CdM’s Emilie Steinman, Huntington Beach girls stand out in O.C. cross-country championships
Corona del Mar sophomore Emilie Steinman has gone the untraditional route ever since she skipped the first grade.
The daily counting exercises in class weren’t for her, and as it turns out, neither was scaling back her effort while battling an illness this weekend.
Steinman crossed the finish line in 18 minutes 27.4 seconds, earning the win in the girls’ medium schools varsity race on Saturday in the Orange County cross-country championships at Oak Canyon Park.
“I don’t think I did what I could have done for time,” the 14-year-old Steinman said. “I told myself at the beginning of the race, ‘If I only have 60% in me, I’m going to give 60% because that’s 100% of what I have.’”
Huntington Beach topped El Dorado 72-107 in the same race, the field featuring five teams from the Sunset League.
Junior Emma Siok (18:36.9) and senior Casey McConn (18:49.8) ran with the lead group, placing second and third, respectively. Freshman Allie Rowan (20:09.3) and seniors Violet Colio (20:29.4) and Emma Kudulis (20:32.8) also factored into the Oilers’ team score.
“It was a great effort before we head into league finals [on Nov. 2] and our postseason goals,” Huntington Beach coach Kareen Shackelford said.
Marina junior Sally Woodruff placed fifth in 19:08.0, and Fountain Valley freshman Teagan Bradshaw wound up in 10th with a time of 19:33.6.
Sophomore standout Sydney Rubio is working her way back from an injury. A Nike Cross Nationals qualifier as a freshman for the Oilers, Rubio paced the medium schools sophomore race in 18:25.5. It was her first appearance in a race this season.
Newport Harbor placed sixth in the girls’ sweepstakes race, seniors Keaton Robar (fifth, 17:13.5) and Marley McCullough (ninth, 17:22.1) both finishing in the top 10.
McCullough wasn’t thrilled with her start, but as she closed in on Robar at the finish, she said it served as a sort of “nonverbal communication” to finish strong.
“I knew when I saw her coming up, I knew she could go faster,” McCullough said of Robar. “She has an insane kick, and I know that, and I was like, ‘OK, if I get up to her right now and we do this how we know how to do it in our kicking, we’re going to go.’”
The course received high marks from some local runners for offering different looks and terrain throughout, as well as for providing the ability for supporters to make themselves heard as the athletes passed by.
“I love how it goes right by all the [team] tents, so there’s a bunch of support at all times here,” Steinman said. “It goes around a lake. It’s really beautiful. There’s some shady spots. It’s just a really pretty area.”
Corona del Mar senior Max Douglass led the local contingent in the boys’ sweepstakes race, finishing 12th in 15:03.9. Fountain Valley senior Ethan Kwong, running as an individual, placed 26th in 15:23.1.
“In my first season, I was able to do a 14:30, so I know my body’s capable of what I wanted to do, which is go beyond that,” Douglass said. “The thing about running, I’m realizing, is it’s not necessarily who’s the most talented or who’s working the hardest. It’s also who can stay healthy the longest, which is correlated with staying consistent.”
Edison senior Kai Hata (14th, 16:19.3) guided the Chargers to a runner-up showing as a team in the boys’ medium schools race. Fountain Valley junior Ulysses Rios placed fourth in 15:48.4.
Ocean View junior Maury Young (15:28.9) was edged out by Pacifica junior Tyler Yesenosky for the win in the boys’ small schools race on Friday. The Seahawks also placed second as a team.
Tesoro senior Griffin Kushen won the boys’ sweepstakes race in 14:22.4. JSerra claimed the team championship.
Irvine junior Summer Wilson clocked in a 16:22.0 to win the girls’ sweepstakes race, with Trabuco Hills winning the battle for county supremacy on the girls’ side.
