Back Bay teams clash in OC race

oc championships previewCdM’s St. Geme, Newport’s Blue among top runners in today’s girls sweepstakes.There are many Newport-Mesa area related story lines heading into today’s Orange County cross country championships, but perhaps the most intriguing aspect arises from the girls varsity sweepstakes race:

Annie St. Geme versus Whitney Blue.

Corona del Mar versus Newport Harbor.

A Back Bay matchup to the extreme.

Blue, the defending county champion, went on last season to finish second in the CIF State Division II race.

St. Geme, hampered by plantar fasciitis through the first half of last fall, is back this year in full force, headlining a team that recently was named No. 1 in the nation in the Nike/Footlocker Super 25 rankings.

The girls varsity sweepstakes race is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. today at Irvine Park in Orange. Today marks virtually the only time all season Blue and St. Geme go heads-up in the same race.

“I have to bet all my money on Annie,� CdM Coach Bill Sumner said. “I think in reality they’re all shooting for Annie. She’s the one they all want to beat. I think the matchup is going to be good.�

Newport Coach Eric Tweit did not want to project who he thought would finish first, but he said Blue is further along this year than where she was at during this time last season.

“She’s ahead of last year, there’s no doubt about that,� Tweit said. “She’s running better, she’s stronger and she has more confidence.�

Both of the two runners’ credentials are top notch.

St. Geme led the Sea Kings to a first-place finish and course record at the Clovis invitational Oct. 8 at Woodward Park in Fresno, the same site of the state championships.

She finished second overall and was only edged by Reno’s Marie Lawrence, who is considered one of the top runners in the country.

The Sea King senior is also coming off a state championship in track and field’s 1,600 meters last spring.

“Believe me when I say, Annie doesn’t have to win the race for us to have respect for her,� Tweit said. “We’re just going to go out and run our race.�

Until the race, however, Blue is still the defending champ. The Sailor senior finished first at last year’s county championships in 17:07, topping Shelby Buckley (17:09), who is now with CdM.

Blue went on in the spring last season to finish sixth in the state in track and field’s 3,200 meters.

Both are gifted runners. But this matchup, unlike other sports between the two schools, isn’t really a rivalry, Sumner said.

“I don’t know if there’s a rivalry; they’re friends,� he said. “I’m pulling for Whitney but I’ll put my stock in Annie. Whitney’s a good kid. We all like her. They’re both good, solid competitors.�

As a team, the Sea Kings are considered heavyweights entering today’s race. Corona del Mar, ranked No. 1 in CIF Southern Section Division III and the defending champions in the same division, finished fourth in the CIF State Division III race last season.

But this year, with the addition of Buckley, the team is the strongest it has ever been in school history, Sumner has frequently said.

“We’re the team everybody’s got to beat,� Sumner said about today’s meet. “I’d be lying if I said we were the underdogs. We’re pretty confident.�

Newport Harbor is ranked No. 3 in CIF Southern Section Division II.

Costa Mesa, led by seniors Jasmin Day and Kyla Flores, and Sage Hill, led by sophomore Katie McKeon, are scheduled to run in the varsity girls Division III race at 10 a.m.

Meanwhile, on the boys side, Newport Harbor senior Kenny Rakestraw is currently Newport-Mesa’s strongest runner heading into today’s county championships.

Rakestraw cruised to the top overall time at the Laguna Hills invitational Sept. 10.

Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar are scheduled to run in the varsity boys Division II race at 10:30 a.m., while Costa Mesa and Sage Hill are slated for the boys varsity Division III race at 10:45 a.m.