at (714) 966-4614 or at matthew.szabo@latimes.com.