Sea Kings’ conquest is as easy as 1-2-3

Steve Virgen

How deep is the Corona del Mar High girls cross country team? The

Sea Kings are so deep, they can be without their top two runners and

still win easily in a tri-meet against Laguna Beach and Calvary

Chapel Thursday at the Eric Hulst Memorial Course at Alta Laguna

Park.

The CdM girls team and the Sea Kings’ boys squad won the tri-meet

and virtually locked up Pacific Coast League titles, as they both

went 5-0 in league this season. The PCL Finals are Nov. 7, when the

Sea Kings can clinch the league championships.

The CdM girls were without senior Becky Cummins, who was resting

sore knees, and Keelan Cuyler, who was ill. That set the stage for

sophomore Ahlia Kattan and junior Taryn Kawata to take over the race.

Kattan won her first race of the season, finishing in 20:34 and

leading a 1-2-3 finish followed by junior Taryn Kawata (20:48) and

sophomore Devin Ahearn (20:50).

“We were a little scared that we wouldn’t be as strong without our

top runners,” Kattan said. “Me and Taryn were talking to each other

about how weird it felt to be out in front. It was like, now we had

to know the course.”

Kattan ran for the first time on the perilous course that is amid

the mountains above Laguna Beach High. CdM Coach Bill Sumner planned

before the race for Kawata to be the leader for the Sea Kings, but

Kawata endured sideache pains and Kattan slightly took over.

“Taryn and I were ahead the whole race,” Kattan said. “We were

supposed to lead the race and stay with (Laguna Beach’s) top girl. We

stayed with her for a while but we realized she didn’t have enough

strength so we decided to go ahead.”

Ahearn also went ahead and finished strong to grab the third spot.

CdM junior Jennifer Logan finished fifth (21:07), while sophomore

Melissa Swigert (sixth, 21:13), freshman Lindsey Manning (seventh,

21:24) and freshman Anne St. Geme (ninth, 21:35) also finished in the

top 10.

“We have the luxury of doing those type of things,” Sumner said of

holding back Cummins, who probably could have ran Thursday. “She’ll

be ready to go again in our next meet. She has been dealing with the

knee since the Orange County Championships. We pulled her out of the

(Mt. San Antonio Invitational) and held her out of other races. But,

she’ll be ready to go. Keelan was coughing up a storm Monday and

Tuesday, so I knew we couldn’t have her run (Thursday).”

CdM defeated Laguna Beach, 17-45. Calvary Chapel did not have five

runners to score at the meet and lost to CdM.

On the boys side, the Sea Kings also completed a 1-2-3 finish, led

by first-place winner Kevin Artz, a junior who finished in 17:05. The

Turner brothers, J.C. and the younger Jack, followed in 17:10, 17:21,

respectively.

“We expected wins with the boys and the girls,” Sumner said. “But

on the boys side we expected more of a fight. (Laguna Beach) had a

home-course advantage and we thought it was going to be a battle. But

it seemed like it wasn’t really close at all.

“It’s Halloween,” Sumner continued. “And, I think those first

(three) runners were dressed in CdM shirts.”

In addition to the 1-2-3 CdM finish, seniors Bo Weidner (17:34)

and Blake Dillion (17:35) came in fifth and sixth respectively, while

junior Brandon Borcoman (eighth, 17:56) and junior Danny Quinlan

(ninth, 18:27) also finished in the top 10.

CdM defeated Laguna Beach, 17-44, and the Sea Kings also scored a

victory over Calvary Chapel, 15-50.

“We just got our first goal,” Sumner said. “Both teams stayed

undefeated in the PCL. Now we have to get ready for what’s ahead.”

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE BOYS

CdM 15, Calvary Chapel 50

CdM 17, Laguna Beach 44

Laguna Beach 15, Calvary Chapel 44

1. Artz (CdM), 17:05; 2. J.C. Turner (CdM), 17:10; 3.

Jack Turner (CdM), 17:21; 4. Bowler (LB), 17:33; 5. Weidner (CdM),

17:34; 6. Dillion (CdM), 17:35; 7. Greene (LB), 17:37; 8. Borcoman

(CdM), 17:56; 9. Quinlan (18:27); 10. Fuszard (LB), 18:31.

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE GIRLS

CdM 17, Laguna Beach 45

CdM 15, Calvary Chapel (did not score)

Laguna Beach 16, Calvary Chapel (did not score)

1. Kattan (CdM), 20:34; 2. Kawata (CdM), 20:48; 3.

Ahearn (CdM), 20:50; 4. Gordon (LB), 20:58; 5. Logan (CdM), 21:07; 6.

Swigert (CdM), 21:13; 7. Manning (CdM), 21:24; 8. Proctor (LB),

21:27; 9. St. Geme (CdM), 21:35; 10. Lojacomo (LB), 21:47.