Honors: Belden Tars’ Girls Athlete of the Year

NEWPORT BEACH - Recent Newport Harbor High graduate Katherine

Belden, a four-time All-CIF Southern Section performer in girls water

polo, is the Sailors’ Girls Athlete of the Year.

Belden, who is believed to be only the third Newport-Mesa female to

attain All-CIF Southern Section recognition in the same sport all four

years, will continue her athletic and academic careers at UCLA next fall.

As a senior, Belden led the Sailors to a 23-7 record, the Sea View

League championship and a berth in the CIF Division I semifinals.

Alternating at two meters, offensively, while anchoring the Sailors’

defense, she amassed 69 goals, 32 assists and 71 steals en route to Sea

View League Most Valuable Player honors. She was also chosen first-team

All-CIF.

As a junior, she scored 53 goals and added 85 steals and 34 assists en

route to first-team All-CIF and Sea View MVP honors. She helped the

Sailors win the Sea View crown and post a 22-8 record. They were

eliminated in the CIF Division I quarterfinals. She was first-team

All-CIF that season, as well.

As a sophomore, Belden earned second-team All-CIF Division I

recognition, helping the Tars reach the CIF playoffs and finish 19-8.

She scored 43 goals and added 38 assists and a career-high 87 steals

in primarily a defensive role. She was first-team all-league.

Belden produced 23 goals, nine assists and 28 steals in her debut

varsity campaign, which also resulted in a CIF Division I title for the

Tars. She was second-team all-league and third-team All-CIF.

Belden, who graduated with a 4.1 GPA, also competed in swimming at

Harbor.

As a four-time All-CIF performer, she joins former Newport-Mesa

standouts Olivia DiCamilli (Costa Mesa basketball) and Lara Asper

(Newport Harbor volleyball), as four-time All-CIF honorees.

-- by Barry Faulkner