Locals make their mark in Orange County Championships races

After new organizers stepped forth to rescue the Orange County Championships cross-country meet earlier this year, the county’s battle for distance running supremacy was once again carried out.

Laguna Hills High School’s Holly Barker finished first in the girls’ sweepstakes race in 17 minutes 14.7 seconds on Saturday at Oak Canyon Park, becoming the first freshman to win the race since 1995.

Barker is also the first girl from Laguna Hills to win the sweepstakes race, and she is the second Hawk to win as an individual, joining Laguna Hills coach Chris Lynch, who accomplished the feat in 1991.

Lynch said that he was out of the state when he was first told about Barker by one of the school’s football coaches who had observed her running around the track.

“You’re always skeptical when you hear, ‘Oh, this kid is the next greatest thing,’” Lynch said of Barker, who has yet to be beaten in a race this season. “You’re always skeptical. Looking at her, she looks like a sixth-grader, but that kid can run. She’s just got an engine.”

Canyon edged out JSerra 35-36 for the girls’ team title. The Comanches put four runners in the top 10 in Emma Hadley (second, 17:48.1), Isabella Frisone (fourth, 18:09.7), Makena Oliva (seventh, 18:20.7) and Keira Potter (10th, 18:31.8).

Jai Dawson ran 15:07.1 to earn another individual victory for perennial county powerhouse Dana Hills in the boys’ sweepstakes. San Clemente topped Capistrano Valley 50-93 for the boys’ team championship.

The local highlights followed Saturday morning, with two locals delivering runner-up performances in the Division 2 (large schools) varsity races.

Edison’s Wylie Cleugh was excited about his second-place showing (16:04.2) on the boys’ side. He said he had been targeting a top-three finish, rather than a time, with the meet introducing a new course.

“O.C. Champs is a great meet because everybody is right here in Orange County,” Cleugh said. “You get to really see who is the best, and that’s awesome.”

The Chargers finished second to Canyon in the race 100-147.

Newport Harbor sophomore Emma Scheumann approaches the finish line in the Orange County Championships.

(Kevin Chang / Staff Photographer)

Having competed in a number of grade-level races to begin the year, Newport Harbor sophomore Emma Scheumann (second, 19:15.6) has been enjoying running with her teammates and posting team scores again. The Sailors were second behind Aliso Niguel 68-89 in the girls’ Division 2 varsity race.

“It was just nice that we had a team to at least count for points because we have seven [runners] now,” Scheumann said.

The Division 3 (small schools) varsity races were held on Friday. Locals fared well there, too.

Corona del Mar was the runner-up to Brea Olinda 42-83 on the girls’ side, with Melisse Djomby-Enyawe (second, 18:28.5) leading the Sea Kings.

Ocean View’s Elizabeth King (ninth, 19:27.5) gave the area two runners in the top 10 of that competition.

Costa Mesa’s Edward Rodriguez (fourth, 16:22.9) was a local standout for the boys on Friday.

El Toro coach Ken Chai, who co-managed the meet with Mission Viejo coach Rob Belo, said that former meet director Matt Bell, Saddleback Valley Unified School District athletics coordinator Brent Dohling, Trabuco Hills coach Dennis Kelly and Lynch also played key roles in helping to put the meet on.

“There’s too many people to thank,” Chai said. “I’m just glad we were able to save it.”

BOYS’ CROSS-COUNTRY

Orange County Championships

At Oak Canyon Park

3-mile course

Sweepstakes

Team Results

1. San Clemente 50; 2. Capistrano Valley 93; 3. Aliso Niguel 94; 4. Dana Hills 116; 5. Trabuco Hills 121; 6. Foothill 143; 7. Santa Ana 147; 8. El Toro 149; 9. Tesoro 185

Individuals

1. Dawson (Dana Hills) 15:07.1; 2. Foody (Aliso Niguel) 15:14.4; 3. Steins (Servite) 15:17.8; 4. Stevens (Capistrano Valley) 15:18.4; 5. Singer (Cypress) 15:20.7; 6. Sweningson (Foothill) 15:21.1; 7. Beauchemin (San Clemente) 15:21.8; 8. Allred (Foothill) 15:22.7; 9. Dominguez (Santa Ana) 15:27.3; 10. Chantaca (San Clemente) 15:28.8

