Ready to roll

Bryce Alderton

Whatever Newport Harbor High girls tennis coach Fletcher Olson is

doing, it seems to be working.

Newport Harbor won the Sea View League title last season and has

reached the CIF finals the past three seasons and competed in the

finals or semifinals seven of the last eight years since Olson took

over head coaching duties eight years ago. Olson begins her 17th year

with the program.

Olson’s eight years at the helm the Sailors have yet to win the

CIF championship, but she remains confident her team will one day win

the title.

And this season she has the weapons to vie for that elusive CIF

crown.

Newport Harbor has senior Krista McIntosh returning along with

four juniors from its CIF Division II finals team in 2001 in Bonnie

Adams, Vanessa Dunlap, Diana Khoury and A.J. Olson.

McIntosh will play both singles and doubles for the Sailors

according to Olson.

Dunlap and Khoury teamed together to win the girls 16s doubles’

title in the Costa Mesa Junior Tennis Classic in early August. Dunlap

won the girls 16s singles crown over Khoury at the same event.

Three freshmen will go on the court for the Sailors this fall

including Carly Adams, Brittany Sturgess and Megan McKay.

Losing seven seniors is a blow, but Olson’s track record speaks

for itself.

“We have five returning starters who went to the CIF finals last

year and the year before so we have the experience,” Olson said. “Now

we have to play and work toward meeting our goals but have a tough

road ahead.”

The Sailors finished 2001, 15-4, and lost in the finals the last

three years. Olson acknowledges the task of returning to the CIF

finals will be tough this season in losing seven seniors and with the

teams in the league.

“That’s kind of tough,” said Olson, speaking about losing in the

finals. “We have some tough teams in our league and it’s going to be

difficult to come back that strong with a building team, but we’re

going to give it a shot.”

The Sailors are set to begin their second year in Division II

after playing in Division I. They reached the CIF finals in Division

I in 1993 and ’96.