A healthy dose of returners for Newport

Bryce Alderton

The Newport Harbor High girls cross country team enters today’s

Huntington Beach invitational without two of their strongest runners.

But when healthy, the Sailors will have six of their top seven

runners back from a team that finished fifth in CIF Southern Section

Division II and at the state meet last fall.

Seniors Courtney Marshall and Caitlin Mai both return, but will

not race today, Sailors Coach Eric Tweit, in his 16th year at the helm, said.

Marshall finished 46th overall and was the Sailors’ second

finisher at the state meet behind Lauren Paul, who graduated last

spring.

Newport’s boys team will also compete in today’s Huntington Beach

invitational and features four regulars off last season’s third-place

squad in the Sea View League finals.

Seniors Martin Bernard, Nick St. Andre and Cameron MacLaren, along

with junior team captain Kenny Rakestraw, lead the Sailors’ charge.

Rakestraw finished third at last year’s league finals.

Nowell Kay, in his third year as head coach, said St. Andre ran

the most miles of anyone on the team during the summer.

The hard work paid off, as St. Andre placed 10th in the senior

race in last weekend’s Woodbridge invitational, the largest high

school cross country race in Southern California.

Whitney Blue led the Sailor girls to 10th in the sweepstakes race

at Woodbridge and captured the Division II junior race at the Laguna

Hills invitational Sept. 11.

When healthy, Tweit said Marshall and Blue are two of the top

runners in Orange County.

Sophomores Lauren Maddox, Lily Dierkes and Taylor Bryson all

competed at last year’s state meet and bolster Newport’s charge this

season.

Sophomore Zuzana Bernard, Casey and Hannah Patrick, along with

senior Jackie Belida, could all contribute as well, Tweit said.

When healthy, Tweit said this year’s team could match or exceed

last season’s performance.

“The girls are very hard working and motivated,” Tweit said. “If

they give their best effort, we’ll see what happens.”

Junior Wesley Urtusuastegui is returning to form after an injured

foot hampered him last season while junior Mike Madison ran less than

18 minutes at Woodbridge.

Newport should also receive contributions from senior Tyler

Blackney, junior Hunter Wiley, sophomore Michael Jugan, and freshmen

Murphy Hitchcock and Alex Shaw.

Kay said Shaw could break into the top seven by season’s end.

Kay believes Laguna Hills is the league favorite with Newport and

Foothill battling for second.

“[Rakestraw and St. Andre] beat the top two guys from Laguna Hills

at Woodbridge,” Kay said. “We are looking to improve this year and I

think we will.”