Photo finish for top four Sea Kings

NEWPORT BEACH -- Although it was race day for the Corona del Mar High

girls cross country team, it was business as usual, said CdM Coach

Bill Sumner.

The Sea Kings (5-0) romped over Laguna Beach Wednesday at Bonita

Creek Park, 15-50, as the top four overall finishers -- Annie St.

Geme, Sarah Cummings, Allison Damon and Shelby Buckley -- each

crossed the line at 19:05.

“We took it easier than usual today,” said St. Geme, one of CdM’s

four first-place finishers.

“The thing with these girls is that there are no egos on the

team,” said Sumner. “Nobody is trying to get their name in the

paper.”

CdM’s Nicole Slykhous finished fifth in 19:13, No. 6 Christie St.

Geme finished in 19:23, and No. 7 Alison Gushue finished in 19:41.

The Breakers ran without All-Pacific Coast League junior Alex

Crawley, who was out due to shin splints.

“This was just one of many races,” said Breakers Coach Earl

Towner. This wasn’t a big, important race. I’m just proud all my

girls finished.”

The Laguna girls, who took a wrong path leading them 15 feet in

the wrong direction, captured eighth through 12th place with a top

time of 21:27, and weren’t the only ones who took the day in stride.

“We worked hard this week, so today was more of a tempo run,”

Sumner said.

The Sea Kings, which broke the course record at the Clovis

invitational in Fresno last weekend, look forward to the Orange

County championships Saturday at Irvine Regional Park in Orange.

With next weekend on their mind, the girls paced themselves

against the Breakers.

“We wanted to take it easy today,” said St. Geme. “We viewed it

more as a workout. We wanted to save some for the OC championships.”

The CdM seven-pack reached the midway point as a group at 9:04,

1:10 ahead of the Breakers, and finished over two minutes ahead of

the top Laguna finisher.

“We ran really well this week,” said St. Geme. “We opened up in

stride, and used today to loosen up our legs for this weekend.”