CdM girls win CIF

WALNUT — The Corona del Mar High girls’ cross country team hadn’t been challenged this season and had never been forced to demonstrate that its level of teamwork equals its talent.

Before the start of the CIF Southern Section Division III final, issues came up within the team and outside of it. But when a rare challenge seemed inevitable, the Sea Kings regrouped and won their third section championship by seven points over Oak Park. CdM senior Sarah Cummings captured the individual title at Mt. San Antonio College Saturday.

The challenge began with an injury, senior Nichole Slykhous unable to run because of a hip injury that has haunted her all season. Sickness kept sophomore Laura Bilder, the team’s No. 5 runner, from finishing and hampered junior Shelby Buckley, the team’s No. 2, throughout.

And then the Sea Kings got really unlucky, or so it seemed. There was a false start and their race was postponed for 20 minutes. The runners had to stand on the blacktop in the heat the entire time.

“Don’t tell me you don’t need luck,” CdM Coach Bill Sumner said. “I’ll take a little bit of luck anytime.”

With the team against the odds and with the race underway, Sumner sprung into action and began to spread the word of what was needed.

“During the race I saw it,” Sumner said. “Everybody is moving around. Everybody found out quickly. It’s a good team. They know what’s going on. I’m not big on individuals.”

Each individual on the team did their part. Cummings maintained her commanding lead, finishing in 17 minutes, 42 seconds. Junior Alison Damon heard the word and quickly made a move, surging from third to take second place. She finished 22 seconds ahead of the third-place runner.

“Coming down Reservoir Hill, I heard one of our [runners] dropped out,” Damon said. “I was feeling good. I just had to go for it.”

Buckley picked up a critical 11 points when she moved from 25th to finish 14th and senior Hilary May picked up the pace inspired by her final run at the Mt. SAC course.

“At the top of Reservoir Hill I was like ‘This is my last time, I have to make it count,’ ” May said. “It was really hot out there. We just had to pick it up.”

While everyone on the Sea Kings advanced throughout the race — junior Alison Gushue moved up to finish 21st and senior Christie St. Geme finished 24th — Cummings held on to the top spot throughout.

“I wanted to do it for the team and I wanted to do it for myself,” said Cummings who will run for Princeton next year. “Everyone cheering me on at the end motivated me.”

And despite a year of constantly finishing first, winning never gets old for Cummings.

“I’m never feeling like I’m going to win. Nothing is ever decided ahead of time in racing,” Cummings said. “I don’t really think about it when I get to the line. I just try to stay relaxed.”

Cummings added the close finish came at the perfect time to motivate the team for the state meet, which is Saturday at Woodward Park in Fresno.

“We have to reassess and know nothing is a done deal,” Cummings said. “We haven’t had a shocker the whole season, but we just made it by barely. Hot or not I’m sure it’s definitely something that wakes us up a little bit. I think it will motivate us to go faster.”