CdM boys lead local showing in Central Park Invitational
Corona del Mar’s Max Douglass ran with the leaders through the first mile on Saturday, and then through two miles, he was the leader.
It was a glimpse into the potential for what the Sea Kings senior, who says he is still rounding into form, could achieve later this fall when the stakes are raised.
Douglass placed sixth in 14 minutes 53.5 seconds, leading the local performances put forth at the Central Park Invitational in Huntington Beach.
“It felt good,” Douglass said. “I love running up in the front with the pack. I just need a little bit more of that end-of-the-race anaerobic kick and strength to keep me going. I was leading, and if I had just had a little bit more gas left in the tank, … I really feel like I could have cleared it.
“Once one guy passes you, you get that feeling of like, ‘Oh my gosh,’ almost like a force pulling backwards. I just need to get that end-of-the-race strength that I didn’t really get to gather over the summer, that I kind of had last year. Towards the end of the season, I’m going to get that back, and I won’t be getting out-kicked.”
Corona del Mar competed without its ace in the rated division of the Woodbridge Classic, as Douglass ran individually in the boys’ sweepstakes.
A lineup bolstered with Douglass atop it yielded a sixth-place finish in the team standings for the Sea Kings on Saturday. Junior Kevin Steinman (33rd, 15:40.5), senior Logan Walsh (47th, 15:53.9), junior Aidan Algazi (115th, 16:33.7), senior Nico Harris (122nd, 16:36.4) also factored into the scoring quintet.
Douglass said competitive practices are elevating the CdM boys’ team performance.
“You add in that factor of somebody that you see every single day beating you, it kind of gets to your head,” Douglass said. “You’re like, ‘I need to beat this guy. I’m better than this guy.’ It’s a good rivalry between teammates to push us in a sport like racing, where it’s on you to pick it up, and it’s your responsibility to get better.”
The meet had some peeking at the performance of league rivals. The Sunset League holds its league championship meet at Central Park.
Corona del Mar placed sixth with 293 points, Fountain Valley 11th with 367 points, and Edison 13th with 443 points.
Senior Ethan Kwong paced the Barons in crossing the finish line 17th in 15:21.1. Senior Kai Hata paced Edison, placing 50th in 15:58.4.
“I basically said to the team that this is kind of like a preview for [the Sunset] League, because this is our course for league finals,” Kwong said. “So I said try to beat everyone as possible, especially in our league. The only problem with this course is it was very crowded. I couldn’t really see my opposing teams.”
Trabuco Hills stole the show on the girls’ side, accruing the minimum 15 team points in winning the Section 1 girls’ varsity race in the morning. Millie Bayles (second, 16:36.1), Anna Desormeau (third, 17:12.8), Holly Barker (fifth, 17:19.2), Sophie Guilfoile (sixth, 17:29.2) and Skylar Watts (seventh, 17:50.0) were the first five to cross for the Mustangs.
Irvine’s Summer Wilson won the race in 16:19.4, and Sydney St. Catherine’s Sophie Hufton finished fourth in 17:17.5, but neither school entered the requisite five runners in the race to post a team score.
Edison sophomore Avery Williams (23rd, 18:33.4), Corona del Mar sophomore Emilie Steinman (24th, 18:34.2) and Fountain Valley senior Aya Roque (27th, 18:38.1) turned in the top times among area athletes in the race.
