Boys track and field: Tars take league title again!

Tony Altobelli

IRVINE - The warm, fuzzy feeling which was commonplace on the

Newport Harbor High track team, is officially back as the Sailors

captured their second straight Sea View League title Friday night at

Irvine High.

“Newport had a great tradition of track excellence for a number of

years,” Newport Coach Bim Barry said. “It’s a tradition I’d like to help

continue.”

It took over 20 years for that tradition to be passed on, but it’s

there in full force.

Newport won the meet with 110 points, breezing by Aliso Niguel (84)

and the rest of the competition.

Seniors Chris McMillen and John Peschelt capped off their league

careers with some top marks.

McMillen won the 1,600 meters for the second year in a row with a time

of 4:25.31. Peschelt was close behind, taking second with a 4:27.32.

Teammates Jesus Santana (fifth, 4:33.45) and Alec Urtu (sixth, 4:33.73)

also posted solid 1,600 times.

It was Peschelt’s turn to cross the line first in the 800, winning in

1:57.16, edging McMillen’s 1:57.37. Santana (2:03.81) took fifth.

“They’re great friends and they always push each other,” Newport Coach

Bim Barry said. “It’s great to see them succeed because they work so

hard.”

Peschelt led a three-man Sailors contingent in the 800 and

successfully defended his league title, winning the race in a 1:57.16.

McMillen followed close behind with a runner-up time of 1:57.37 and

Santana placed fifth (2:03.01).

A two-time league high jump champion, Peschelt placed second this year

with a (6-feet-2).

The 3,200 was Santana’s time to shine as the Sailors went 1-2-3. He

won the event with a 9:55.93. McMillen (9:56.51) and Urtu (10:10.99)

followed close behind.

Peschelt, Richard Weber, Dede Johnson and Dan Moyer ended the Sailors’

night on the right foot, or feet so to speak, winning the 1,600 relay in

3:25.80.

The 400 relay team of Adam Kerns, David Sprenger, Johnson and Weber

placed second with a time of 43.32.

The 1,600 was a sea of blue with four Newport Harbor runners among the

pack. McMillen, led most of the way and turned on the jets to win with a

time of 4:25.22. Close behind was Peschelt, who passed a couple of

runners in the final lap to place second in 4:29.32. Santana (4:33.45)

placed fifth and Urtu (4:33.73) came in sixth.

Sprenger was two inches away from a league title, but still posted a

solid mark in the long jump (20-10). Kerns was fourth (20-5), while

Morgan Curtis placed fifth (20-2 1/4).

Sprenger put together a strong mark in the triple jump, taking third

(41-5).

David Marshall was the lone Sailor in a stampede of Woodbridge

Warriors in the discus throw and placed second with a mark of 146-4. The

Warriors took the other top six positions in that event.

Kerns used a strong final kick to place third in the 100 (11:59) and

in the 200 (23.27). “Adam was a very nice surprise for us tonight,” Barry

said. “He really performed well out there for us.”

The Sailors’ hurdles duo of Sean Tupy (15.79) and Moyer, (16.05)

placed third and sixth, respectively, in the 110 high hurdles. Moyer

(3rd, 40:01) edged Tupy (4th, 41.35) in the 300 intermediate hurdles.

Other notables included Rion McKinney in the shot put (3rd, 48-0 1/2)

and Johnson in the 400 (52.38).