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).