Sailors’ main element was success

Bryce Alderton

Though “surf and turf” typically refers to a meat entree served

alongside fish or shrimp, the classification also summarize the

variety of venues in which Newport Harbor High girls athletics

excelled in 2004-05.

Whether it was junior Whitney Blue traversing the rugged terrain

of a trail or senior Anne Belden firing one of her 88 goals in the

pool during the water polo season, Newport Harbor girls proved their

versatility no matter the surroundings.

Sailor teams captured Sea View League titles in swimming and water

polo while Blue won the 1,600 meters and 3,200 at the league track

and field finals in the spring after achieving the same feat in the

fall at the league cross country finals.

Junior Natalie Draganza won her third straight league individual

golf title in the fall.

Volleyball, tennis, golf, soccer, water polo and basketball all

reached the CIF Southern Section team playoffs.

Blue’s feats in cross country last fall included a second-place

finish in Division II at the CIF Southern Section and CIF State

finals. Her time at the state meet was fourth fastest in all

divisions.

She continued to scorch the competition in the spring. Blue was

seventh in the two-mile event at the prestigious Arcadia

invitational, but ran a personal-best 10 minutes, 35.64 seconds April

9. Two weeks later, she set a meet record of 10:44.74 in winning the

3,200 at the Orange County championships.

It all led to a CIF Division II championship in the 3,200 along

with a fourth-place showing in the 1,600. Blue capped her stellar

season with a sixth-place finish in the 3,200 at the CIF State meet.

Sophomore pole vaulter Allison Stokke started her season in

stirring fashion, clearing 13 feet, 4 inches at the Eagle

invitational in March to tie a then-national sophomore outdoor

record. Stokke broke the record at the Surf City invitational with a

vault of 13-5 3/4 and went on to capture her second consecutive

league title in the event.

Plans for a possible second straight state title for Stokke

abruptly halted, though, when she broke a bone in her right ankle

while practicing in May and was sidelined for the the rest of the

season.

Newport’s Jessica Robson claimed the league high jump crown with a

clearance of 5-2.

Newport’s water polo team finished 27-4. The season included an

undefeated league championship, highlighted by a 10-8 victory over

eventual Division I champion Foothill. The Tars also won the Holiday

Cup tournament in December.

The Sailors reached the Division I championship game for the

second straight year, but fell to Foothill, 8-4. Belden, who will

continue her career at UCLA, earned first-team All-CIF honors a

second straight season.

Seniors Ashling Taylor (78 goals) and Melissa Wheeler joined

Belden on the first team while juniors Leah Robertson and Kally Lucas

were second-team All-CIF picks.

Newport’s field hockey team enjoyed another strong season under

first-year coach Kristy Cross. The Sailors (18-4-5) won their fourth

Sunset League title in five seasons and reached their third straight

Los Angeles Field Hockey Association Tournament of Champions title

game before falling, 1-0, to Harvard-Westlake.

Senior Jenny Taylor, a four-year varsity standout, joined senior

Lyndsi Foster and junior Sasha Grumman on the all-tournament team.

Taylor earned league Most Valuable Player honors while senior

goalkeeper Ciara Lawrence was named the league’s Most Valuable

Goalkeeper.

Newport’s soccer team made its first trip to the CIF playoffs in

three seasons after finishing second in league. The Sailors’ biggest

victory, arguably, was a 2-1 triumph over Aliso Niguel Jan. 28. Six

players earned all-league recognition after the Sailors, under

first-year coach Phil D’Agostino, finished 10-5-2, bowing out in the

Division I first round.

Seniors Tayler Giacomaro and Erin Hardy, along with sophomore

goalkeeper Mary Giberson, all earned first-team all-league

recognition. Juniors Amy Klippert, Lambrakis and Krystal Wright were

second-team honorees.

Hardy, who will continue at UCLA, was a second-team All-CIF

Division I selection.

The Sailors’ volleyball team finished second in league to

Woodbridge and reached the CIF Division II-AA semifinals, in which

they were eliminated by Edison to finish 15-13.

Newport’s playoff run included a quarterfinal upset of No.

2-seeded El Dorado.

Senior outside hitter Kiley Hall was a second-team All-CIF

honoree.

In swimming, Newport Harbor claimed the league title for the first

time in recent memory, despite no first-place finishers.

Six Sailors placed second. Belden took second in the 100-yard

freestyle and third in the 100 backstroke while contributing to the

runner-up 200 and 400 free relay teams.

Kayley Oka was fifth in the 100 butterfly at the CIF Division I

finals.

The tennis team, guided by Fletcher Olson, finished 13-8, placing

second in league before reaching the second round of the Division I

playoffs.

Senior Jill Casserly was third in the league singles tournament.

Newport’s basketball team reached the CIF Division II-AA playoffs,

where it fell to Paloma Valley, 53-40, in a wild-card contest. The

Sailors finished 11-16.

Senior Vanessa Miller was Newport’s lone representative on the

all-league team, garnering first-team laurels. Miller’s 23

three-pointers led the team while averaging 12.3 points. She started

for the South in the Orange County All-Star game.

Draganza and Kayleigh Horn helped the golf team secure the

league’s final guaranteed berth into the CIF playoffs. From there the

Tars rolled, securing the fourth and final spot in the CIF Southern

Section championships.

Draganza was eighth in the CIF Southern California Golf

Association championship.

Senior Ashley Gleason was a first-team all-league pick in

softball, while teammates Julianne Bass, a senior, and Jane

Messersmith, a freshman were second-team honorees.