Sea Kings stand alone

NORWALK ? Last year, the Corona del Mar girls’ track team had to settle for a CIF Southern Section Division III co-championship.

This year, the Sea Kings didn’t have to share with anyone, winning the division crown Saturday at Cerritos College. The Corona del Mar girls amassed 70 points, topping second-place Muir by 12 points.

“It’s pretty incredible,” a giddy Corona del Mar Coach Bill Sumner said after his team took second in the 4x400 relay, clinching the title. “We did this for our new principal, Fal Asrani, so she could see what winning a CIF title is like.”

Individually, Corona del Mar and Newport Harbor each advanced multiple people to Friday’s Southern Section Master’s Meet by placing in the top nine overall.

For the Sea Kings, senior Annie St. Geme was tops in Division III in the 800 meters, 1,600 and 3,200 meters, coming back to anchor the 4x400 relay that set a season-best time of 3:56.02 but didn’t quite move on.

The 3,200 was a close race between St. Geme, Royals’ Nicole Blood and Glendora’s Christy Adamyk until the very final lap, when St. Geme turned on the afterburners and won easily.

Costa Mesa senior Jasmin Day was the only high jumper in the meet to clear 5 feet, 8 inches, easily capturing the Division III crown and moving on to Friday’s Master’s Meet.

Newport Harbor junior Allison Stokke, who won the state pole vault title as a freshman but missed postseason last year due to injury, was back on the winning path. She was the only vaulter to clear 13-feet, capturing the Division II title.

Corona del Mar’s Shelby Buckley qualified behind St. Geme in the 3,200. The sophomore finished second in the Division III 1,600, but did not advance to the Master’s Meet.

The Sea Kings’ secret weapon Saturday was junior Tiffany Liu. Liu jumped a personal-best of 17-10 1/4 in the long jump, earning five valuable points.

“It felt really good to come out and PR again,” she said. “I’m happy with fourth in Division III; it’s an improvement from last year.”

And even though she was only an alternate in the triple jump, she competed and finished second in Division III with a mark of 37-1.

“Annie, Shelby and Tiffany carried everything today,” Sumner said. “But their teammates had their back. It was those three girls, plus their supporting cast.”

On the boys’ side, Newport Harbor senior Bo Taylor advanced to the Master’s Meet by finishing second in Division II in both the shot put and discus. Both times, he finished behind El Toro senior Nick Robinson.

“I was a little off today,” Taylor said of his pair of seconds. “It’s definitely a friendly rivalry. We’ve seen each other over the [preliminaries], and now this, and also in the weeks to come.”

Sage Hill senior Zach Chandy, who advanced to state in both the 200 and 400 meters last year, is one step away from doing it again. He finished first in Division IV in both events with ease, also breaking his own Division IV record in the 400 [now 47.69 seconds].

“It’s a good feeling to leave a little mark of myself,” said Chandy. “I’m really focusing on the 400, but it’d be nice to make it back in both if I could.”

Sea King junior Hillary May, running the Division III 800, passed two girls in the homestretch to finish sixth. Her finish wasn’t good enough for the Master’s Meet, but it was an encouraging sign for a former 1,600-meter state qualifier coming back from a broken foot.

“I haven’t been training very much so it was exciting making it to finals today,” May said. “Coach told me to just move my way up on the second lap. I wish it was a longer race so I could’ve passed more of them.”

Estancia athletes Ryan Whites (110 and 300 hurdles) and Ernesto Castaneda (3,200 meters) failed to advance, although Castaneda finished a strong second among Division III runners.