Laguna’s goal: return to state

An Orange Coast League champion. Fourth-place finishes at both the CIF Southern Section Championships and CIF State Championships. Those were superlatives befitting the Laguna Beach High girls’ cross-country program last year.

When the 2015 season begins for Laguna Saturday at UC Santa Barbara, four runners (Pearl Shoemaker, Grace LaMontagne, Taylor Alvarez, Lauryn Alvarez) return from that talented team that took the 2014 season to the final weekend, the CIF State Championships at Woodward Park in Fresno. Coach Steve Lalim, who is in his eighth year, says the goal is to get back north this November.

Laguna has won the Orange Coast League title in seven of the last eight years.

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Laguna Beach Breakers

League: Orange Coast League

CIF Division: Division 4

Head coach: Steve Lalim (8th year)

Coaching staff: Mark Harris (assistant coach)

2014 highlights: Orange Coast League champion; fourth at CIF-SS Championships; fourth at CIF State Championships

The Breakers: *Pearl Shoemaker, Sr.; *Grace LaMontagne, Soph.; *Taylor Alvarez, Sr.; *Lauryn Alvarez, Sr.; Hannah Konkel, Fr.; Bella Fonk, Fr.; Molly Cohn, Fr.; Ana Kell, Jr.; Ellie Glade, Hannah Vogel, Caleigh Cherrie, Mara Eftimie, Sabrina Flagstad (*returning runners).

Returning with honors: Pearl Shoemaker, Sr., all-league; Grace LaMontagne, Soph., all-league; Taylor Alvarez, Sr., all-league.

Team tidbits: Kirsten Landsiedel is out due to injury; Janie Crawford, Natalie Kimball, Brenna Merchant, key performers last year, graduated in June.

Coach’s take: “We have a good combination of experience and youth,” Lalim said. “A very hard-working, driven group of girls who aren’t afraid to compete. I like the work ethics, I like the attitude, I like our chances. This team is capable of having a great year. We just need to focus on doing everything we can to improve every day. Good things will come our way.”

The schedule: “We open Saturday at the UC Santa Barbara Gaucho Invite running against several [CIF-SS] Division 4 schools, giving us a glimpse into what we are up against,” Lalim said. “We travel to Hawaii in two weeks for the Iolani invite. In mid-October, we travel to Fresno to run the state meet course at the Roughrider invite. We’re looking forward to November.”

Orange Coast League: “The league should be competitive between Laguna Beach and Godinez,” Lalim said. “Godinez is well-coached and always prepares those girls to compete at a high level. It’s going to be fun to see what we can do.”

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Breakers Schedule

Saturday: at Gaucho Invitational (UCSB), TBA

Sept. 19: at Iolani Invitational (Hawaii), TBA

Sept. 30: at Orange Coast League Cluster, TBA

Oct. 3: at Palos Verdes Invitational, TBA

Oct. 16: at Rough Rider Invitational, TBA

Nov. 4: Orange Coast League Finals, TBA