Girls’ Athlete of the Week : Adam Is Following Quickly in Her Family’s Footsteps

Natalie Adam, a four-sport athlete at Huntington Beach High School, has had little trouble deciding which sports to concentrate on once she gets to college.

Adam, a junior, plays volleyball and runs cross-country in the fall, plays soccer in the winter and is a distance runner on the track team in the spring. She enjoys the variety for now, but she’ll stick to running after high school. It was a natural decision.

Adam, 16, is the second oldest of 5 children--all runners. Both her parents run. In fact, 2 weeks ago, her mother, Sally, placed first in her age group at a cross-country race in Huntington Beach Central Park.

Natalie’s cousin--PattiSue Plumer, a former Stanford University track star--will represent the United States in the women’s 3,000 meters at the Olympics this week.

Adam’s other cousin, former University High star Polly Plumer, holds the national high school record in the mile.

“My parents put me in every sport when I was little,” Adam said. “I loved that, but I realize my best sport is running. That’s what I’ll (pursue) in college.”

Adam, The Times’ athlete of the week, has been following in the family footsteps lately. Saturday, she won the large-school division race at the Mount Carmel Invitational at San Diego.

Adam finished the hilly, 2.6-mile course in 17 minutes 2.9 seconds, defeating her closest opponent--Dawn Gigstad of Poway--by more than 10 seconds.

Adam is undefeated against Orange County runners this season. Two weeks ago, she placed second to Lakewood’s Lucinda Reyes in the large-school division of the Woodbridge Invitational.

All this and volleyball, too. Adam plays outside hitter for the volleyball team, despite being only 5-feet 2-inches tall. Adam practices with the volleyball team from 2:30 to 5 p.m. After that, she runs her cross-country workout on her own.

“I give her the day’s workout, and, after volleyball, she goes and does them by herself,” Gina Gruwell, Oiler cross-country coach, said.

“She won’t miss any of her workouts or meets. . . . There aren’t very many students who have that kind of dedication.”

TOP PERFORMERS

Andrea Caminitti of Irvine recorded the fastest time of the day--18:32--to win the large-school division of the Laguna Hills Invitational cross-country meet Saturday.

Bev Oden of Irvine had 21 kills to lead the Vaqueros to a 3-2 victory over Corona del Mar in a nonleague volleyball match Tuesday.

Cathi Peck of Woodbridge won the small-school division race in 18:45 at the Laguna Hills Invitational.

Natalie Adam

Huntington Beach High

Position: Cross-country runner.

Height, Class: 5-2, Junior.

Last Week: Adam won the large-school division race at the Mount Carmel Invitational at San Diego Saturday. She finished the hilly, 2.6-mile course in 17 minutes 2.9 seconds.

Season: Adam is undefeated against Orange County runners this season.