Mustangs solid

Steve Virgen

At the beginning of the girls cross country season, Corona del Mar

High Coach Bill Sumner made reservations in Fresno because he fully

expects his team to reach the state finals next month. After Costa

Mesa’s performance in the Orange County Championships Saturday,

Mustangs Coach Joe Busi will most likely be calling hotels in Fresno,

as well.

The Mustangs finished 11th with 244 points in the sweepstakes

race, the highest division, just two points behind Newport-Mesa

District counterpart CdM at Irvine Regional Park. Esperanza won with

67 points.

“The girls did real well,” Busi said of his team. “I told the

girls at the beginning of the season, after the first race, ‘this

race is the first toward state [finals].’ I told them two weeks ago

that I’ll be making reservations.”

Costa Mesa’s Jasmin Day finished 18th (18:52). She was fifth among

Orange County sophomores and had the top time out of all the

Newport-Mesa District runners.

CdM’s Annie St. Geme tied for sixth among county sophomores,

finishing 19th (18:57). She tied with Newport’s Whitney Blue, an

up-and-coming runner who finished fifth (18:57) in Division II.

While CdM was without junior Melissa Swigert, due to illness, and

suffered a few setbacks during the race, the Mustangs were also

dealing with some complications of their own.

Most of the Costa Mesa runners were involved with the school’s

homecoming activities Friday. Senior Christine Bjelland (45th in

19:44) helped coordinate the homecoming queen ceremony during

halftime of the Mustangs’ football game. Senior Stacy Krikorian (97th

in 21:39) was crowned homecoming queen.

“Most of the kids didn’t get to bed until after midnight,” Busi

said. “The girls were really antsy [Saturday] with the homecoming

dance [Saturday night].”

Sumner said Swigert called him early Saturday morning because she

was ill from food poisoning. During the race, freshman Hillary May, a

runner with plenty of promise, started out too strong and finished

46th in 19:47, while junior teammate Ahlia Kattan (95th in 21:38)

experienced side aches after the first mile.

“The girls have been more than meeting expectations and they are

looking forward to state,” Sumner said. “But [Saturday] was not their

day.”

Mesa freshman Emily Cotton (42nd in 19:26) and sophomore teammate

Kyla Flores (50th in 19:54) contributed to the Mustangs’ solid

performance, as did sophomore Hahn Nguyen (89th in 21:31) and senior Cassey Brick (99th in 21:47).

Senior Taryn Kawata’s was CdM’s No. 2 runner, coming in at 43rd

(19:35), while Devon Ahearn (62nd in 20:13), Jen Logan (72nd in

20:28) and St. Geme’s younger sister, Christie, (77th in 20:38)

chipped in for the Sea Kings.

In Division II, Newport Harbor finished eighth with 181 points,

while Capistrano Valley won the race with 142 points. Newport Coach

Eric Tweit was pleased with his team’s effort, considering the

Sailors were without their two top runners, Lauren Paul and Courtney

Marshall, both out with injuries.

Tweit said Marshall could have ran Saturday, but he wanted to be

extra cautious. Without the Newport duo, the Sailors had Blue step up

and she finished just four seconds slower than she did in a Sea View

League six-way meet Oct. 9.

Freshman Lauren Maddox finished 17th (19:44), adding some comfort

for Tweit, while sophomore Amy Klippert (34th in 20:09), junior

Caitlin Mai (61st in 20:51) and freshman Amy Penner (72nd in 21:05)

also satisfied the Newport coach.