HUNTINGTON BEACH

Katie Marchand, 16, took top honors at a recent police explorer competition held at the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station. Katie, of Huntington Beach, is an explorer sergeant with the Newport Beach Police Department and a junior at Edison High School. She was named Top Explorer among 171 other competitors. The group of young recruits, who may one day join the law enforcement ranks, spent five days learning about career opportunities in the field. Katie has been with the Newport Beach Explorer Post since 1996. She traveled to Washington, D.C., last summer to compete in the National Law Enforcement Explorer Conference. She and three other explorers placed first in an oral presentation at the national competition.