Girls Track and Field: Domination

Steve Virgen

LAGUNA BEACH - The word “domination” is seemingly becoming

synonymous with Corona del Mar High girls track in the Pacific Coast

League. That domination was on display Thursday as the Sea Kings finished

first in all but three events to take a 107-29 league-opening victory at

Laguna Beach.

“When you dominate you just go through the numbers,” CdM Coach Bill

Sumner said. “We don’t go crazy. We don’t do anything specific. Julie

(Allen) gets to use a meet like this as a nice workout. We get to move

Jenny Cummins around to work on her speed work.”

Cummins, a senior, did move around quite a bit, and the results added

to the victory. She competed in the 400-meter relay (disqualified), won

the 200 (28.47) and 400 (1:01.1) and ran anchor in the winning 1,600

relay (4:35.51).

“I have so many events, that I just try to pace myself,” said Cummins,

who is bound for Yale University in the fall. “You won’t see my

(personal-bests), because I’m saving my energy.”

Cummins’ performance was just what Sumner wanted. As CdM is on pace to

repeat as PCL champions, preserving energy is the key strategy.

“(Dominating) has more advantages than the disadvantages,” Sumner

said. “But, we just have to know how to use it.”

CdM, ranked No. 5 in Orange County, also received some dominating-type

performances from Allen, Jaycee Mahler, Jaclyn Thayer, Allison Brawner,

Katie Quinlan and Krisserin Canary.

And it didn’t stop there. CdM took the top three positions in eight of

the 13 non-relay events. The Sea Kings (3-1, 1-0 in league) might have

swept in the pole vault, but Laguna Beach did not have the equipment for

the event.

Allen was a double winner, taking the 800 (2:25.48) and the 1,600

(5:17.72); Mahler won the hurdles, 100 (17.88) and 300 (50.85); Thayer

claimed victory in the 100 (14.07); Brawner grabbed wins in the high jump

(5-feet) and the long jump (14-5); Quinlan brought home first in the

3,200 (12:49:49); and Canary won the triple jump (29-8) and finished

second in the 100 (14.19).

Canary was hoping to compete in the pole vault as she is the defending

PCL champion.

The CdM girls committed their only mistake in the 400 relay as they

were disqualified. Cummins ached with regret when she took off a bit

early before taking the final exchange from Canary, but she quickly moved

past the error and anchored the victory in the 1,600 relay.

Becky Cummins, who finished third in the 800 (2:34.01), ran leadoff in

that 1,600. Kinzie Kramer, who finished second in the 200 (28.59), ran

the second 400 meters. Katherine Morse, who placed second in the 400

(1:06.70), gave the baton to Jenny Cummins.