Newport sparkles in Sea View finals

Steve Virgen

Newport Harbor High’s Amy Burlingham and Jillianne Whitfield could be

concentrating on their specialty sport, soccer and basketball,

respectively, but instead they are maintaining their competitive

fire. At the Sea View League track and field finals, Burlingham and

Whitfield put on their game faces and showed what they were all about

Friday at Irvine.

Burlingham won the 200 meters and 400 (58.74), and also helped the

Sailors qualify for the CIF Southern Section Division II

preliminaries in the 400 and 1,600 relays. Newport won the 1,600

relay with Kiley Hall, Amy Klippert, Elda Hernandez and Burlingham.

Whitfield won the discus (124 feet, 9 inches) for the

second-straight year and finished second in the shot put to also

advance to the CIF preliminaries May 16 at Mt. San Antonio College.

Junior Allyson Stoltz, who took second in the pole vault (9 feet),

junior Elizabeth Clayton, runner-up in the triple jump with a

season-best 35-7, sophomore Courtney Marshall, who finished third in

the 1,600 and also advanced to the CIF prelims in the 3,200, and

sophomore Hall, with a personal-best 1:00.53 for third place in the

400, will represent the Newport Harbor girls at the CIF prelims.

Marshall also completed a personal-record 5:15.98, lowering five

seconds off her previous best.

Some times were not available because of a computer problem,

including Burlingham’s time in the 200 and team scores.

On the boys side, senior Alec Urtusuastegui finished second in the

800 (2:01.73) and 1,600 (4:31.36). He won the Sea View League title

in the 3,200 last year. This is the first year he qualified for CIF

in the 1,600. Junior Nick Miller won the 3,200 and his time in the

1,600 was good enough for CIF (4:32.34), but he finished fourth so he

is an alternate. Sophomore Jon Szecsi finished second in the shot

put, while senior Jack Skahen was third in the shot. Both advanced to

CIF.

The Newport Harbor boys had won or shared the Sea View League

championship for the past three years, but that came to an abrupt end

this season, as the Sailors finished out of the running. However,

first-year coach Nowell Kay said the Sailors’ future has promise with

Miller coming back next season and leading the way.

Burlingham, who will play soccer at the University of Texas in the

fall, led the Sailors by qualifying for the CIF prelims in four

events. She will not compete in the 200, instead turning her focus on

breaking the school record in the 400 and contributing to the two

relay teams.

Burlingham trained with the under-19 national team this season and

she also plays for the So Cal Blues soccer club.

Last year, she did not compete in track and field because of her

busy club soccer schedule. Though her spring season is just as busy,

she decided to return. In 2001, Burlingham won the Sea View League

title in the 200 and she also advanced to the CIF prelims in the 100.

“She has been dedicated to the team,” Newport Coach Eric Tweit

said. “It hasn’t been like, ‘I’m a soccer girl doing track.’ Right

now she’s a track girl doing track. We couldn’t ask for anything

more. She has been a positive role model.”

Whitfield has also been maintaining a busy spring schedule. She

competes in club basketball for the Orange County-based Superflow and

on Sundays she plays in an adult field hockey league.

“I’m competitive,” Whitfield said in regard to the reason she

competes in the throws. “I have to come back for more each year to

make sure I stay on top [of the Sea View League].”

Tweit was also impressed with senior Elda Hernandez, who also

helped the Sailors qualify for CIF in both relays.

Overall, Tweit was pleased with the Newport girls’ showing, and he

took pleasure in Clayton’s performance in the triple jump. Clayton

has been dealing with nagging injuries, including shin splints, this

season, yet she is nearing her form as the year winds down.