BOYS’ CROSS-COUNTRY
Central Park Invitational
At Central Park, Huntington Beach
3-mile course
Section 1
Team Results
1. Beckman 36; 2. Woodbridge 150; 3. Redondo Union 156; 4. Shadow Ridge 166; 5. West Torrance 191; 6. Corona del Mar 293; 7. Valencia 302; 8. Trabuco Hills 337; 9. Warren 344; 10. Redlands East Valley 363; 11. Fountain Valley 367; 13. Edison 443; 38. Marina 990
Individuals
1. Rawe (Shadow Ridge) 14:40.1; 2. Jubak (Trabuco Hills) 14:42.7; 3. Horrocks (Beckman) 14:47.2; 4. Antonio (Woodbridge) 14:47.8; 5. Nguyen (Beckman) 14:48.1; 6. Douglass (Corona del Mar) 14:53.5; 7. Wetzel (Shadow Ridge) 14:55.4; 8. Feaster (Beckman) 14:57.1; 9. Weber (Beckman) 14:58.5; 10. Zavala (Woodbridge) 15:04.3; 17. Kwong (Fountain Valley) 15:21.1; 50. Hata (Edison) 15:58.4; 180. Levitin (Marina) 17:06.2
Section 2
Team Results
1. Foothill Technology 34; 2. Crawford 111; 3. Yorba Linda 120; 4. Torrance 131; 5. Capistrano Valley 177; 6. Samueli Academy 220; 7. San Diego 224; 8. Savanna 269; 9. Whittier 283; 10. Woodcrest Christian 337
Individuals
1. Turk (Woodcrest Christian) 14:36.1; 2. Maldonado (Yorba Linda) 15:12.7; 3. Lorenzano (Crawford) 15:30.2; 4. Bortolin (Foothill Technology) 15:32.9; 5. Billings (Foothill Technology) 15:34.5; 6. Habbestad (Yorba Linda) 15:37.7; 7. White (Foothill Technology) 15:41.9; 8. Virtue (Providence / Burbank) 15:42.9; 9. Prillhart (Foothill Technology) 15:44.8; 10. Rivera (Torrance) 15:58.7; 113. Montes (Costa Mesa) 18:17.0
GIRLS’ CROSS-COUNTRY
Central Park Invitational
At Central Park, Huntington Beach
3-mile course
Section 1
Team Results
1. Trabuco Hills 15; 2. Woodbridge 119; 3. Redondo Union 168; 4. Shadow Ridge 203; 5. Beckman 258; 6. Centennial 270; 7. Coronado 277; 8. Canyon 303; 9. Long Beach Wilson 325; 10. Redlands East Valley 325; 15. Fountain Valley 419; 19. Edison 494; 24. Corona del Mar 576
Individuals
1. Wilson (Irvine) 16:19.4; 2. Bayles (Trabuco Hills) 16:36.1; 3. Desormeau (Trabuco Hills) 17:12.8; 4. Hufton (St. Catherine’s) 17:17.5; 5. Barker (Trabuco Hills) 17:19.2; 6. Guilfoile (Trabuco Hills) 17:29.2; 7. Watts (Trabuco Hills) 17:50.0; 8. Hsieh (Arcadia) 17:50.8; 9. Dye (San Juan Hills) 17:54.1; 10. Warren (Del Lago Academy) 17:58.7; 23. Williams (Edison) 18:33.4; 24. Steinman (Corona del Mar) 18:34.2; 27. Roque (Fountain Valley) 18:38.1; 55. Woodruff (Marina) 19:19.7
Section 2
Team Results
1. Yorba Linda 41; 2. Faith Lutheran 71; 3. Capistrano Valley 87; 4. Torrance 121; 5. Foothill Technology 144; 6. Dana Hills 183; 7. Chadwick 240; 8. Canoga Park 253; 9. Woodcrest Christian 261; 10. Whittier 266; 11. Costa Mesa 385
Individuals
1. Heath (Capistrano Valley) 17:46.8; 2. Gonzalez (Providence / Burbank) 17:54.7; 3. Wroblewski (Yorba Linda) 18:01.0; 4. Reed (Yorba Linda) 18:08.1; 5. Harris (Dana Hills) 18:37.5; 6. Cotrone (Faith Lutheran) 18:38.8; 7. Underwood (Capistrano Valley) 18:54.9; 8. Kim (Woodcrest Christian) 18:55.9; 9. Wallace (Foothill Technology) 18:57.3; 10. Fournier (Yorba Linda) 18:58.8; 43. Ramirez-Segura (Costa Mesa) 21:04.5
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