PREP PREVIEW / BOYS TRACK : TEAMS TO WATCH : NEWPORT HARBOR

Coach: Eric Tweit (14th year).

1992: State Division III and Southern Section Division III-A cross-country champions.

Key returners: Jared Overton, Sr.; Sky Peterka, Sr.; Beau Ralphs, Sr., Wade Tift, Jr.

Key newcomers: Bill Brandon, So.

Outlook: The Sailors’ strength lies in the distance events and the shotput. Overton and Peterka led the cross-country team to section and state titles last fall, and figure to join Esperanza’s Shawn Frack and Katella’s Mike Love as the county’s top distance runners on the track. Overton’s best 3,200 meters last season was 9:42.37. Peterka’s was 9:44.8. Ralphs, a standout football player, threw in the shadow of county-leader Tony Mancuso last season but should prove to be one of the county’s best shotputters by season’s end. Ralphs was sixth at the Orange County championships last year; Mancuso was the winner by almost six feet and went on to finish fourth at the state meet with a personal-best of 59-3 1/4. Tift won the county championship frosh-soph shotput title with a throw of 53-3 1/2.