Huipe finish in top 10. Sailors sixth.

Joseph Boo

NEWPORT BEACH - Estancia junior Liz Huipe finished ninth Saturday

at the State Championships in high school cross country in the Division

IV girls race, just beating CdM’s Jenny Cummins at the finish line. This

is a sizable improvement from last year’s meet, where she was 29th at

Fresno’s Woodward Park.

“She came in with a big grin on her face,” Estancia Coach Charlie Appel

said. “It was the biggest grin I’ve seen in her track history.”

Huipe worked herself up through the pack steadily. After racing in the

30s for the 1st mile, she moved up into the teens and then caught Cummins

at the end for the top 10 finish.

“She turned in an excellent time, and excellent work. But she still has a

lot more space to grow.”

After barely getting into the girls Division II state championship on a

tiebreaker, Newport Harbor High made itself right at home.

Amber Steen finished fifth, and Sonya Mechkor 26th as the Sailors

finished comfortably sixth in the meet.

“We finished sixth,” Newport Harbor Coach Eric Tweit said, “and our

team’s goal was to finish in the top six. I was real pleased.”

Steen’s time of 18:23 was the best performance by a Southern Section

runner in a race where Santa Rosa Montgomery’s Sara Bei set the Division

record for the state meet.

“(Steen’s) year is about as good as any year we ever had in cross country

at Newport,” Tweit said. “Sonya ran really well. She made herself where

she is now one of the better runners in Orange County.”

In another solid performance, junior Lynn Rinek was 54th for Newport

Harbor.

“We got a good race from Rinek,” Tweit said.

Newport Harbor finished 20 points behind fifth place Brea Olinda and 19

ahead of San Ramon. Foothill, ranked No. 1 in state, won the team race.

CIF STATE MEET

Newport Harbor

5. Amber Steen, 18:23; 26. Sonya Mechkor, 19:14; 54. Lynn Rinek, 20:03;

81. Natalie St. Andre, 20:38; 86. Erin Friedman, 20:42; 102. Carrie Foss,

21:13; 104. Ashley Steen, 21:16.

Estancia

9. Liz Huipe, 19:07.