Amber Steen Commits to Arizona

Newport Harbor’s Amber Steen, The Times’ Orange County runner of the year in cross-country this season, committed to Arizona, she said Monday.

Steen also visited UC Irvine and Oregon, but chose Arizona because of its location.

Steen said passing on the Anteaters was especially difficult because of Vince O’Boyle, UCI’s cross-country and track coach.

“If I could have taken O’Boyle to Arizona, I wouldn’t have waited so long to decide,” she said.

Steen defended her Southern Section Division II cross-country title in November and finished fifth at state for the second consecutive year.