Honors: Steen Tars’ Girls Athlete of the Year

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - While the impact of some high school athletic

careers can be measured by varsity letters, recent Newport Harbor High

graduate Amber Steen’s contributions are quantified by a much higher

standard.

In four varsity seasons of cross country and track and field, the

University of Arizona-bound phenom won 18 Sea View League and CIF

Southern Section gold medals, while virtually rewriting the distance

record book at a school renowned for producing distance runners.

Steen, pegged early as a tenacious competitor by Sailors girls cross

country and track coach Eric Tweit, built a reputation as as a despot of

distance running. All the while, however, she endeared herself to rival

athletes and coaches with her amiable attitude and supreme sportsmanship.

She was also selected the school’s Girls Athlete of the Year.

On the cross country trail, she won two Sea View League and two CIF

Southern Section Division II individual titles and twice finished fifth

at the CIF State meet in Fresno.

As a sophomore, she was seventh at league finals and 10th at CIF

Southern Section Division II Finals and was third and seventh,

respectively, at the same two meets as a freshman.

She was just as impressive, if not more so, during the spring.

She dominated the 1,600 meters at Sea View League Finals, winning all

four seasons. She also added a trio of league 3,200 titles and two 800

crowns, while helping the Sailors’ 1,600 relay finish third and second,

respectively, the last two years.

But that was just the start of things for Steen.

Her senior postseason included titles in the 1,600 and 3,200 at CIF

Southern Section Division II Finals, as well as a 1,600 crown at the CIF

Southern Section Masters Meet (all divisions).

Her 4:43.75 clocking in the 1,600 at Masters was the best in the

nation this season among high school girls and trimmed almost four

seconds off the school record she established at the section finals.

She was second in the 3,200 at Masters, clocking a personal-best

10:26.45, which is also a school record.

A strained foot muscle sabotaged her hopes at the CIF State Finals.

Obviously slowed by the injury, she finished third in the 1,600 (4:51.73)

and was forced to scratch in the 3,200.

As a junior, she won the 1,600, 3,200 and 800 at league finals, won

the 1,600 at the CIF Southern Section Division II Finals and was second

in the 3,200 at the same meet.

She then finished third and fourth in the 1,600 and 3,200, respectively, at Masters, and was third and 15th, respectively, in the

same events at CIF State Finals.

As a sophomore, she swept the league 1,600 and 3,200, was second in

both at CIF Southern Section Division II Finals and won the 1,600 at

Masters, where she was fifth in the 3,200. She was 10th at state finals

in the 3,200.

As a freshman, she won the league 1,600 crown, was fourth at CIF

Southern Section Division II Finals and seventh at Masters.