Boys track: Sprenger, Urtu capture league titles for Sailors
Richard Dunn
IRVINE - As the postseason extends into the CIF Southern Section
Division II boys track and field preliminaries for Newport Harbor High
senior David Sprenger, there’s mounting speculation of partial
scholarship money available at the University of Montana, where Sprenger
will walk on next year.
Sprenger, one of Orange County’s best triple jumpers before an ankle
injury slowed him this spring, is responding well to early tests and
Thursday night at Irvine High captured one of Newport Harbor’s two Sea
View League individual championships by winning the long jump at 20 feet,
4 1/2 inches.
Sprenger, who went 21-10 in a dual meet last year, has gone as far as
21-3 this year, but has competed on a limited basis with a heavily taped
right ankle, the one in which he pushes off.
“At least the Sea View League jumpers haven’t been that long this
year,” Sprenger said of his league-title effort.
Sprenger also ran on the Sailors’ CIF-qualifying 400 relay team, which
placed second in 43.92 with leadoff man Peter Bas, Adam Kerns and anchor
Dartangan Johnson -- one of five runner-up finishes for the Sailors.
Distance runner Alec Urtu easily won the 3,200 meters for Newport
Harbor in 10:07.97.
The top two individuals in each event automatically qualified for the
CIF Division II prelims, while dual-meet league champion Newport Harbor,
which was unbeaten in four Sea View dual meets, finished second to Aliso
Niguel at the league championship meet and shared the league title.
“I feel, if I had my druthers, I’d rather win the league title
outright, but (tying) is better than second place,” said Newport Harbor
Coach Bim Barry. “Now we can focus on our (individuals at CIF).”
For Sprenger, who beat out Tom Ragsdale (Laguna Hills) by a half inch
to claim the long jump, it was also his first attempt running a leg on
the 400 relay, filling in for a teammate (Geoff Doody) who got sick
during the meet.
Newport Harbor, which finished with 83 points (behind Aliso Niguel’s
99), also posted league runner-up and CIF-qualifying performances in the
400 (Matt Tracy), 800 (Noe Perez), 3,200 (Nick Miller), discus throw
(Jeff Marshall) and shot put (Rion McKinney).
In the 3,200, Newport Harbor’s Urtu, Miller and Goody were 1-2-3 for
almost six laps, but Goody couldn’t hold on after getting sick Wednesday
night and Woodbridge’s Kenny Nelson used a big kick to place third.
“After the first two laps, I figured it would be (on cruise control),”
Urtu said. “I knew it would be a pretty mellow race.”
Urtu, who has gone 10:01 this year at the Pasadena Games, went 9:48 in
last year’s CIF prelims, when he was a sophomore.
Tracy, a sophomore, qualified for CIF with a personal-best in the 400
(51.77), finishing behind Aliso Niguel’s Suhail Paige (50.46).
“I felt good and everything went right,” Tracy said. “And my (right)
knee is healthy, since I didn’t have club soccer this week. I rested it
this week.”
Tracy, who passed three runners after the third turn, said his sore
knee limited his ability to compete at a high level in dual meets, in
which he finished third twice, fifth once and missed one meet entirely.
“My dual meets weren’t exactly great performances, but today I beat
all the guys who beat me in dual meets,” Tracy added. “I’m really excited
for CIF.”
In the 800, Perez finished second in 2:02.28, behind winner Michael
Haddan of Woodbridge (1:57.70).
McKinney, who has reached over 50 feet in the shot put this year, went
49-9 3/4 to take second behind Woodbridge’s Blake Dorman (52-2 1/2).
In the discus, Marshall’s 139-11 effort was good enough to advance to
the next round, while Newport Harbor’s David Marshall was third (138-10).
Woodbridge’s Derek David won the discus (150-0).
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