Third annual ‘Battle in the Bay' moves Back Bay water polo rivals from pool to ocean
It's been a big week for Newport Harbor High junior Connor Ohl.
The sharp-shooting boys' water polo player committed to Stanford earlier this week. He then turned 18 on Thursday, the same day the Sailors hosted the third annual 'Battle in the Bay' showcase against rival Corona del Mar in the water next to Marina Park on the Balboa Peninsula.
Ohl gave himself a birthday gift.
He was named the KAP7 Player of the Game for the boys' match, earning a stand-up paddleboard for his efforts.
Newport Harbor swept the two games, winning the girls' game 17-5 before earning a 15-8 win in the boys' game.
'We really came together and our crash defense was just amazing,' said Ohl, who led the Sailors with four goals in the boys' game. 'When you play good defense, the offense will come, and that's what happened today. Our defense complemented our offense.'
The Battle in the Bay has become an annual event that the Newport Beach water polo community circles on its calendar. Newport Harbor looked the part of a team that was a CIF Southern Section Open Division champion in the boys' season last fall, and an Open Division finalist in the girls' season in the winter.
'It's such a unique spot,' Sailors coach Ross Sinclair said. 'It's unique to play in the Battle of the Bay, and I think this is another added element of celebrating the community and being able to play in the bay. It's a novelty.'
Kai Kaneko added three goals for the Sailors boys, while Dash D'Ambrosia, Hudson Parks and Mason Netzer scored twice each. Koosha Mirrafati led CdM with three goals.
'It's a cool thing for our community to come together and do something that no other programs in the country get to do,' CdM coach Lucas Reynolds said, adding that he was a bit jealous the event wasn't around when he was a CdM student. 'Being able to play in the bay, play so close to home in a really cool environment, I think it's an awesome opportunity for our kids.'
Newport Harbor senior goalkeeper Lydia Soderberg was the Player of the Game for the girls' match. Some of her Sailors teammates blew up her inflatable paddleboard and watched the boys' game while perched on it.
Caitlin Stayt and Gabby Alexson led the Sailors with three goals each, while Josie Alaluf had two goals for CdM.
Newport Harbor also benefited from strong play from freshmen, including Lily Tomalas, Vivian Muir, Olivia Bryant and goalkeeper Sutton Lohman. They stepped up, as four Sailors — Madison Mack, Kennedy Fahey, Addison Ting and Caroline Daniels — are currently playing for the U.S. Cadet National Team at the PanAm Aquatics Water Polo Championships in Colombia.
'This is just a really unique experience,' Stayt said. 'We love coming out here and being with the community, being with each other.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
California high school sprinter stripped of state title due to 'unsportsmanlike' fire-extinguisher celebration
A California high-school sprinter was stripped of the state title after an "unsportsmanlike" celebration with a fire extinguisher, according to the Los Angeles Times. Clara Adams, a 16-year-old sophomore at North Salinas High, finished the 400-meter finals .28 seconds before her closest competitor, but was disqualified by the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) due to her celebration. Following the win, Adams obtained a "small fire extinguisher" from her father in the stands. Adams then sprayed her cleats, implying they were on fire due to her blazing speed. Advertisement The CIF disqualified Adams from both the 400-meter finals and the 200-meter finals due to that celebration, which they deemed "unsportsmanlike." Adams told the Los Angeles Times she was "robbed," saying she was just having fun with the celebration. "I was having fun,' Adams said, noting her win in the 400 marked her first state title. 'I'd never won something like that before, and they took it away from me. I didn't do anything wrong.' She added: 'I worked really hard for it and they took it from me, and I don't know what to do.' David Adams, Clara's father, said the CIF ruled "unsporting conduct" against his daughter. David claimed officials were "really nasty" to Clara. Unsporting conduct can include "disrespectfully addressing an official, any flagrant behavior, intentional contact, taunting, criticizing or using profanity directed toward someone," per the National Federation of State High School Associations. David said that rule was cited as a "gray area" that the CIF used to justify the decision. Advertisement David said the celebration was a tribute to Maurice Greene, a former U.S. sprinter who used the same celebration at the Home Depot Invitational in 2004. Broadcasters laughed at Greene's celebration, which took place in the middle of the track. David argued Clara's antics didn't qualify as unsportsmanlike because she performed her celebration away from the track, per the Los Angeles Times. "Looking at the film, Clara is nowhere near any opponent,' he said. 'She's off the track, on the grass. Her opponents are long gone off the track already, so she wasn't in their face. It was a father-daughter moment. ... She did it off the track because she didn't want to seem disrespectful toward nobody. And they still found a reason to take her title away. They didn't give her a warning or anything.' The CIF and North Salinas High track and field head coach Alan Green did not respond to the Los Angeles Times when reached for comment. David Adams threatened to take legal action against the CIF if the organization won't return his calls. Following Clara's disqualification, St. Mary's Academy in Inglewood sprinter Madison Mosby was awarded the win in the 400-meter finals.
