Steen & Co. sparkle

The high school track and field season is in its infancy stages for

Campaign 2000, and Newport Harbor High’s girls have jump-started it with

some sterling efforts at the Irvine High Invitational Saturday.

Junior Amber Steen was at the forefront, blistering the opposition

with a 5:04.26 in the 1,600-meter run, and an 11:03.75 in the 3,200, each

with virtually no pressure and each an Orange County best at this

juncture of the season. Her win in the 1,600 was by some 12 seconds, and

the margin of victory in the 3,200 was by 28 seconds.

“She was really well under control,” said her coach, Eric Tweit.

Krista Dill, meanwhile, was a winner in the shot put with a personal

best by 31/2 feet, tossing the shot 41-101/2, another Orange County

leading-mark. She was fifth in the discus 1t 115-0.

April Ross turned in a nice three-pronged effort, winning the high

jump in 5-foot-4, taking third in the triple jump (34-2 1/2) and fifth in

the long jump (15-11 1/4).

The Newport Harbor girls were fourth overall.

Harbor’s boys were short-handed, to put it mildly, with illness the

major culprit, but Doug Dukes turned in a personal best in the 1,600 with

a third-place effort of 4:27.45; Dan Moyer was fifth in the 300 hurdles

(41.91) and Nathan Caldwell had a personal best in the discus at 136-9.

Corona del Mar High’s key performer was Jenny Cummins, who led the Sea

Kings to a fifth-place finish with a nice double, winning the 400 (59.18)

and 800 (2:23.84) with come-from-behind efforts.

Diana Hossfeld played a big part in Corona’s success, finishing second

in the 1,600 (5:16.97) and third in the 3,200 (11:49.93).

Senior Kelly Halley was second in the long jump at 16-9.

Corona’s boys were fourth overall, led by the efforts of senior Sean

Fenton, second in the shot put (52-9) and second in the discus (163-4),

and junior Sean Yelsey, third in the 800 (1:59.92) and fourth in the

1,600 (4:27.98).

Also with a fine effort was Travis Beardslee, who was fourth in the

3,200 at 9:57.88.

Meanwhile, in New York City at the Armory on Sunday, Corona del Mar

High senior Liz Morse was disappointed after finishing fourth in the

girls 800 meters at the Interscholastic National Indoor Championships.

She finished in 2:14.1 for fourth place.

Her mark at the Los Angeles Invitational recently, 2:10.92, remains as

the national best in the event, however, as Sunday’s winner was in the

high 2:11s.

Morse was within striking range with 100 meters left, but her

customary kick simply wasn’t there.