Prep track and field: Locals race to personal bests and top-10

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.