Woodbridge Cross-Country : Arroyo Runs Past Corona del Mar

As Eddie LaValle and Greg Shryock passed the two-mile mark at the Woodbridge High School cross-country meet Saturday, their 100-yard lead seemed to indicate sure success for Corona del Mar.

LaValle won the junior class race in 15 minutes 18 seconds, followed by teammates Shryock (second, 15:38) Paul Scott (sixth, 16:09) and Hunter Pierce (12th, 16:36). But the Sea Kings still needed a good performance from Jim Robbins in the senior division to capture the Grand Champion title, awarded to the team with the lowest combined times of the top five runners.

Robbins ran well, finishing eighth in 15:33, but couldn’t do anything about the pack that surrounded him.

Arroyo, the defending Southern Section 3-A champion, placed five runners in the top 15 with an impressive 41 seconds between its first and fifth finisher. The Knights finished with a combined team time of 77:46--a minute faster than last year--to capture their second consecutive championship.

“I think they were hooked together with handcuffs or something,” said Coach Bill Sumner of Corona del Mar, whose team finished second overall in 79:10.

Palos Verdes, the defending 4-A champion, was not as strong as expected. Though its top senior, David Scudamore, ran the fastest time of the day in 15:03, Palos Verdes finished third in 80:31.

“I’m not thinking Palos Verdes anymore,” Sumner said. “Arroyo was the incredible one today. But that’s fine. I know we have contact with them now.”

Sumner wasn’t concerned with 3-A Arroyo in the past because the Sea Kings are in the 4-A division. But with a state championship scheduled in November at Fresno, Sumner must worry about any team worthy of making the top 10.

If Saturday was any indication, the Palos Verdes girls’ team should be a certain state contender.

Palos Verdes, led by Ashley Black (third, 17:56) placed five runners in the top 12 of the varsity race for 36 points, defeating Santa Ana Valley (97 points), Newport Harbor (140), Irvine (153) and Corona del Mar (193).

Tracey Williams of Mountain View had the fastest time at 17:50.