Prep track and field: Locals race to personal bests and top-10
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finishes
Tony Altobelli
ARCADIA - Newport Harbor High senior Amber Steen nearly pulled off
the comeback of the night in the 1,600-meter run at Saturday’s Arcadia
Invitational Track Meet.
Trailing the eventual winner, Campbell County’s Alicia Craig, by 60
meters with 250 remaining, Steen broke into her trademark last-lap charge
to post a personal best time of 4:47.61, less than a second off of
Craig’s winning time of 4:46.49.
“I really thought I could catch her, too,” Steen said. “I just wanted
to stay with the leaders and throw whatever I had left into the last lap.
I went for it and I had a great time.”
Steen’s time broke her previous top mark of 4:50.2, setting a school
record in the progress.
“She let (Craig) get a little too far out in front of her in the
middle two laps,” Newport girls Coach Eric Tweit said. “Everyone knew
Amber could put up an impressive time, and it was just a matter of her
doing it against the top runners in the country. I still think she can
shave off four or five more seconds before she leaves here.”
Corona del Mar’s Julie Allen managed to hang tough for five laps with
the top 3,200-meter runners in the competition. She finished ninth with a
time of 10:47.63.
Allen was fifth after the first 1,600 (5:11.00) and averaged 78
seconds per lap before slowing down the stretch.
“Her first five laps were absolutely perfect,” CdM Coach Bill Sumner
said. “She kind of hit the wall in the final three laps so that’s
something for us to work on, but we’re getting there though.”
Newport senior Dan Moyer used a nice start and finish to place fourth
in the 300 intermediate hurdles with a personal best of 39.11.
“He still stuttered over a couple of hurdles, but he got down quick on
each jump, plus he had a good closing stretch,” Newport hurdles coach
Nowell Kay said.
CdM senior Josh Yelsey also joined the personal-best brigade after
posting a 4:19.94 in the 1,600, good for 11th place.
The Sailors’ distance medley relay team of John Peschelt, Chris
McMillen, Jesus Santana and Richard Weber posted a time of 10:40.76, good
enough for 21st place.
Costa Mesa sophomore Sharon Day, after clearing the bar easily at 5-2
and 5-6 in the high jump finals, failed to clear 5-8 and finished tied
for fourth. Her 5-6 clearance matched her season best. Her career best is
5-9.
Meanwhile, in the open invitational portion of the meet, McMillen and
Santana each posted personal-best times in the boys 3,200. McMillen
finished in 9:27.51, good enough for seventh place, while Santana placed
10th (9:37.8). Peschelt placed sixth in the 800 (1:56.7).
“Chris and Jesus each ran solid, aggressive races today,” Newport boys
coach Bim Barry said. “John wasn’t quite as aggressive as we’d like to
see, but hopefully that will come later in the year.”
CdM senior Jenny Cummins placed second in the girls 800 with a
personal-best 2:15.76, just behind winner Marybeth Buche of Esperanza
(2:14.19).
CdM senior Diana Hossfeld turned in a solid time of 5:07.04 for fifth
in the 1,600.
Sea King senior Katie Quinlan placed sixth in the 3,200 with a time of
11:31.00, while Sea King junior Season Meservey clocked an 11:57.78 in
the 3,200 for 21st place.
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