Not a bad weekend

Tony Altobelli

So how was your weekend? If you would have asked me last weekend,

I’d have said something about sleeping in or going to a friend’s barbecue

or something wild like that.

Ask Kelly Stewart the same question. Her weekend from March 9-11 had a

little more pizazz.

Stewart, from Balboa Island, is a sophomore at Illinois’ Wheaton College.

She and eight of her teammates went to Atlanta, Georgia to compete in the

NCAA Division III National Swimming Championships. Needless to say, it

went well.

Stewart started her competition Thursday, March 9 with the 50-yard

freestyle. After a 24.02 morning swim had her as the No. 2 seed, she led

from start to finish and touched the wall in first.

Her time of 23.76 was not only her personal best, but it was good enough

to qualify for a senior national qualifying time.

Stewart ended Thursday’s action by anchoring the 400 medley relay team,

leading Wheaton to a third-place finish behind Division III powerhouses

UC San Diego and Kenyon College. Their time of 3:52.44 was 2.19 seconds

faster than their morning time, which was the fastest of all qualifiers.

On Friday the 10th, Stewart anchored the 200 medley relay, which placed

sixth at 1:48.63, setting a new Wheaton College record.

Following that, Stewart competed in the 200 freestyle. Starting the race,

Stewart’s right lens of her goggle filled up with water, but still pushed

on. With 50 yards to go, BOTH lenses were fill, but still managed to

touch the wall at 1:52.09, winning the event. Two individual races, two

personal bests and two national titles.

Her last race on Friday was the anchor leg of the 800 free relay.

Overcoming a huge deficit, Stewart shortened the gap and helped Wheaton

take fifth place with a 7:41.32.

On Saturday the 11th, Stewart started off with the 100 freestyle, her

last individual race. She was just out-touched at the wall, taking second

at 51.88.

Finally, as the anchor of the 400 free relay team, Stewart helped Wheaton

take fourth with a time of 3:32.84, another school record.

Wheaton ended up in fifth place overall, its highest ranking ever and

Stewart was the second-highest scoring individual of the meet.

And you thought keep up with the hoops brackets was tiring....

Despite a void of wins for Orange Coast College’s baseball team, Jason

(don’t call me Jerry) Reuss continues to send baseballs into orbit.

Reuss has seven dingers for the season, giving him 22 for his career at

OCC. That’s good enough for second on the all-time home run list

surpassing Kevin Reimer’s total of 20.

Newport Harbor High grad Joey James holds the school record (and many

others) with 35 home runs. A stellar remainder of the season by Reuss

might make the record obtainable.

A cruel twist of irony struck the Vanguard University women’s basketball

tournament.

The Lions, who attempted and made more three-pointers than any NAIA

Division I school in the country, were beaten by the three-point shooting

of Western Montana.

WMU hit 11 of 24 treys in the game, including 8 of 14 in the second half,

while Vanguard was held to 5 of 18 from behind the arc. That’s an

18-point edge for Western Montana, which won by 19 over the Lions.