CdM plans another trip to state
Coach Bill Sumner said you shouldn’t count out his Corona del Mar High girls’ cross-country team this year.
The Sea Kings, coming off a 13th-place showing at the CIF State Division III finals, aren’t ranked in the CIF Southern Section Division 3 preseason poll. Sumner understands why his team isn’t in the poll because the team lost four of its runners to graduation.
But what has been the case for most of Sumner’s 33 years at CdM, he always has talented runners ready.
“We had a great year, but our standards are set so high that usually if we don’t get at the podium at state, it’s not a big year for us,” Sumner said. “We had a run where we won [six] CIF State titles [from 1999 to 2009].
“Of course we have alumni that are asking me all the time, ‘When is the next state championship coming?’ We have [seven] of those, so we’re supposed to get the [eighth]. Ain’t that easy.”
The lone returner is senior Raquel Powers, who finished 22nd at state last year. She and sophomore Gigi Lee and seniors Bella Gerken and Emma St. Geme plan to lead CdM to another deep postseason run.
The Sea Kings finished fifth last year at the CIF Southern Section Division 3 finals, their best result since 2011.
“Our real season starts in November,” Sumner said. “My job is to train them to be able to go to the state championships, but the job that comes before that is getting them to believe they can do that.”
Corona del Mar Girls’ Cross-Country
League: Pacific Coast
CIF Division: 3
Head Coach: Bill Sumner (33rd year)
Coaching Staff: Mike Salzman, assistant coach
2015 league finish: Second
2015 CIF results: Finished fifth in the Southern Section Division 3 Championships and 13th in the CIF State Division III Championships
Returning starters: One
Returning with honors: Raquel Powers
Coach’s take: “I never make plans for Thanksgiving, other than being up in Fresno [for the CIF State finals on Nov. 26].”
One to watch: “Raquel Powers is a young senior. She’s 16. She’s always been a varsity runner. Now she’s on a mission because she’s the No. 1 runner and she wants to lead this team to the state meet.”
Schedule
Sept. 10: at Laguna Hills Invitational, 7:45 a.m.
Sept. 23: at Sunny Hills/Wayne Walker Invitational at Ted Craig Regional Park in Fullerton, 4 p.m.
Oct. 6: at Pacific Coast League cluster meet at Irvine Regional Park in Orange, 3 p.m.
Oct. 8: at Clovis Invitational at Woodward Park in Fresno, 7:15 a.m.
Oct. 15: at Orange County Championships at Irvine Regional Park in Orange, 8 a.m.
Oct. 21: at Mt. SAC Invitational at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut, 3:30 p.m.
Nov. 3: at Pacific Coast League Championships at William R. Mason Regional Park in Irvine, 1 p.m.
