Daily Pilot Girls’ Cross-Country Dream Team: CdM’s Melisse Djomby Enyawe crowned champion at last
Only a handful of local runners remain from the dual meet-heavy season of the spring of 2021, a strange and serendipitous time for all involved.
It wasn’t a normal cross-country season, but it marked the beginnings of the relaxation of pandemic restrictions, and in those days, some could only speculate as to whether a young freshman at Corona del Mar would rise to stardom.
Melisse Djomby Enyawe placed third among Wave League competitors in a league finals meet at Central Park in Huntington Beach that March. Up until that point, the return of athletics had largely been confined to competitions within school districts.
It was the first chapter in her high school career, one that would bear witness to prolific achievement with each passing year.
“Freshman year, when I first joined, I didn’t really have any goals in mind,” Djomby Enyawe said. “I kind of just wanted to run fast. That was basically it. … As I got better sophomore and then junior year, I started having more goals for myself, and then I knew that I could actually accomplish them.”
Fast forward to the end of the story, where Djomby Enyawe parlayed a promising debut into a decorated career. She is the Daily Pilot Girls’ Cross-Country Dream Team Athlete of the Year. Now a three-time state qualifier, the Cal Poly commit topped her prep résumé by advancing to the Foot Locker Cross-Country National Championships in San Diego.
Djomby Enyawe was coming off her second podium performance at the CIF State cross-country finals when she consulted with those closest to her and decided the journey would continue. The qualifying meet took place on the Mt. San Antonio College course, where she had enjoyed considerable success.
“I decided to sign up, and I was like, ‘Why not? I’ll just give it my all,” Djomby Enyawe said. “You have nothing to lose. I’ve ran that course so many times, so I personally think I had an advantage over the other girls.”
A fifth-place finish in 18 minutes two seconds sent her on to San Diego, where she concluded her senior season in 26th place with a time of 18:32.7. Both of the Foot Locker races took place on 5K courses.
As her experience shaped her goals, a CIF Southern Section title sat front of mind. Djomby Enyawe had two prior top-10 finishes in the CIF finals, including a runner-up showing as a junior. Anything less than a CIF championship as a senior would have ended in disappointment, she said.
Djomby Enyawe left no doubt, finishing 29 seconds clear of the competition in the Division 3 final. She raised her arms in victory as she approached the finish line.
“Last year, I was runner-up, so that was my goal this year, to get the [top] spot,” she said. “I honestly thought I was pretty close last year, and so this year, I was like, ‘There’s no way I can’t not get it.’”
Corona del Mar coach Bill Sumner described Djomby Enyawe as an “easy-to-coach” individual, albeit one of few words. That was why he was ecstatic on Wednesday when she expressed a desire to go after the school record in the 800 meters this spring.
“She doesn’t talk much,” Sumner said. “She says enough, so I get it, and when I get the stuff, I’m on it. That just made my day. It’s one deal. She made a statement: “I want to get the half-mile record.”
COACH OF THE YEAR
Josh Espinoza
Pacifica Christian
The celebration was on as soon as frontrunner Ella Murray crossed the finish line first to give the Tritons an individual champion in the Division 5 final. Soon after, nervous energy kicked in, as the Tritons gathered around for the team results to be finalized. When the dust settled, Pacifica Christian edged Sage Hill by a margin of 198-215 for the last of seven allotted spots in the state Division V final. The scoring quintet that day included Murray, Akyli Maze, Lila Glidewell, Ashley Gundlach and Katie Fischer. Espinoza, the sixth-year coach of the program, guided the group to a remarkable feat, as it marked the first time that Pacifica Christian had advanced to the state meet, where the Tritons placed 15th as a team.
FIRST TEAM
Marley McCullough
Newport Harbor | Jr.
Girls’ cross-country runners across the area raised their level this season, providing for a handful of surprises in an exciting fall campaign. McCullough shocked the established favorites in outrunning the competition at the Sunset Conference finals, earning the title of Surf League champion after clocking in at 17:04.2 at Central Park. McCullough placed fourth in the CIF Division 2 final, 12th in the Division II race at the state meet, and 17th in the Foot Locker West Regional.
Makenzie McRae
Huntington Beach | Sr.
A leading force for Huntington Beach since she joined the program as a sophomore, McRae continued to be an example to follow for the Oilers. She kicked off her senior year with her lone victory in the Iolani Invitational. McRae also finished as the runner-up in the Central Park Invitational, before dropping her personal-best three-mile time to 16:40.5 with a sixth-place showing in the Orange County Championships. The Dream Team Athlete of the Year in 2021, McRae has committed to Northern Arizona University.
Ella Murray
Pacifica Christian | Sr.
With the opportunity to run nearly every weekend if one wishes, the Tritons appeared to play the long game. Murray did not compete on consecutive weekends until the postseason, and the fresh legs showed up in crunch time. The Marina transfer won titles in the Triton Invitational and the San Joaquin League finals, and she went on to become the CIF Division 5 champion. Murray closed out her season with an eighth-place showing in 18:39.3 on the 5K course at Woodward Park in Fresno to earn all-state honors in Division V.
Keaton Robar
Newport Harbor | Jr.
A leading candidate for a breakout cross-country season after a sterling sophomore season on the track, Robar continued to ascend in the fall. She won a grade-level race at the Laguna Hills Invitational, but she truly announced her arrival by finishing as the runner-up in the girls’ sweepstakes race of the Orange County Championships in a lifetime-best time of 16:35.4. Robar placed third in the Surf League finals, seventh in the CIF Division 2 final, and then went out with a bang as an all-state performer — fourth in the Division II race.
Sydney Rubio
Huntington Beach | Fr.
When it was learned that McRae had a true running mate on her team, the freshman phenom had grabbed the attention of more than a few in the sport. Her postseason was the stuff of dreams. She placed fifth in the CIF Division 1 final, then third in the Division I race at state. The spoils were the all-state honors that come with a top-10 finish at the state meet. Even more impressive, she was one of six runners in the state to be selected to compete in the Nike Cross Nationals in Oregon, where she finished 104th in 19:15.3.
Emilie Steinman
Corona del Mar | Fr.
Steinman provided solid, steady depth for the Sea Kings, slotting in behind Djomby Enyawe while perhaps indicating that she could be next in line to lead the program. The freshman won a grade-level race at the Laguna Hills Invitational for a coming-out party. She established her three-mile personal record of 17:41.1 in the girls’ sweepstakes of the Orange County Championships, 24th overall and fourth among freshmen in the race. She placed sixth in the Surf League, which boasted the top eight runners in the Sunset Conference finals.
Avery Williams
Edison | Fr.
A member of the rising stars club, Williams demonstrated her potential with a grade-level race win at the Woodbridge Classic. Four weeks later, she was back in the winner’s circle again, this time behind a personal-best 18:20.7 to top the medium schools varsity race in the Orange County Championships. Williams wound up as the Wave League champion, a critical contribution in helping Edison qualify for the CIF preliminaries, just six points clear of Fountain Valley for the league’s second postseason berth.
SECOND TEAM
Name, School, Year
Gabby Eckstrom, Sage Hill, Sr.
Yolo Javier, Laguna Beach, Sr.
Casey McConn, Huntington Beach, Jr.
Mira Mikulka, Corona del Mar, So.
Aya Roque, Fountain Valley, Jr.
Emma Siok, Huntington Beach, So.
Sydney Sydney, Laguna Beach, Sr.
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.
