Track and field: Sailors prepare for league finals

Tony Altobelli

IRVINE - The Newport Harbor High boys track and field team put

itself in the right position to claim its second straight Sea View League

title on Friday following Tuesday’s strong performances at the league

preliminaries.

“It’s still comes down to each runner at each event, but from what I

saw (Tuesday), I was pretty pleased,” Newport Coach Bim Barry said. “Our

goal for today to each athlete was to get into the league finals or to

run a personal best. If it all worked out, both would happen.

Universally, the team was able to do that.”

Perhaps no other race showed the true colors of the Sailors better

than the 800-meter run, where four Newport runners qualified for Friday’s

competition.

Senior John Peschelt ran the fastest time among all competitors with a

1:57.03, while Chris McMillen clocked in a personal-best 1:57.41, good

enough for third. Alec Urtu (7th, 2:05.15) and Jesus Santana (8th,

2:05.34) also earned a lane assignment for Friday.

“John and Chris really ran well today,” Barry said. “We wanted John to

work on a strong final 250, which he did, and it was especially nice to

see Chris hit a lifetime best out there.”

Three Sailors, Adam Kerns (23.31), Richard Weber (23.60) and Dede

Johnson (23.66) placed 4-5-6 in the 200, giving Newport three runners for

the finals.

Johnson (53.35) was edged by teammate Daniel Fletcher (53.21) in the

400, but the twosome still managed to crack the top six.

Kerns will pull double duty on Friday after qualifying for the 100

with a 11.65, the third fastest time of the prelims.

“Adam is really running well at this point,” Barry said. “He’s right

where we want him to be.”

On the girls’ side, sophomore sprinter Amy Burlingham put together two

strong times in the 100 (12.89) and 200 (25.67) for the Sailors.

“Her 200 time was great because she looked really relaxed out there,”

Newport Coach Erik Tweit said. “She’s got great form and she’s only going

to get better and better. One thing about her is she’s extremely

competitive.”

Burlingham’s time in the 100 was slightly off the pace of Woodbridge’s

Michelle Sanford’s 12.67. “I think it will come down to how Amy starts

that race,” Newport Coach Erik Tweit said. “If she can stay even with

Michelle in the first 15 yards or so, she’ll win the race.”

Patty Vasquez picked a good time for a personal best in the 400,

clocking in with a 1:01.52, good enough for sixth place.

“She’s a senior and she’s worked very hard for us all year long,”

Tweit said. “It’s great seeing that hard work pay off.”

Five-time league champion Amber Steen kept rolling along as she

cruised to a qualifying time of 2:21.92 in the 800.

Valerie Day qualified for both the 100 hurdles (17.78) and 300 hurdles

(50.46). Teammate Elizabeth Clayton (51.32) will join Day in the 300

hurdles.

A strong showing by the Sailors was slightly dampened when it was

learned junior Nadia Topalovic strained her left hamstring during warmups

before her 300 hurdles race.

“It’s been bugging her for a while and she said she felt a little

pull,” Tweit said.

Topalovic, who also runs on both the 400 and 1,600 relay teams, gave

it a valiant effort, but came up just short in the 300 hurdles. Her

status for the finals in the relay events is uncertain.

“It’s a shame, because she was ready to run a fast race,” Tweit said.

“She’s extremely dedicated and we’ll just have to see how it feels.

That’s athletics for you. Sometimes it just isn’t fair.”

The boys and girls 1,600, 3,200, both relay events and all field

events did not compete in the prelims, but each will be heavily

participated in the finals. The field events kick off at 4 p.m. while the

running events begin at 5.