Stone knew never to give up

It seemed like a simple invitation, perhaps it would lead to a new hobby for an open-minded girl named Stephanie Stone.

So she went, taking up the invite from a friend.

Looking back on that day when she was a Newport Harbor High freshman, Stone describes the discovery of her sport as an accident. Rowing appeared as an easy activity to learn. So she thought and so she went.

“I started out real bad,” Stone said. “But it got better.”

Better indeed. So much better that Stone, a senior, will be going to Cal to row for the Bears women’s team. She signed her letter of intent last month and is excited to compete for one of the top programs in the nation.

The Bears, who finished seventh overall at the 2007 NCAA Championships, are just as thrilled to have her. She’s No. 2 in the nation in the 2000-meter rankings for girls’ ages 13-18. She has her time at 7 minutes, 4.7 seconds in the 2K rankings. Yes, that’s a far cry from when she first began with her friend at the Newport Aquatic Center.

“I started out in the worst novice boat that you can be in,” said Stone, a 6-foot stroke. “I was just not very good. But I progressively got better. It was a matter of being there and going there every day. It’s not a sport that you just learn how to do. I went in knowing nothing about the sport.”

But that soon changed. Her improvement came quick. Once she learned more about the sport, it didn’t take long for most people to realize that she had a gift and that she was made for the sport.

Within her first year, Stone held the fifth-fastest time in the nation in the 13- to 18-year-old division at 7:09. Rowing soon became serious for Stone. It was like a job for her, training 15 hours a week. On Saturday mornings, when most kids her age are still dreaming under the covers, Stone is at work trying to make her dreams come true on the water. The training starts at 6 a.m.

Mondays through Fridays she trains after school, from 3 to 6 p.m., religiously. She doesn’t miss. She knows she’s expected to become great at Cal.

“Stephanie is the strongest junior rower in the country,” Cal Coach Dave O’Neill said in a release from the school last month. “We have been following her progress since her freshman year, and we are thrilled that she is coming to Cal. She will add a lot of power to our team, and her positive attitude will be just as important.”

Stone built that power at the NAC, listening daily to the words from her coach Christy Shaver. She helped Stone keep in mind what she could accomplish if only she continued to work.

“My coach, Christy, has had a huge impact on me,” Stone said. “In the 2K testing you get ranked by, she’s always pushed me to do better. She always told me to never settle. When your time gets lower, it gets harder. It’s hard to keep yourself going. She never let me quit. She’s always been there for me.”

Stone continues to train. Her next event will be the Redwood Shores Regatta in March.

STEVE VIRGEN may be reached at (714) 966-4616 or by e-mail at steve.virgen@latimes.com.