Sea Kings Have Soph Sensation : Cross-Country Circles Abuzz About Lavelle, Winner of Six Races

Winning can mean different things to different people. For Eddie Lavelle, a sophomore at Corona del Mar High School, first-place finishes at cross-country meets mean garbage.

Taking it out, that is.

Lavelle collects trophies Saturday mornings, then collects garbage when he gets home. It’s just the Lavelle method of keeping things in perspective.

“We don’t put a lot of emphasis on it (winning),” Ed Lavelle said after watching his son win the Costa Mesa Invitational Saturday with a course-record time of 15 minutes 1 second.

“An old coach of his told us, ‘When he wins, have him take out the garbage later.’ ”

So far, just five weeks into the season, Lavelle has taken the Corona del Mar program by surprise. Some thought he would be the No. 3 or 4 runner for the Sea Kings. But Lavelle has six victories in six races.

On Saturday, Lavelle added the TeWinkle Park course record to his credentials. Dave Anderson of Corona del Mar set the old record (15:08) in 1983.

Another day, another course record. Right, Eddie?

“I don’t get cocky,” he said. “I always know someone will come along and put me in my place, come out of the bushes and ambush me.”

It hasn’t happened since Lavelle transferred to Corona del Mar from Mater Dei this fall.

You can mark it down as the year of the ex-Mater Dei athlete.

First there was quarterback Todd Marinovich, who left Mater Dei for Capistrano Valley. Now he’s on the verge of becoming Orange County’s all-time leading passer.

Lavelle? He’s on the verge of becoming one of Orange County’s top runners. Some think he might be there already.

“I consider him to be one of the top runners because he is undefeated,” Sea King Coach Bill Sumner said. “He hasn’t shied away from any of the top competition. Right now, I’d say he’s one of the top four runners.”

Although Lavelle’s transfer wasn’t as publicized as Marinovich’s, it nevertheless attracted scrutiny in cross-country circles. Sumner says certain people have accused him of recruiting Lavelle.

What happened was that when Lavelle’s parents moved from Fountain Valley to Corona del Mar in August, they gave him the option of remaining at Mater Dei or transferring. He chose the latter.

“I know he (Sumner) didn’t recruit me,” Lavelle said. “My parents always wanted to live in Corona del Mar. So when we moved, they gave me the choice.

“There’s a lot more running here. We have morning workouts. It’s a great atmosphere. Mater Dei was great, but I really like Corona del Mar.”

It has proved to be a mutually satisfying arrangement. Sumner has a young team--the top four runners and six of the top seven are sophomores--but that doesn’t mean the Sea Kings are inexperienced. Before Corona del Mar was upset by Tustin last week, it was ranked No. 3 in Southern California and No. 2 in Orange County.

You won’t hear those facts from Lavelle. Even after his record-setting performance, he preferred to ask about his teammates’ and opponents’ times. Just another part of the Lavelle method.

“My dad has always let me know, ‘You’ve got to put this race behind you,’ ” he said. “You can’t rest on your laurels.”

It has always been that way. After Lavelle won a national cross-country title in his age group, his parents sent a note to his fifth-grade teacher to explain the absence. The teacher was stunned. Nobody in the class knew about his running.

The entire family takes the don’t-look-back attitude. For example: How many national age-group championships has Eddie won?

Ed Lavelle isn’t sure.

“Well, offhand, I’d say six over the years,” he said. “Well . . . I’m not sure. To be conservative, I’d say four national championships.”

So Sumner isn’t kidding when he says, “He was already a good runner. I didn’t create any miracles.”

Lavelle’s success has come despite an unorthodox running style. He is 6-feet-1 and tends to lean forward and overstride. It’s deceiving, though.

“I haven’t tried to correct it,” Sumner said. “I always say: ‘If it ain’t broken, I won’t fix it.’ I’m hoping he’ll grow into it.”

The only problems Lavelle has encountered have come during his growth spurts. He has tried to combat that by increasing his flexibility. But Lavelle has never had a serious slump during his running career.

Sumner thinks Lavelle’s consistency bodes well for the forthcoming meets in which the stakes are higher and the pressure is magnified.

“I expect him to be racing for the No. 1 spot in the county,” Sumner said. “He and Roger Nava of Santa Ana will be going for it. They’ll also be going for the top time for a sophomore in the county. If they do get it, it’ll be four or five years before someone breaks it.”

Lavelle would rather take a team outlook:

“My goal is for our team to make it to CIF so everybody will know we’re not going to be great when we’re seniors--we’re going to do it now.”