Three-sport standout named league’s best

Ocean View High senior Clarissa Holz has been named the Female Athlete of the Year in the Golden West League for 2007-08.

Holz participated in three sports at Ocean View — volleyball, basketball and track and field — and was a member of the varsity team in the three sports for all four years.

She was first-team all-league in volleyball and basketball.

“I’ve coached five or six of the girls who were on my team this year since they were in third grade, and Clarissa’s one of them,” Seahawks girls’ basketball coach Jim Harris said. “She’s always been a terrific athlete and runner, someone who can do anything, do it tirelessly, too, and smile all the way through.”

On the basketball court, Holz — who was crowned the school’s homecoming queen last fall — averaged 11 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals per game. She was selected to the all-tournament team in each of the three nonleague tournaments Ocean View participated in this year, Harris said.

“She acquired the skills necessary to become an outstanding basketball player and what’s dramatic about that is that she was able to do it while playing three sports,” Harris said. “In most cases, someone who plays that many sports at once is a good team member but doesn’t excel in all areas. There are exceptions to that, and Clarissa is one of those student-athletes who has excelled in three of her sports. She’d practice one sport while playing in another. She was one of those players you just couldn’t take off the court.”

Holz is the oldest of triplets, “by a whole minute,” her mother, Shari Harvey said. Her brother Cameron played basketball and baseball and Nathan played baseball at Ocean View.

The triplets were set to graduate with their 2008 classmates Wednesday.

Shari Harvey also is Ocean View’s girls’ varsity volleyball coach.

“She just gave 100% all the time,” Harvey said. “She’s a go-getter, intense and focused, and she self-corrects. It’s almost as though you don’t need to coach her. I’m just so proud of what she’s done.”

In track, Holz specialized in the triple jump, hurdles and 400 meters. She reached the CIF Southern Section finals in the 330 hurdles and ran a leg on Ocean View’s 4 x 100 relay team that won the Golden West League title.

Holz will play basketball and run track at the University of La Verne.

— Mike Sciacca