Sweepstakes

Maybe it all started with the movie “The March of the Penguins.” Or maybe the origins of Mary Raymond’s fascination with the arctic waddlers is a fulfillment of a childhood dream deferred. Either way, the important thing is she’s having fun and her spectators admiring her annual Christmas display are wowed. That much is certain now that Carl and Mary Raymond won the top Sweepstakes award in the annual Ring of Lights contest, which kicks off the Newport Beach Boat Parade.

WALNUT ? Connor Rose was happy his Sage Hill School boys' cross country team was running in the Division IV and V sweepstakes race at the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational. Not only did it give the Lightning junior the opportunity to compete against the top schools in the race for that division, but it also added a little motivation on Friday. With all of the other Division IV and V races kicking off before the sweepstakes, Rose took advantage of being able to check how his competition in the Academy League and Southern Section did. "I beat them pretty handily," Rose said.

ORANGE — The CIF State cross country meet is the year-end goal, as teams push to make it to Fresno's Woodward Park. For the Corona del Mar High boys' team, the issue is particularly pressing. That's what happens when you miss the state meet by a single place, like the Sea Kings did last year. And that's also why the Sea Kings took their lumps Saturday in the sweepstakes race at the Orange County Championships, held at Irvine Regional Park. "Three of the top teams in the country are in that race," CdM Coach Bill Sumner said of Dana Hills, El Toro and race winner Trabuco Hills.

The picture that hangs on the wall of Paige Tennison's bedroom is nothing special. Tennison said she doesn't really care for the art, which came with the house when her family bought it. "It's a picture of a moped or something," the Newport Harbor High junior said. "It's super-random. " Tennison has turned it into a positive. It's now what she calls her "vision board. " On top of the picture she tapes pieces of paper, representing things that she wants in life. Earlier this year, she put up a time of 17 minutes, 44 seconds on her vision board.

ORANGE - On a challenging three-mile Irvine Regional Park course with two tough hills at the Orange County Cross Country Championships, it wasn't so much the team results among local runners as much as the individual battles. Newport Harbor High junior Paige Tennison won the battle against herself. Last year, she finished the course in 18 minutes, 45 seconds. This year, she showed a remarkable improvement, finishing in 16:59 to win the girls' sweepstakes title Saturday. Tennison also came back strong after finishing fifth at the Clovis Invitational near Fresno last weekend, where she fell down twice, got bloodied and was trampled by a few runners.

ORANGE — As the coach of the area’s lone boys’ team in the biggest race Saturday morning, Newport Harbor High Coach Nowell Kay was OK with the finish. “I wasn’t overly ecstatic about it,” Kay said. The Sailors fell short of their goal at the 42nd annual Orange County Cross Country Championships. Newport Harbor placed ninth in the sweepstakes race on the three-mile course at Irvine Regional Park. “We wanted a top five [finish]

WALNUT - Newport Harbor High senior Amber Steen was edged by one rival, but bested another Saturday to end up with a second-place finish in the team sweepstakes race at the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational. Steen's time of 17:47 was 20 seconds behind Sara Bei of Montgomery High of Santa Rosa, who surged past Steen two miles in and won her third straight Mt. SAC sweepstakes race. Steen, however, was encouraged that her time was four seconds faster than Fountain Valley's Julie Allen, who defeated Steen head-to-head in last week's Orange County Championships.

This time Corona del Mar High girls’ cross country coach Bill Sumner expects a different outcome when the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational starts today. “We’re going to take a little bit of a licking,” he said after his team, ranked No. 1 in CIF Southern Section Division III, failed to defend its Orange County Championship last week by finishing sixth. The Sea Kings won the Division III sweepstakes race last year in Walnut, where more than 15,000 runners from California and other states are expected to converge during the two-day event, which starts today at 7 a.m. Locals competing at Mt. SAC include Newport Harbor, Sage Hill School and Costa Mesa.

Steve Virgen IRVINE - Defending the Orange County Championships Division I title won't come easy for the Corona del Mar High girls cross country team Saturday. Nevertheless, Sea Kings Coach Bill Sumner says his girls won't give it away at Irvine Regional Park. The meet starts at 8 a.m. with the first varsity race, the girls varsity Division I sweepstakes with Corona del Mar in the mix, scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. The CdM boys team will run in Division II (at 10:30 a.m.)

