Girls track and field: Steen breaks CIF record

Steve Virgen

WALNUT - After her 1,500 meters, Newport Harbor High senior Amber

Steen said she just wanted to “have some fun with her last lap.” In the

3,200, she took much delight as she broke the CIF Southern Section

Division II record with a 10:27.20, at the CIF preliminaries at Mt. San

Antonio Friday. Steen, who also qualified first in the 1,600 (4:57.87), broke the school record in the 3,200, a 16-year old mark set by Buffy

Rabbit.

“That was 20 seconds faster than her previous best,” Newport Coach

Eric Tweit said of Steen’s 3,200. “I wasn’t quite expecting this tonight,

but I knew she was capable. She felt the weather was just perfect and it

all worked out.”

Steen, in her senior season, has solidified herself as one of the

all-time great athletes at Newport Harbor, said Tweit, who is also the

school’s girls athletic director.

“Just as far as pure success goes, obviously she’s one of the best,”

Tweit said. “She’s definitely one of the best athletes the school has

ever produced.”

With a remarkable personal-best performance in the triple jump,

Newport Harbor High freshman Elizabeth Clayton is not only following in

the footsteps of her older sisters, M.E. and Mandy, she is jumping past

their imprints. She qualified in the triple jump with a personal-best

36-0.

Newport sophomore Amy Burlingham made the most of her first CIF

competition and qualified seventh in the 200 in 24.83, her personal best,

shaving sixth-tenths of a second off her previous best. The CIF Finals.

MAy 19 at Cerritos College, consist of the top nine prelims finishers. In

track events, the winner of each heat advances and the remaining best

times also advance.

The Sailors’ 1.600 relay team of Patty Vasquez, Burlingham, Lauren

Hanson and Steen qualified eighth with a season-best 4:00.82. Tweit said

the time was three seconds faster than the previous best.

Elizabeth Clayton surpassed her previous best by 13 inches. Her jumps

coach, Nowell Kay who also coached the older sisters, says the 36-0 mark

is “really good for a freshman,” and it is about three inches better than

what the siblings jumped in their first high school year.

“She’s going to cream any record of mine or (Mandy) ever had,” M.E.

Clayton said of her younger sister. “She’ll do it sooner than my senior

year.”

M.E. Clayton, who starred for Newport Harbor, went on to BYU.

Friday was Elizabeth’s moment. After she completed her jump, she

walked over to her parents and sister, M.E.. Mom, Lisa, handed her

youngest daughter a cell phone. On the line was Mandy who congratulated

the excited Elizabeth.

“That was fun, definitely fun,” Elizabeth Clayton said of achieving

her personal best. “I guess, it’s a surprise. It was weird. I don’t

remember jumping, just landing.”

Meanwhile, Burlingham, who missed last year’s CIF competition because

of a soccer commitment, responded with vigor after being disappointed

with her 100, in which her time (12.36) was 11th best. But as Tweit said,

“She’s an extremely competitive girl.”

“Last year, (track) just stopped at the league finals,” she said.

“This is my first time (at the CIF prelims). (Since there was no soccer

game, that) enabled me to experience the whole thing.”