Wilson a repeat winner

SAN CLEMENTE — Two days after helping Newport Harbor High win a share of the South Coast League championship, Chase Wilson went out and captured his second straight individual title as the league’s top shortboarder at Lower Trestles beach Wednesday morning.

Wilson, a second-year USA surf team member, was one of three from Newport Harbor to advance to the shortboard finals of the South Coast League individual tournament, as Erik Heimstaedt and Jared Cassidy were also in contention.

Five minutes into the final round, a thick fog bank caused a temporary suspension to the contest. After a 30-minute delay the fog lifted for just enough time for Wilson to pull off some championship maneuvers and take top honors for the second year in a row. Heimstaedt and Cassidy finished fifth and sixth, respectively.

Newport Harbor’s Kaleigh Gilchrist finished second in the girls’ shortboard Tuesday, finishing behind Laguna Beach’s Taylor Pitz. Shelby Demters finished sixth in the event for Harbor.

Andy Delorme took third place in the boys’ longboard, while Michael Maddox was sixth for Newport Harbor. San Clemente’s Scott Brandenburg won the event.

Newport Harbor’s Yuji Kanbayashi and Joe Suzuki finished fourth and sixth, respecively in the bodyboard competition that was won by San Clemente’s Travis Dugan.

Newport Harbor freshman Allie Hayes finished sxith in the girls’ longboard won by Dana Hills’ Tara Franz.

Heimstaedt, Wilson and Gilchrist were instrumental in helping lead Newport Harbor to a share of the South Coast League title with an exciting win against previously unbeaten San Clemente Monday at 56th Street.

The contest was not decided until the final heat of the day as neither school could pull ahead by more than eight points. In the end, Bobby Okvist and Cassidy placed one and two in the final shortboard heat to secure the overall victory, 79-72, and Newport Harbor’s second straight co-championship.

Newport won the shortboard competition winning all four heats and an aggregate score of 50-34.

Heimstaedt scored 7.17 in his heat, the high for the contest. Blake Davis took third in this heat. The second heat was won by Wilson. The third shortboard heat saw Tyler Tarlow place first in his first competition of the year as Max Colvin placed third.

Gilchrist placed first in the girls’ shortboard, her fifth first-place finish of the year. Detmers placed third for the winning squad, 11-10. Gilchrist also placed third in the girls’ longboard as their team was defeated 13-8.

Steven Jensen placed first with a strong showing for the losing bodyboard squad. Delorme placed third for the losing longboard squad.

Newport Harbor resumes nonleague meets Dec. 4 against Estancia at 56th Street.

— From staff reports