Stars of tomorrow gleaming

Chris Yemma

The 40th consecutive Newport Beach youth track and field

championships was held Friday at Newport Harbor High, with winners

from all over the city advancing to the next phase of the youth

competition.

The top five winners in each event at Friday’s meet, which was

funded and organized by the City of Newport Beach and the Newport

Balboa Rotary Club, advance to the Southern California Municipal

Athletic Foundation Orange County championships May 1 at Trabuco

Hills High.

Friday’s track meet also marked the 40th anniversary of the

Newport Beach youth track and field championships, with official

records of each year’s event dating back to 1966, City Recreation

Coordinator Jim Gubser said.

“This is a great event,” Gubser said. “There aren’t many like

this. Track is not a dying sport -- it’s played on the high school

level, but the younger kids don’t usually get a chance at the sport.

It’s great for the kids.”

Friday’s competition involved some of the usual track and field

individual events, but it also featured some unusual contests. For

one, the softball toss. Another -- the 50-meter dash.

“The 50 meters is great for the little guys,” Gubser said,

“because a lot of them can’t make the full 100.”

Newport Balboa Rotary Club Track Chairman Art Walton was in

attendance helping Gubser make sure the event went smoothly. The

rotary club donated $2,500 and about 20 volunteers to the meet,

Walton said.

But both Gubser and Walton were quick to point out the main

importance and focus of the evening -- the kids.

“This is the best turnout we’ve had in four or five years,” Gubser

said. “We had about 200 kids show up.”

Each event, consisting of the long jump, high jump, softball

throw, shot put, 1,600, 800, 400, 200, 100 and 50, were broken down

into age divisions by year of birth. The divisions ranged from 1990

to ‘98, meaning the kids competing ranged in age from 7 to 15.

The shot put, high jump, 1,600, 800 and 200 only included certain

age divisions.

Anderson Elementary student Evan Dean, 12, of Corona del Mar, was

a double-winner on the day, winning the 800 and 400. He also competed

in the long jump.

“I’m having a great time,” he said. “I really like to run because

I feel like it’s a pleasure.”

Another Anderson Elementary student, Monica Venturini, 10, of

Newport Beach, won the girls 100.

“I’m excited,” she said. “This is my favorite event. I’m not a

distance person.”

Due to some cities not holding equivalent events, youngsters

trucked in from neighboring cities, Gubser said.

James Marvick, 11, of Tustin, won the long jump in his division,

while Hailu Hitchman of Newport Beach won three events in his

division -- the 1,600, 400 and long jump.

“I like the 1,600 the best because I can pace myself,” Hitchman

said.

Other big winners included Timmy Hanson, who won the 100, 200 and

softball throw in his division. Michael Keasey took the 100 and

softball throw, while Kelley Ervin grabbed first in the 50, 100 and

softball throw.

Samantha Yeager won the 50 and the 100 in her division, as did

Molly Keasey in a different division. Ben Humphreys earned first in

the 50, 100 and long jump while Justin Hanson took the 100 and

Dominic Komandina won the 50.

Qualifiers for the Orange County championships at Trabuco Hills

are only allowed to compete in two events. The same events held at

the Newport championships will be run at the O.C. championships.