Sailors’ Gilchrist wins NSSA state championship

The championships continue to come for Newport Harbor High’s Kaleigh Gilchrist, but this time the sophomore won an individual title.

Gilchrist, who helped lead the Newport Harbor girls’ water polo team to the CIF Southern Section Division I championship, collected some first-place hardware in surfing Sunday. She won the National Scholastic Surfing Assn. girls’ state title at the Interscholastic State Championships at Church Beach in San Onofre State Park.

Gilchrist captured her first state title in a close decision over Laguna Beach’s Taylor Pitz. The two battled it out to the end. Gilchrist finished with a score of 10.50, while Pitz scored 10.17.

Gilchrist, along with Pitz, hold a top-five ranking in the Southwest Open season.

“She was awesome through the whole contest,” said Scott Morlan, Newport Harbor’s surf coach.

Gilchrist also earned second-team All-Sunset League honors in water polo this past season, contributing 41 goals, 63 steals and 26 assists.

— From staff reports