M.E. Clayton, Millennium Hall of Fame

M.E. Clayton never met a jump or hurdle she couldn’t clear, but

these days the former Newport Harbor High track and field standout is

stretching it a bit.

Clayton, the 1997 Female Athlete of the Year at Newport Harbor, has

added the heptathlon to her athletic discipline at BYU.

“I enjoy all (seven) events, but the 800 is a killer,” said Clayton, a

junior for the Cougars. “I’ve never been a long-distance runner ... I’m

used to running 35 meters and jumping.”

In an era of great Newport Harbor female track and field athletes, few

could outleap Clayton, the school-record holder in the 100-meter hurdles

(15.3) and one of the finest triple jumpers and long jumpers in Harbor

history.

Clayton, who specializes in the long and triple jumps at BYU, started

the heptathlon last year.

“I had a desire to do something more, something different, and now I

really enjoy it,” Clayton said. “My freshman year in the triple jump and

long jump, the workouts became kind of monotonous. It was the same

workout every day.”

No more. Beginning in January when the indoor track season opens,

Clayton will be kept busy in the two-day heptathlon, which includes the

javelin, 200 meters, 100-meter hurdles, shot put, high jump, long jump

and 800.

“(The 800) is the most annoying, but a lot of times that determines

certain spots (in the final standings),” said Clayton, who selected BYU

over Duke, and was pleased with her first-year heptathlon results in

1999.

“After a lot of thinking and a lot of prayer, it came down to BYU,

because this is where I was supposed to be,” Clayton added. “I love it

here. I love the people, and I feel like I’m getting an incredible

education. I enjoy the atmosphere (in Provo, Utah). It’s different than

anything else I’ve ever experienced before.

“I live in paradise (Newport Beach), granted. But I really enjoy it up

here.”

Clayton’s personal best in the triple jump (39 feet 8 inches) is 2

feet 2 inches longer than her farthest in high school. She went 37-6 at

the CIF Masters Meet in her senior year. Her goal in 2000 is to crack the

41-foot barrier.

In the long jump, Clayton has leaped 18-11 and hopes to break 19 feet

on a regular basis.

A four-year varsity letter winner and three-time MVP of Newport

Harbor’s girls track team, Clayton captured three Sea View League

individual championships, as well as three runner-up finishes and one

third-place showing. At the CIF Southern Section Division II finals, she

was second in the triple jump twice (1996 and ‘97) and third in the long

jump in ’97.

“She’s one of the best track athletes we’ve ever had,” said Newport

Harbor Coach Eric Tweit, who has featured dozens of springtime stars in

the 1990s, including Lindsey Curtis, Michaela Ross, Gina Heads, Cara

Heads and Clayton’s older sister, Mandy, also a jumper.

Clayton, also a basketball standout and solid contributor in

volleyball, was influenced greatly by Nowell Kay, the Sailors’ longtime

jumps and hurdles coach.

“Some of my favorite times were during those big (postseason) meets,

and it was just me and Nowell,” Clayton said. “I’d have a way of

overthinking things and overstressing, and Nowell was always helping me

through it.”

Clayton, whose personality would carry her even beyond a PR in the

triple jump, qualified for the CIF Division II finals in three events

(triple jump, long jump and 100 hurdles) her senior year.

“I’ve been coaching for (14) years and she’s in the top three or four

athletes I’ve had, personality-wise and athletic-wise,” Kay said.

Clayton, who earned the school’s Female Athlete of the Year Award when

Danny Pulido won it for the Sailor boys, was also a two-time All-Sea View

League and All-Newport-Mesa District choice in basketball.

A 6-foot center, Clayton shared twin tower duty with 6-foot Breanna

Badorek on the 1996-97 girls hoops squad under Coach Bob Dukus, as the

Sailors finished second in the Sea View League behind powerhouse

Woodbridge.

Clayton, who carried a 3.76 grade-point average in the classroom,

averaged 12.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game as Newport Harbor went

18-11 overall that winter, 7-3 in league and advanced to the CIF Division

II-A quarterfinals. Colleen Eadie and Desiree Talley were also senior

standouts on the team.

“I loved basketball,” Clayton said. “I’d been playing since the fourth

grade. (Former Newport Harbor and youth hoops coach) Shannon Jakosky was

my idol.

“I always enjoyed team sports, and I wish I would’ve done volleyball

for four years -- (Sailors Coach) Danny Glenn will love that.”

Volleyball was an afterthought for Clayton. Even today, during

backyard rallies at her parents’ house, her younger sisters, Elizabeth

and Laura, have an edge in setting and passing. Her younger brother,

Billy, is a senior athlete at Newport.

Clayton, who hopes her best athletic moment is in front of her, is a

member of the Daily Pilot Sports Hall of Fame, celebrating the

millennium.