THE PACK IS BACK

Bryce Alderton

Corona del Mar Boys Cross Country Coach Bill Sumner isn’t shy

about ranking this season’s team.

“This is the best team I’ve had in nine or 10 years,” Sumner said.

“I’m looking around at all this raw talent, moreso than we’ve had.

The more talent we have the easier it is to make (the runners) faster

and better.”

Last season the Sea Kings finished 10th at the CIF Division III

finals, narrowly missing a chance to go to the CIF Division III State

Finals, and finished second in the Pacific Coast League to Estancia,

who begins this season in the Golden West League along with Costa

Mesa.

Sumner said he will miss competing against Estancia in league, but

expects to see the Eagles when the CIF preliminaries roll around.

“(Estancia) is as tough as nails,” he said.

CdM returns three seniors, among them Blake Dillion, who has been

one of Sumner’s top five runners all three years, Bo Widener, and

Mike Rudinica, who only began running cross country in the middle of

last season.

Widener was 47th (17:01.5) at CIF Division III finals last season

and began running track last season after surfing for the school’s

now-defunct club surf team. Sumner likes the attitude he brings to

the cross country team.

“(Widener) came into his own during the track season and he showed

up with an attitude that he wanted to make varsity (cross country),”

Sumner said.

Kevin Artz is among four juniors on Sumner’s squad that also

includes Danny Quinlan, J.C. Turner and Brandon Borcoman.

Artz ran 16:20 last year while Turner finished fifth at CIF

finals.

Sophomore Garrett Prechel and freshman Jack Turner, the younger

brother or J.C. Turner, round out the roster of nine Sumner gave Aug.

13. Prechel has already improved by two minutes over his three-mile

time of last season, according to Sumner.

With a slew of returners and promising newcomers, Sumner has

reason to be excited.

“Together as one unit they’re strong, the pack is back,” he said.