It’s a good time for Sea Kings

WALNUT — Technically Sarah Cummings didn’t even bend the rule.

The rule, as stated by Corona del Mar High cross country Coach Bill Sumner, is there will not be any looking back to see how the competition is doing.

“No looking back,” Sumner said. “The person you should be concerned with is in front of you. If nobody is there, then run like you’re scared. If you’re not careful and you look back it might be me there.”

Cummings of course remembered the rule, so at the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational, she refrained from looking back when the footsteps behind her in the Division III sweepstakes race disappeared into silence.

But being the crafty senior she is, Cummings knew full well that the course was set up so heading into the final mile she could get a glimpse of the competition while continuing to look ahead.

There was nobody there.

“I felt pretty good, so I just started going for a good time,” Cummings said.

It was a good time for all wearing blue and black with CdM across the chest.

The Sea Kings, the defending Division III state champions, easily captured the victory, 60 points and nearly five minutes ahead of Del Oro, with Cummings leading the way in a time of 17 minutes, 37 seconds, nearly ahead of second place.

Cummings did not need any, but she had extra motivation coming down the final hill.

“I saw my dad standing there,” Cummings said. “That motivated me.”

With the result, it may have appeared that the Sea Kings, who are ranked No. 1 in CIF Southern Section Division III, were going all out, but that was far from the case. Afterward, junior Shelby Buckley and senior Nichol Slykhous hit the floor to knock out 25 push-ups. Then, the team went for a 30-minute run or “cool down.”

“Doing push-ups makes me feel good about myself,” said Slykhous, who is overcoming a hip injury.

Junior Allison Damon finished fifth in 18:58, with Buckley (19:05) and Slykhous (19:18) close behind in sixth and seventh, respectively.

“Coach always asks us who we are running for,” Damon said. “I’m running for my team and myself. We have a great coach and we all push each other to do better.”

Buckley, who was with Cummings for the first half of the race, was disappointed in her performance.

“I didn’t do what I wanted,” Buckley said. “I wasn’t happy with myself, but I was happy for the team. Around switchback [the first hill on the course] I feel bouncy and I have spring in my step. But my legs felt tired.”

Senior Hillary May finished 12th in 19:41 to round out the top five. Senior Christi St. Geme and junior Alison Gushue finished 14th and 15th respectively, which meant all seven runners finished ahead of the top runner for eight of the 14 teams in the race.

“With a lot of hard work and little luck we can do it,” Sumner said of defending the state title. “We just use this as a practice.”

Mt. SAC Invitational

Girls’ Division III sweepstakes

Top 10

1. Cummings (Corona del Mar), 17:37; 2. Nielsen (Irvine), 18:29; 3. Meyers (Laguna Hills), 18:47; 4. Atkins (Del Oro), 18:52; 5. Damon (Corona del Mar), 18:58.; 6. Buckley (Corona del Mar), 19:05; 7. Nichol Slykhous (Corona del Mar), 19:18; 8. Hoyt (San Lorenzo Valley), 19:19; 9. Tinucci (Del Oro), 19:30; 10. Cook (Irvine), 19:31.

Others

12. May (CdM), 19:41; 14. St. Geme (CdM), 15, Gushue (CdM), 19:52.