Girls water polo: Tars’ Belden MVP

Barry Faulkner

Newport Harbor High senior Katherine Belden, a three-time All-CIF

Southern Section performer who led the Sailors to their second straight

Sea View League crown, is the Sea View League Player of the Year for the

second consecutive season.

Belden tops a list of six Sailors named all-league by the circuit’s

coaches.

Senior goalie Leah Grocki and junior Jenna Murphy are additional

first-team picks, while juniors Annie Wight and Paige Lansing, as well as

sophomore Jessica Ball, are second-team honorees.

The aforementioned standouts helped Coach Bill Barnett’s Harbor squad

run the table against league foes. Newport went on to reach the CIF

Division I semifinals, where it lost to eventual champion Foothill, 8-6,

to finish 23-7.

Coaches’ 2002 All-Sea View League girls water polo

Player of the Year

Katherine Belden, Newport Harbor Sr.

Leah Grocki, Newport Harbor Sr.

Jenna Murphy, Newport Harbor Jr.

Christy Mastn, Aliso Niguel Sr.

Sara Kenworthy, Irvine Sr.

Sara Natalizio, Irvine Sr.

Caylinn Wallace, Laguna Hills So.

Joanne Oster, Laguna Hills Sr.

Rochelle Gauthier, Woodbridge Sr.

Jacquelyn Gauthier, Woodbridge So.

Second team

Paige Lansing, Newport Harbor Jr.

Annie Wight, Newport Harbor Jr.

Jessica Ball, Newport Harbor So.

Kim Johnson, Irvine Sr.

Kristin Klingaman, Irvine Sr.

Miho Umezawa, Irvine Jr.

Kim Doll, Irvine Sr.

Katie Sullivan, Laguna Hills Sr.

Sawako Sonoyama, Woodbridge Sr.

Jen Moody, Woodbridge Sr.