Pace to pick up for locals at Mt. SAC Invitational

This time Corona del Mar High girls’ cross country coach Bill Sumner expects a different outcome when the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational starts today.

“We’re going to take a little bit of a licking,” he said after his team, ranked No. 1 in CIF Southern Section Division III, failed to defend its Orange County Championship last week by finishing sixth.

The Sea Kings won the Division III sweepstakes race last year in Walnut, where more than 15,000 runners from California and other states are expected to converge during the two-day event, which starts today at 7 a.m.

Locals competing at Mt. SAC include Newport Harbor, Sage Hill School and Costa Mesa. Coach Charlie Appell said Estancia, No. 10 in Division III boys, opted to skip the invitational to focus on next week’s pivotal Orange Coast League meet against Laguna Beach as both teams are undefeated in league.

Local standout girls to look out for today include CdM’s Shelby Buckley and Allison Damon, who finished sixth and fifth, respectively, last year, and Cait Williamson of Sage Hill, No. 5 in Division V, in the Division V sweepstakes event. Newport Harbor, No. 5 in Division II, has Erica Pearson and Sophia Ditty in Saturday’s Division II varsity race.

As for the boys, No. 7 Sage Hill, led by Sean McElroy, is in the Division V sweepstakes race and No. 4 CdM, led by Thomas Dialynas, is in the Division III sweepstakes. Both are today.

Newport Harbor, ranked No. 2, is in Saturday’s Division II sweepstakes race. The Sailors’ top five finishers during their impressive fourth-place finish at the OC Championships were Mike Puncel, Rex Nelson, Jake Dawson, Michael Taylor and Murphy Hitchcock.

— David Carrillo Peñaloza