Large Schools Varsity

Team Results

1. Canyon 100; 2. Edison 147; 3. Woodbridge 162; 4. Troy 187; 5. Anaheim 214; 6. Godinez 215; 7. Villa Park 235; 8. Cypress 244; 9. Northwood 257; 10. Valencia 276

Individuals

1. Florez (Canyon) 15:58.8; 2. Cleugh (Edison) 16:04.2; 3. Handorf (Villa Park) 16:05.8; 4. Flores (Sunny Hills) 16:10.0; 5. Davis (El Modena) 16:10.5; 6. Gomez (Sunny Hills) 16:18.3; 7. De Jesus (Godinez) 16:26.0; 8. Gutierrez (Canyon) 16:27.2; 9. Fowler (Edison) 16:33.0; 10. Coker (Troy) 16:41.0

Small Schools Varsity

Team Results

1. Laguna Hills 30; 2. Brea Olinda 77; 3. Servite 141; 4. Corona del Mar 151; 5. Mission Viejo 156; 6. Pacifica 167; 7. Fullerton 168; 8. El Dorado 171; 9. Rancho Alamitos 219; 10. Ocean View 223

Individuals

1. Galindo (Savanna) 15:50.0; 2. Garcia (Brea Olinda) 16:05.2; 3. Martinez (Laguna Hills) 16:14.1; 4. Rodriguez (Costa Mesa) 16:22.9; 5. Zaferson (El Dorado) 16:23.7; 6. Guzman (Santa Ana Valley) 16:26.7; 7. Cornejo (Laguna Hills) 16:30.5; 8. Rael (Laguna Hills) 16:40.5; 9. Macsata (Laguna Hills) 16:40.7; 10. Radmilovich (Calvary Chapel) 16:41.2

GIRLS’ CROSS-COUNTRY

Orange County Championships

At Oak Canyon Park

3-mile course

Sweepstakes

Team Results

1. Canyon 35; 2. JSerra 36; 3. Dana Hills 65; 4. El Toro 99; 5. Trabuco Hills 127; 6. San Clemente 151

Individuals

1. Barker (Laguna Hills) 17:14.7; 2. Hadley (Canyon) 17:48.1; 3. Markow (Dana Hills) 17:55.6; 4. Frisone (Canyon) 18:09.7; 5. Jeanneret (JSerra) 18:12.6; 6. Snodgrass (JSerra) 18:18.1; 7. Oliva (Canyon) 18:20.7; 8. Gallegos (JSerra) 18:27.5; 9. Garcia (JSerra) 18:31.3; 10. Potter (Canyon) 18:31.8

Large Schools Varsity

Team Results

1. Aliso Niguel 68; 2. Newport Harbor 89; 3. Marina 106; 4. Tesoro 130; 5. Capistrano Valley 139; 6. JSerra 164; 7. Santa Ana 176; 8. Mission Viejo 221; 9. Woodbridge 224; 10. Valencia 234

Individuals

1. Schuerger (Aliso Niguel) 19:03.4; 2. Scheumann (Newport Harbor) 19:15.6; 3. Daza (Kennedy) 19:28.1; 4. Odom (Northwood) 19:36.3; 5. Weber (Beckman) 19:38.7; 6. Lomon (Marina) 19:44.2; 7. Murray (Marina) 19:44.8; 8. Benade (Tesoro) 19:45.0; 9. Lopez (Santa Ana) 19:48.2; 10. Grahn (Capistrano Valley) 19:55.7

Small Schools Varsity

Team Results

1. Brea Olinda 42; 2. Corona del Mar 83; 3. Laguna Hills 88; 4. Esperanza 105; 5. Pacifica 134; 6. El Dorado 189; 7. Ocean View 203; 8. Bolsa Grande 215; 9. Costa Mesa 222; 10. Rancho Alamitos 242

Individuals

1. Painter (Brea Olinda) 18:27.5; 2. Djomby-Enyawe (Corona del Mar) 18:28.5; 3. Megow (Laguna Hills) 18:50.7; 4. Boyer (Esperanza) 19:00.1; 5. Johnson (Laguna Hills) 19:01.0; 6. Reeves (Esperanza) 19:07.3; 7. Debarros (Brea Olinda) 19:13.4; 8. Apahidean (Brea Olinda) 19:18.1; 9. King (Ocean View) 19:27.5; 10. Armenta (Brea Olinda) 19:28.9

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