Honors: Belden Tars’ top boys athlete

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - Peter Belden, who earned every honor a high school

water polo player could before graduating from Newport Harbor High last

week, has also collected the school’s Boys Athlete of the Year honor.

Also a standout in swimming, Belden made his biggest splash in the

fall, spending three seasons on the varsity water polo team.

As a senior, he helped the Sailors win the CIF Southern Section

Division I championship, as well as the program’s fourth straight Sea

View League title.

He amassed 96 goals, 80 steals and 75 assists to help the Tars compile

a 26-5 record, including a 15-9 triumph over Foothill in the CIF title

game. It was Harbor’s 11th CIF boys water polo title, but its first since

1984. The Sailors had not been to the CIF finals since 1987.

In addition to earning the top CIF Division I individual honor, he was

the Sea View League Player of the Year and received a scholarship to

UCLA.

As a junior, Belden scored a team-high 68 goals and led the Sailors

with 93 steals. His 46 assists ranked second on a team that went 26-3 and

advanced to the CIF Division I semifinals.

He was first-team All-CIF Division I, first-team All-Sea View and was

the Newport-Mesa District Player of the Year.

As a sophomore, Belden came off the bench to contribute to the 23-6

Sailors, who were ranked No. 1 in the final Orange County poll and

advanced to the CIF Division I quarterfinals.

A sprint specialist for the swim team, he was a part of some

record-setting CIF champion freestyle relay teams, while also earning

individual distinction in the 50-yard free.

As a senior, his postseason began by teaming with Joey Snelgrove,

Steven Jendrusina and Aaron Peirsol to win the Sea View 200 free relay

crown in an Orange County-best 1:28.56 clocking.

He also joined Peirsol, Andrew Cole and Ryan Lean to finish second in

the 400 free relay at league finals.

The same two contingents fared even better at the CIF Division I

Finals. The 200 free quartet was victorious in 1:26.09, setting a school

record in the process.

The 400 relay broke the 20-year-old school record with a winning time

of 3:09.97, surpassing the previous standard by nearly two seconds.

Also at the Division I finals, Belden finished ninth in the 50 free in

22.03.

His junior swim season included a Sea View title in the 50 free

(22.13) and a third-place showing in the 100 free at league finals.

Also at league finals, he teamed with Lean, Snelgrove and Peirsol to

win the 200 free relay, then joined Peirsol, Lean and Ryan Gough in

topping the field in the 400 free relay.

At the 2000 CIF Division I Finals, the aforementioned 200 free relay

won the crown, while the 400 relay quartet was third. Belden was fifth in

the 50 free (22.05).

His sophomore season, he was third in the Sea View League in the 50

free (23.00) and helped the Tars’ 200 free relay finish 10th at CIF

Division I Finals.