Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week: Amber Steen

Tony Altobelli

There is one reason why Newport Harbor High track and field

standout Amber Steen is blowing away the competition: just look at her

favorite food on her profile card.

Oreo’s and coffee-flavored ice cream.

“Maybe that’s why I go so fast,” Steen said with a laugh. “I’m all

sugared up.”

Perhaps, but according to Coach Erik Tweit, there might be a more

reasonable explanation to describe her successes in her distance events.

“She has just an incredible work ethic and her focus is second to none,”

Tweit said. “That’s what so amazing about her. With all that’s going on,

she still understands what her goals are the overall goal that she’s

trying to accomplish.”

Steen led the Sailors in last week’s Orange County Invitational, winning

the 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs with the fastest times in the county, but

according to Tweit, the times are not the important thing to focus on.

“The most important thing to me how she does in June,” Tweit said,

referring to CIF competition. “I’ve never had anyone with some much

talent and such a hard work ethic to go with it. She’s very good at using

both of these tools well.”

As a sophomore last year, Steen qualified for the Master’s Meet in the

1,600 and 3,200, winning the 1,600, before competing in the CIF State

Finals in the 3,200.

This year, even higher peaks await Steen, whose always had a thirst for

success.

“It’s what was taught to me as a kid growing up by my parents,” Steen

said. “They always said to try your hardest and to work hard at

everything you do. I was definitely listening when they talked about that

stuff.”

It’s that work ethic that will take Steen’s time to unchartered waters.

With over 45 hours a week of running and conditioning, Steen feels

stronger and faster than ever.

“I go through a lot of shoes,” Steen said with a laugh. “I also did a lot

of road work in the pre-track season, running a lot more miles than I

ever did. I feel that’s really helped me out for this year.”

So what goes through the mind of one of the top runners in this or any

other area? You’d be surprised.

“Honestly, I don’t know what goes through my head out there,” Steen

honestly replied. “I guess I’m thinking, ‘Am I going fast enough? Slow

enough?’ Little things like that.”

Whatever’s going through the cranium is definitely making sense to the

rest of Steen’s body.

“She’s just so aware of everything out there and she has such a

commitment to winning,” Tweit said. “It really pleases me to see someone

work that hard and gain the success that she deserved.”

Running has always been a sense of enjoyment for Steen.”I’ve just always

loved to run. Our family would go to the park and we’d play soccer and I

just loved running all over the place. I played a lot of soccer, but when

I got to high school, people kept telling me that I had a body of a

runner, not a soccer player.”

Of her two strongest events, the 1,600 is her favorite. Why?

“Because it’s over faster,” Steen, the ever-typical teenager said.