Back Bay rivals split cross-country dual meet

While it has been a sports season unlike any other, one of the most anticipated moments of the shortened schedule was a chance to go head-to-head with a rival program.

The Newport Harbor High School boys’ cross-country team produced the top three finishers, as the Sailors defeated Corona del Mar 23-32 on Saturday at Bonita Creek Park.

Chett Clark won the race in 16 minutes 35 seconds, followed by Moses Poe (17:00) and Luke Grunburg (17:04).

Clark, a senior, looked fit in besting the field by 25 seconds. He said he got into shape not only in preparation for the season, but he also spends a second summer on the beach as a lifeguard for the city of Newport Beach.

Newport Harbor’s Chett Clark was clocked in 16 minutes 35 seconds in beating the field by 25 seconds.

(Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

“I had to stay in shape for that,” Clark said. “You can ask anyone. I’m not the most athletic guy, so definitely it was awesome running and staying in shape. I did a lot of mileage, like I was doing a lot of longer runs, which it’s been kind of hard transitioning into cross-country and track because I did a lot of distance training.

“It’s been good. I’m starting to get my speed back. I feel better each race. I’m hopefully just trying to dip under 16 [minutes] last race.”

Tim Cislaw (seventh, 17:54) and Jaime Herrera (10th, 18:37) were also among the scoring five for the Sailors.

The Sea Kings had their own trio come in behind Newport Harbor’s top three, as Colin Choe (fourth, 17:24), Jasper Mahmood (fifth, 17:25) and Spencer Clemente (sixth, 17:26) jockeyed for position at the finish line.

Corona del Mar’s Colin Choe, left, leads his team’s runners.

(Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

“I think it’s really cool,” Choe said of having a Battle of the Bay dual meet. “We’ll probably never get this again in any of our four years at CdM, just to race one-on-one against [Newport] Harbor in cross-country, so obviously it’s really competitive.

“We know a few of the guys on their team, and it was really fun getting to go out there and race against them.”

There was a sort of intimacy that came with the crosstown rivals squaring off in a dual meet, as opposed to a league cluster meet with additional teams. Several of the Newport Harbor runners have trained with CdM coach Bill Sumner’s Cal Coast running club.

“That’s kind of fun because I know all these kids,” Sumner said of the all-Newport Beach contest. “It’s kind of neat to look out there and say, ‘I know all of them.’”

Corona del Mar claimed victory in the girls’ race, topping Newport Harbor 26-31.

Newport Harbor’s Emma Scheumann wins the girls’ varsity cross-country race against Corona del Mar at Bonita Creek Park on Saturday.

(Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

Newport Harbor freshman Emma Scheumann finished first in 18:59, but Annabelle Boudreau (19:04), Ellie Rosing (19:34) and Melisse Djomby-Enyawe (19:35) earned the successive three spots to keep the Sea Kings’ team point total down.

Isa Glassen, a senior for Newport Harbor, rounded out the top five with a time of 19:59.

Scheumann and Boudreau ran at the front together for most of the race, but the former said she was ready to give it her all in the stretch run with the help of some encouragement.

“I was just trying to kind of pace with her, and then at the end, my coach [Eric Tweit] was hyping me up, cheering me on,” Scheumann said. “I knew I could win and go ahead, so I just decided to give it all I [had] at the last 300 yards or so, and it felt really good.”

Corona del Mar’s Annabelle Boudreau, front, was clocked in 19:04 for second place.

(Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

BOYS’ CROSS-COUNTRY

At Bonita Creek Park, Newport Beach

3.05-mile course

Newport Harbor 23, Corona del Mar 32

1. Clark (NH) 16:35; 2. Poe (NH) 17:00; 3. Grunburg (NH) 17:04; 4. Choe (CdM) 17:24; 5. Mahmood (CdM) 17:25; 6. Clemente (CdM) 17:26; 7. Cislaw (NH) 17:54; 8. Marinescu (CdM) 18:14; 9. Harris (CdM) 18:32; 10. Herrera (NH) 18:37

GIRLS’ CROSS-COUNTRY

At Bonita Creek Park, Newport Beach

3.05-mile course

Corona del Mar 26, Newport Harbor 31

1. Scheumann (NH) 18:59; 2. Boudreau (CdM) 19:04; 3. Rosing (CdM) 19:34; 4. Djomby-Enyawe (CdM) 19:35; 5. Glassen (NH) 19:59; 6. Blanchard (NH) 20:13; 7. Tamura (NH) 20:14; 8. Law (CdM) 20:28; 9. Vu (CdM) 20:38; 10. Bartolic (CdM) 20:43

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