Newport, in a thriller
Bryce Alderton
When they had to deliver, they did.
Members of Newport Harbor High’s girls swim team trailed visiting
Corona del Mar for most of the nonleague “Battle of the Bay” dual
meet at Newport Harbor Tuesday until the final event: the 400-yard
freestyle relay. Newport needed at least a first and a third-place
finish to beat CdM and that’s what it got to win, 86-84. CdM won the
Battle of the Bay last season.
“It still doesn’t get much better than that,” said CdM Coach Doug
Volding, who moments earlier mentioned similar words as he prepared
for the final relay.
Newport’s No. 1 relay team of seniors Mai Tajima, Nicole Mackey,
Jenna Murphy and Hayley Peirsol clocked a 3:40.69 to win in the final
relay, but it was the quartet of senior Annmarie Harvey, sophomore
Anne Belden and juniors Amber Harper and Jessica Ball that put the
hosts over the top.
Harvey and Belden staked a lead of 21 hundredths of a second
before CdM’s Ann Winners negotiated the third leg to give CdM the
lead by 34 hundredths of a second, leaving Christina Hewko and Ball
to decide the fate of the meet.
Hewko, a member of CdM’s CIF Southern Section Division II champion
water polo team, led by an arm’s length, three-quarters through her
leg. But Ball, behind the cheers from teammates, friends and parents,
gave it her all and touched the wall a mere 15 hundredths of a second
sooner.
“Christina is an awesome swimmer,” said a giddy Ball in between
hugs from teammates. “I thought I had a one-in-a-million chance to
get up to her speed, but I guess it was just the spirit of the
moment. The whole team was cheering for me and that pushed me. Annie
Wight is my spirit, along with Carolyn Conway, Kim Housepian and
Sabrina Cook.”
Newport Coach Ken LaMont enchoed Volding’s thoughts about the
close finish.
“That is one of the most exciting meets I’ve ever participated
in,” LaMont said.
Newport (1-1) took six events, while CdM won five. The Sea Kings
(1-1) won three of the first four events, including a stellar
performance by Alexandra (Lexi) Shue in the 200 individual medley.
Shue touched in 2:09.28, ahead of Peirsol’s 2:10.05.
“We were neck and neck the whole time,” said Shue, who last week
broke a 20-year-old school record in the 500 free. “This is a big
meet and (Volding) kept us motivated.”
Shue left after her race Tuesday to attend swim practice for
junior Olympics, Volding said. “(She) would have helped in the 200
free relay,” Volding added.
CdM’s Vivian Liao took the 50 free (25.79), while teammate Jordan
Anae won the 100 free in 56.11, barely edging Newport’s Ashley Parole
(56.14).
Mackey won the 100 butterfly (1:00.71) and 100 breaststroke (1:09.01), while Tajima finished first in the 200 free (2:00.18) and
100 back (1:02.10).
Peirsol topped the field in the 500 free in 5:04.18. Mackey,
Peirsol, Tajima and Newport boys senior Andrew Cole returned from an
international competition in Calgary, Alberta, last weekend.
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