Girls track and field: Strength in numbers

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - It’s the New millennium with new league rivals. But

for the Newport Harbor High girls track and field team, the road to its

first Sea View League championship since 1993 runs through the same

familiar red and gold roadblock: Woodbridge High.

Coach Eric Tweit’s Sailors, however, may have enough talent to bridge the

gap to the top spot. At least the Warriors won’t defeat the Tars on

numbers alone.

“We have 90 girls out for track (all levels),” Tweit said, “which makes

it one of the biggest squads we’ve ever had.”

Tweit also believes there is quality among the quantity, spearheaded by

junior distance runner Amber Steen, senior thrower Krista Dill and senior

jump specialist April Ross.

Steen is a two-time Sea View champion at 1,600 meters and she added the

league 3,200 title last spring for good measure. She was second in CIF

Southern Section Division II in both distance events, won the Masters

Meet in the 1,600 and wound up 10th in the state in the 3,200.

Steen also won the Sea View individual cross country crown last fall and,

Tweit believes, is way ahead of schedule thus far. Her personal record in

the 1,600, set at the Masters Meet last year, is 5:01.83. Her 3,200 best

is 10:53.10, at last year’s state meet.

Steen swept the 1,600 and 3,200 at the Irvine Invitational this season

and she could also contribute in the 800, if need be.

Dill, the reigning Sea View champion in the shot put and discus, has

Orange County-best marks in both events this season.

A 6-foot-2 All-CIF volleyball standout bound for Duke, Dill’s bests, both

set this year, are 41-10 1/2 in the shot and 131-1 in the discus.

“She’s already improved her shot put mark by three feet and her discus PR

by two,” Tweit said. “If she keeps improving, she has a chance to go to

the (section) finals and beyond.”

Ross, the National Player of the Year in volleyball, who will continue in

that sport at USC, is back for her fourth varsity season in the high

jump, long jump and triple jump. She battled injuries much of last

season, but finished second in all three jumps at league finals as a

sophomore. She won the CIF Division II crown in the high jump as a

freshman.

Ross has already gone 5-6 in the high jump, 34-6 in the triple and 15-11

in the long jump this season, helping the Tars win their only scoring

dual meet over Huntington Beach Thursday.

Amy Burlingham, a talented sprinter, is one of a handful of impact

freshmen, according to Tweit.

“(Burlingham) has already won the 100 and 200 in both our meets

(including a nonscoring meeting with Santa Margarita) and she’s as good a

sprinter as we’ve had in awhile.”

Juniors Sonya Mechkor and Erin Friedman, as well as freshman Heather

McKibbin, provide depth in the distance events, while juniors Lynn Rinek

and Jennifer Inoue should contribute in the 400 and 800.

Tweit said freshman Trish Orth could be a “real sleeper” in the 800.

Sophomore Lauren Hanson (long sprints), juniors Patty Vasquez (100-400)

and Laura Kauth (400 and relays), as well as freshmen Elda Hernandez and

Lindsay Woller, will contribute on the track.

Sophomore Breeonna Tiffany and freshman Valerie Day anchor the hurdle

corps, while sophomore Nadja Topalovic is a sprinter who also helps out

in the long and triple jumps.

Juniors Heather Cullen, Taylor Govaars and Colby George, all newcomers

recruited from the state champion volleyball team, also add support in

the jumps.

Senior Lisa Gerlach throws the discus, and competes in both horizontal

jumps.

The Sailors open league Thursday against Irvine (at Irvine, though Harbor

is the home team). They meet Woodbridge the third league meet, April 6,

at Newport Harbor.

NH girls roster

Amy Burlingham Fr.

Heather Cullen Jr.

Valerie Day Fr.

Krista Dill Sr.

Erin Friedman Jr.

Colby George Jr.

Lisa Gerlach Sr.

Taylor Govaars Jr.

Lauren Hanson So.

Elda Hernandez Fr.

Jennifer Inoue Jr.

Laura Kauth Jr.

Heather McKibbin Fr.

Sonya Mechkor Jr.

Trish Orth Fr.

Lynn Rinek Jr.

April Ross Sr.

Amber Steen Jr.

Breeonna Tiffany So.

Nadja Topalovic So.

Patty Vasquez Jr.

Lindsay Woller Fr.

Coach: Eric Tweit