Sea Kings enjoying the moment

Chris Yemma

Last season after the Corona del Mar High girls cross country team

finished second in the CIF Southern Section Division III championship

race, Coach Bill Sumner was asked by a reporter what he sees in the

future for his team.

He replied, “Today is the future.�

Well, if last season was the future of his runners, this season

could very well be the apex of his team’s performance. Or could it?

The team, considered young last year, still doesn’t have one

senior in the top five. No. 1 runner Annie St. Geme is a junior, No.

2 runner Alison Damon is a freshman and the typical final three are

Sara Cummings, Hilary May and Christie St. Geme -- three sophomores.

But youth doesn’t necessarily equate to inexperience. The Corona

del Mar girls took home the CIF Division III championship last

Saturday and will be competing in the CIF State championships

Saturday at Woodward Park in Fresno -- the 18th consecutive year

Sumner has sent a CdM team to the state meet in his 21 seasons at

Corona del Mar.

The last time CdM won a state title was in 2000, when his team won

by nearly 50 points. This year’s team could be even better, but

because there has been much improvement in the sport of cross

country, this team will not win by 50, he said.

“I think we have a good shot, but I wouldn’t bet the house on it,�

Sumner said. “If Barry Bonds can go out and hit a home run 25 percent

of the time, we’re going to see if we can go out and hit one.�

Sumner said his job as a coach is to put together a game plan that

will better the team’s chances at obtaining that state title.

The plan?

“We’re going to let the four horses run hard and let the other

three pick it up,� he said, meaning he’s going to send his top four

runners out as hard as possible.

The 21-year veteran coach said this crop of girls is definitely

the best team he’s had in 10 years, and possibly the best since he’s

been at Corona del Mar.

But the biggest threat for this state meet comes from Maria

Carrillo of Santa Rosa, Sumner said.

CdM finished in third place behind Maria Carrillo at the Stanford

invitational Sept. 25, but No. 1 runner St. Geme was sidelined due to

plantar fasciitis in her foot.

This time, it will be a whole different race.

“I think we can beat them,� he said. “I have an old saying -- if

you have a shot, you have to go for it -- and that’s what we’re going

to do.�

And as far as the future is concerned for the CdM girls, Sumner

doesn’t like to discuss it.

“I have a shirt that says, ‘The future is now’,� he said. “This

team will be back in full force next year, but I live in the present,

which is the future.