Chris Yemma After the Orange County championships Saturday morning, Newport Harbor High girls cross country coach Eric Tweit said he now has to reevaluate his team. But he meant that in a good context. That's because his No. 1 runner, junior Whitney Blue, placed first out of 102 runners from 15 schools in the girls varsity sweepstakes race at Irvine Regional Park. "She is further along than I expected," Tweit said. "I knew she would be in the top group, but it surprised me that her and the other top runner [Rosary's Shelby Buckley]

The picture that hangs on the wall of Paige Tennison's bedroom is nothing special. Tennison said she doesn't really care for the art, which came with the house when her family bought it. "It's a picture of a moped or something," the Newport Harbor High junior said. "It's super-random. " Tennison has turned it into a positive. It's now what she calls her "vision board. " On top of the picture she tapes pieces of paper, representing things that she wants in life. Earlier this year, she put up a time of 17 minutes, 44 seconds on her vision board.

ORANGE - On a challenging three-mile Irvine Regional Park course with two tough hills at the Orange County Cross Country Championships, it wasn't so much the team results among local runners as much as the individual battles. Newport Harbor High junior Paige Tennison won the battle against herself. Last year, she finished the course in 18 minutes, 45 seconds. This year, she showed a remarkable improvement, finishing in 16:59 to win the girls' sweepstakes title Saturday. Tennison also came back strong after finishing fifth at the Clovis Invitational near Fresno last weekend, where she fell down twice, got bloodied and was trampled by a few runners.

ORANGE — The CIF State cross country meet is the year-end goal, as teams push to make it to Fresno's Woodward Park. For the Corona del Mar High boys' team, the issue is particularly pressing. That's what happens when you miss the state meet by a single place, like the Sea Kings did last year. And that's also why the Sea Kings took their lumps Saturday in the sweepstakes race at the Orange County Championships, held at Irvine Regional Park. "Three of the top teams in the country are in that race," CdM Coach Bill Sumner said of Dana Hills, El Toro and race winner Trabuco Hills.

Maybe it all started with the movie “The March of the Penguins.” Or maybe the origins of Mary Raymond’s fascination with the arctic waddlers is a fulfillment of a childhood dream deferred. Either way, the important thing is she’s having fun and her spectators admiring her annual Christmas display are wowed. That much is certain now that Carl and Mary Raymond won the top Sweepstakes award in the annual Ring of Lights contest, which kicks off the Newport Beach Boat Parade.

CROSS COUNTRY Mt. San Antonio College Invitational WALNUT — The Corona del Mar High girls won the Division III title and finished with the best team time of the day Friday at Mt. SAC. CdM junior Melanie Powers won in 18 minutes, 35 seconds over the three-mile course. Senior Laura Bilder came in second in 18:53 and senior Kim Condino took fourth in 19:13. Freshman Kristen Rivera came in sixth in 19:40 and junior Marrisa Cummings finished eighth in 19:44 to help CdM score 21 points and win the division championship.

ORANGE — As the coach of the area’s lone boys’ team in the biggest race Saturday morning, Newport Harbor High Coach Nowell Kay was OK with the finish. “I wasn’t overly ecstatic about it,” Kay said. The Sailors fell short of their goal at the 42nd annual Orange County Cross Country Championships. Newport Harbor placed ninth in the sweepstakes race on the three-mile course at Irvine Regional Park. “We wanted a top five [finish]

ORANGE — The conditions this time at the Orange County Cross Country Championships were ideal for Cait Williamson. No mud to deal with in the 42nd annual event. Unlike like last year, when the rain from the night before ruined the course. It was back to the traditional three-mile course at Irvine Regional Park instead of the shortened 2.7-mile course due to safety issues. Almost everyone last year achieved a personal record, which didn’t count. Williamson’s did Saturday morning.

WALNUT — On a three-mile cross country course where there is a portion called “poop out hill,” Newport Harbor High’s boys sure had a couple of moments where they could have given up. With a half mile to go, the top Sailor, Rex Nelson, saw his left toes hanging out of his ripped shoe, allowing his feet to feel the ground. The Sailor who should’ve finished fifth on the team, Carlo Urquidez, tripped over someone, who lost their balance, just six feet away from crossing the finish line.

WALNUT — The coach has a plan and the athletes follow it through. If it were that easy, everyone would be winners and no one would be surprised. Allison Damon and the Corona del Mar girls’ cross country team surprised even their coach with a win at the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational Friday. Damon ran a time of 18 minutes, 35 seconds giving her the individual win, edging Yucca Valley’s Katar Rakowiak, who posted an 18:53 and helping the Sea King’s win the Division III Team Sweepstakes for a third time in a row. CdM’s team time was 1 hour, 37 minutes, 24 seconds to beat out second-place Irvine’s three minutes, 17 seconds.