BOYS’ CROSS-COUNTRY
Orange County Championships
At Oak Canyon Park
3-mile course
Sweepstakes Race
Team Results
1. JSerra 78; 2. Trabuco Hills 127; 3. Tesoro 149; 4. San Clemente 149; 5. El Toro 182; 6. El Dorado 225; 7. Woodbridge 226; 8. Aliso Niguel 245; 9. University 259; 10. Yorba Linda 288; 11. Corona del Mar 366; Fountain Valley DNP
Individuals
1. Kushen (Tesoro) 14:22.4; 2. Antonio (Woodbridge) 14:35.4; 3. Jubak (Trabuco Hills) 14:41.3; 4. Newman (JSerra) 14:44.9; 5. Hunter (Dana Hills) 14:47.4; 6. Arrey (JSerra) 14:51.5; 7. McDonald (El Dorado) 14:52.1; 8. Abdallah (Trabuco Hills) 14:54.5; 9. Arriaga (El Toro) 14:59.7; 10. Maldonado (Yorba Linda) 15:02.1; 12. Douglass (Corona del Mar) 15:03.9; 26. Kwong (Fountain Valley) 15:23.1
Medium Schools
Team Results
1. Santiago 84; 2. Edison 124; 3. Capistrano Valley 178; 4. Santa Margarita 178; 5. Fountain Valley 183; 6. Mission Viejo 185; 7. Santa Ana Valley 185; 8. Mater Dei 201; 9. Villa Park 208; 10. Segerstrom 258; 12. Marina 280; 13. Huntington Beach 286
Individuals
1. Escobedo (Katella) 15:40.5; 2. Nguyen (Santiago) 15:42.5; 3. Guillen (Mater Dei) 15:47.6; 4. Rios (Fountain Valley) 15:48.4; 5. Gonzalez (Segerstrom) 15:48.7; 6. Kendall (Villa Park) 15:50.1; 7. Cummins (Santa Margarita) 15:51.1; 8. Di Saia (Foothill) 15:52.5; 9. Valdovinos (Santa Ana Valley) 15:54.5; 10. Brucher (Villa Park) 16:00.2; 11. Appell (Huntington Beach) 16:03.0; 14. Hata (Edison) 16:19.3; 35. Levitin (Marina) 16:55.3
Small Schools
Team Results
1. Brea Olinda 74; 2. Ocean View 96; 3. Pacifica 105; 4. Savanna 126; 5. Orange Lutheran 130; 6. Laguna Beach 154; 7. Irvine 177; 8. Samueli Academy 183; 9. Crean Lutheran 214; 10. Laguna Hills 214; 11. Los Amigos 255; 13. Pacifica Christian 289; 14. Estancia 433; Costa Mesa DNP
Individuals
1. Yesenosky (Pacifica) 15:28.7; 2. Young (Ocean View) 15:28.9; 3. Chikami (Pacifica) 15:37.7; 4. Aragon (Brea Olinda) 15:40.1; 5. Nielson (Brea Olinda) 15:40.7; 6. Hawley (Laguna Hills) 15:57.2; 7. Bautista (Irvine) 15:57.4; 8. Coffin (Irvine) 15:59.6; 9. Krueger (Orange Lutheran) 16:03.1; 10. Farrell (Esperanza) 16:05.2; 24. Pineda Gonzalez (Los Amigos) 16:27.3; 27. Menter (Laguna Beach) 16:32.7; 53. Gudino (Pacifica Christian) 17:36.3; 68. Montes (Costa Mesa) 18:10.0; 89. Avalos Viramontes (Estancia) 19:34.1
GIRLS’ CROSS-COUNTRY
Sweepstakes Race
Team Results
1. Trabuco Hills 32; 2. JSerra 80; 3. El Toro 92; 4. Tesoro 135; 5. Santa Margarita 172; 6. Newport Harbor 195; 7. Woodbridge 198; 8. Yorba Linda 240; 9. Canyon 245; 10. Beckman 267; Fountain Valley DNP
Individuals
1. Wilson (Irvine) 16:22.0; 2. Bayles (Trabuco Hills) 16:24.8; 3. Barker (Trabuco Hills) 16:48.8; 4. Forrest (Tesoro) 17:01.3; 5. Robar (Newport Harbor) 17:13.5; 6. Williams (El Toro) 17:14.0; 7. Desormeau (Trabuco Hills) 17:15.0; 8. Dazey (Tesoro) 17:21.0; 9. McCullough (Newport Harbor) 17:22.1; 10. Polay (JSerra) 17:34.5; 53. Roque (Fountain Valley) 19:13.3
Medium Schools
Team Results
1. Huntington Beach 72; 2. El Dorado 107; 3. Aliso Niguel 131; 4. Capistrano Valley 141; 5. Villa Park 175; 6. El Modena 186; 7. Foothill 192; 8. Edison 200; 9. Fountain Valley 218; 10. Corona del Mar 241; Marina DNP
Individuals
1. Steinman (Corona del Mar) 18:27.4; 2. Siok (Huntington Beach) 18:36.9; 3. McConn (Huntington Beach) 18:49.8; 4. Watrous (El Dorado) 19:07.1; 5. Woodruff (Marina) 19:08.0; 6. Underwood (Capistrano Valley) 19:20.2; 7. Abarca (Aliso Niguel) 19:25.5; 8. Wohlgezogen (El Dorado) 19:30.4; 9. Dilworth (Foothill) 19:33.1; 10. Bradshaw (Fountain Valley) 19:33.6; 30. Rakhshani (Edison) 20:30.1
Small Schools
Team Results
1. Pacifica 56; 2. Esperanza 80; 3. Crean Lutheran 107; 4. Orange Lutheran 123; 5. Century 140; 6. Brea Olinda 145; 7. Pacifica Christian 147; 8. Samueli Academy 217; 9. Sonora 218; 10. Laguna Hills 224; 12. Costa Mesa 269; 13. Estancia 364
Individuals
1. Ledesma (Esperanza) 18:14.5; 2. L. Hendriks (Pacifica) 18:24.0; 3. Santillan (Century) 18:36.0; 4. E. Hendriks (Pacifica) 18:50.4; 5. Ertel (Crean Lutheran) 18:56.3; 6. Mo (Crean Lutheran) 18:57.8; 7. Woodside (Esperanza) 18:58.4; 8. Landrus (Crean Lutheran) 18:58.8; 9. Anderson (Orange Lutheran) 19:00.1; 10. Glidewell (Pacifica Christian) 19:07.4; 25. Colin (Costa Mesa) 20:07.9; 76. Lee (Estancia) 25:07.1
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