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
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