1993 PREP PREVIEW / GIRLS’ CROSS-COUNTRY : Corona Del Mar

Coach: Bill Sumner (10th year).

1992: Sea View League champions, Southern Section Division III-A champions, CIF State Division III champions, won Orange County Championships.

Key returners: Betsy Carmichael, Sr; Tracy Clark, Jr; Dresden Howell, Jr; Brooke Meek, Jr; Heather Takata, Sr.

Key newcomers: Kelly Campbell, So; Kristy Cummins, So; Heather Marshall, Fr; Kristin Schwartz, Sr; Cara Stephens, Sr; Charlise Tiee, Jr.

Outlook: Many think that Sumner’s Sea Kings could be one of the best teams in the entire nation. Returning five runners from a squad that went undefeated against county competition last year and the addition of Campbell will make them very tough. Campbell was runner-up in the 3,200 meters at the State meet in her first track season and will play this fall on the school’s volleyball team as well. Clark and Howell finished first and second in the Southern Section III-A finals last year. Sumner has a wealth of talent from last season’s junior varsity.

Edison

Coach: Kristi McGihon (second year).

1992: Southern Section Division II and Sunset League champions. Third at State Division II meet. Won Laguna Hills and Dana Hills Invitationals.

Key returners: Danielle Eldridge, Sr.; Janndee Evans, Sr.; Jeannie Formosa, Jr.; Jennifer Formosa, Jr.; Elyse Homberger, Jr.; Carrie Quinn, Sr.

Key newcomers: Rita Metha, Sr.; Kerry O’Bric, So.

Outlook: One of the Southern Section’s strongest programs shows no signs of being any weaker this fall, as six of the top seven runners return from the Sunset League and section Division II championship squad of 1992. Homberger finished fifth in the State track meet at 3,200 meters last spring, completing her first full year of running. Twin juniors Jeannie and Jennifer Formosa, along with senior Evans, were all-section selections a year ago and return to form the core of the team. All-league honorees Quinn and Eldridge, along with Metha and O’Bric, combine to solidify an already extremely strong squad. The Chargers open Sept. 11 at the Laguna Hills Invitational.

Esperanza

Coach: Rich Medellin (13th year).

1992: Empire League champions, Southern Section Division I-A runners-up, sixth at Orange County Championships.

Key returners: Carrie Caulkins, Jr.; Amy Des Palmes, Sr.; Courtney Pugmire, Jr.; Chantelle Rodrigues, Jr.; Jenny Titus, Jr.

Key newcomers: Danielle Frack, So.; Crystal Smith, So.

Outlook: With three All-Orange County selections leading the way for Coach Medellin’s Aztecs, the squad looks to once again be the Empire League favorite. Caulkins finished ninth in the State Division I meet a year ago and broke 5:00 in the 1,600 meters on the track last spring. Pugmire and Titus will battle for the second spot. Pugmire advanced to the Master’s Meet at 800 meters last spring, and Titus was 16th in at the county cross country championships as a sophomore. Smith has shown early promise in just her first cross-country season, and Rodrigues and Des Palmes were the fifth and sixth runners for the 1992 Aztec squad. Frack, the younger sister of 1992 All-Orange County selection Shawn, ran 2:25 for 800 meters and is also embarking on her first cross-country season.

Irvine

Coach: Randy Rossi (14th year)

1992: Southern Section Division I-A champions, State Division I championships runners-up.

Key returners: Jessica Corbin, So.; Jenn Gillis, Sr.; Alison Livermore, Sr.; Erin Livermore, So.; Jackie Weimer, Sr.

Key newcomers: Nina Lennon, So.; Stacy McMullen, Fr.; Christine Meyer, Fr.

Outlook: Coach Rossi returns six of his top eight runners from last fall’s Southern Section Division I-A champions. Gillis and Erin Livermore, the team’s two leading returners, paced the Vaqueros’ runner-up finish in the State championships with 25th- and 31st-place finishes. Corbin and Livermore were the backbone of the 1992 squad and will be counted on even more this fall as the third and fourth runners. Weimer and Lennon were the seventh and eighth runners a year ago and will also find an increased role for Rossi’s contingent in 1993. Freshmen McMullen and Meyer have been pleasant surprises for the Vaqueros and will split time helping to round out the top seven spots.

Ocean View

Coach: Beth Chilcott (14th year).

1992: State Division II champions, Sunset League and Southern Section Division II runners-up.

Key returners: Christy Bradshaw, So.; Celeste Johnson, Jr.; Taryn Lawson, Jr.; Kenna Masuda, Jr.; Shawn Reginer, Sr.; Angela Yamamoto, Sr.

Key newcomers: Christy Morrell, So.; Gina Runzel, Sr.; Katie Runzel, Sr.

Outlook: The Seahwawks will be looking for a repeat of their late-season ascent to the top of the county’s cross-country ladder last year, when they earned a State Division II title after Sunset League and Southern Section Division II losses to crosstown rival Edison. Lawson will lead the way alone this fall, after sharing the duties last season with Christy Engesser (Oregon). Bradshaw, an all-section selection, showcased her talent last year with a second-place finish in the league finals. Johnson was 31st in the State championships, putting the finishing touches on the victory as Ocean View’s fifth finisher. The Seahawks will also open at the Laguna Hills Invitational on Sept. 11.

Santa Margarita

Coach: Cindy Schaaf (seventh year).

1992: Fifth-place finishers in the Sea View League, third place at the Southern Section Division III-A finals.

Key returners: Stacey Clements, Sr.; Erin Fallon, Sr.; Amy Gomez, Sr.; Kiki Koenig, Sr.; Kaisa Lopez, Sr.; Jenny Rodarte, Jr.; Erin Stewart, Jr.

Key newcomers: Katie Nuanes, Fr.

Outlook: Although the Eagles are one of the older teams in Orange County, Coach Schaaf is quick to point out their inexperience. “Although we have five seniors, not one has run their entire four years of cross-country,” she said. Despite this, Fallon and Clements led the squad to a fifth-place finish in last year’s league finals, a placing impressive only in the Sea View League. Koenig and Gomez are expected to help the Eagles find the State championship berth they missed by only one place a year ago, when they finished fifth overall in the Southern Section Division III finals behind four other county teams. Stewart, Lopez and Nuanes will fill up the final spots in Schaaf’s lineup.