USA Today
17 hours ago
- USA Today
HS track star DQ'ed over fire extinguisher celebration after win
HS track star DQ'ed over fire extinguisher celebration after win A California track runner was disqualified and stripped of her title after high school sports officials deemed her victory celebration unsportsmanlike. Clara Adams, a sophomore track star at North Salinas High School, had her 400 meter dash title taken away after her dad handed her a fire extinguisher to celebrate on Saturday. She sprayed the fire extinguisher on her spikes, much like sprinter Maurice Greene during a 2004 celebration. California sports officials disqualified her for the act, stripping her of her title and preventing her from participating in her other race. Clara was shocked when she realized she was being reprimanded, she told Fox News. 'When the officials told me that I would be disqualified, I was just sent into shock,' she said. 'They just took my moment away from me that quick.' The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's requests for comment on June 5 and neither did the Salinas Union High School District. Reactions pour in Clara is a sophomore track runner at North Salinas High School, about 58 miles south of San Jose. She is a member of the Central Coast Cheetahs track team and is slated to graduate in 2027, per her Instagram account. She was competing over the weekend in the CIF state finals. She won the 400 meter dash over the weekend and still had the 200 meter race to compete in. Her father and coach, David Adams, admitted to handing her the fire extinguisher to celebrate that day, he told news station KION-TV. As Clara celebrated her win over the weekend, one announcer laughed off the celebration. "She knows what she did today,' the announcer said, laughing. "Clapping it up. She's hype ... She had a fire extinguisher on the track. I love the way we're having fun with the sport." And once community members got wind of her disqualification, some called for it to be reversed, sharing a clip of Greene's celebration in 2004. Greene has chimed in on the situation, according to multiple news outlets such as KSBW and KABC-TV. 'This girl who just ran the 400 did your celebration,'' he recalled the callers saying. 'I was like huh? What?" Greene said. "If it was away from everyone and not interfering with anyone, I would say reinstate her." Teen's father: 'I'm the one that handed it to her' David Adams, Clara's father and coach, told Fox News that his daughter was celebrating off the track and on the grass so she wouldn't be seen as taunting the other runners. 'Make sure you're (facing) yourself,' he recalled telling her. 'You're facing me, not your opponents, which, they were already 40, 50 meters away.' According to Clara's father, he has been training her since she was 5 and she started competing at just 6, he told KION-TV. The pair vowed that this year, the 10th year working together, would be special for them, 'like a movie.' 'It just went left with the disqualification,' he said, adding that they still had hope since she still had to run the 200 meter race. 'Clara was crying,' her father said. 'Watching her hurt, it hurt me. I take responsibility over everything because I'm the one that handed (the fire extinguisher) to her.' He said he would've been OK leaving the stadium if it meant his daughter was able to stay and compete. 'I'm the adult,' he said. 'Reprimand me, not the kid.' Father thinks discipline may be racially motivated When Fox News' Will Cain asked her father if he has evidence that Clara's disqualification was racially motivated, her father said history shows it likely is. When White athletes celebrate, it's often viewed as passion that's good for the sport, her father said. 'When a Black girl or a Black boy or a Brown girl or a Brown boy, they celebrate, it's deemed as unprofessional, unsportsmanlike, it's ghetto, so why is it OK for one to celebrate and not the other?' he asked. 'We've seen that before. It's nothing new. I'm not making this up.' When Cain asked the father and daughter how they felt about her disqualification when the CIF allows transgender athletes such as AB Hernandez to compete, the pair said they were perplexed. "It's being celebrated, basically," David Adams said. "She can jump very well ... They celebrated AB Hernandez on the podium, and Clara was disqualified for having a celebration. We're lost on that ... I'm confused because now ... I've got to worry about an AB Hernandez jumping into the 400 meters next year?" More: Transgender athlete shares 2 titles at California state track and field meet Her father told KION-TV that his daughter is a good kid who works hard on and off the track. She has a 3.8 grade point average. He said he is a man of faith, and he was told his daughter will likely be able to compete in the Nike Outdoor Nationals in a few weeks. 'She's 16,' he said. 'She'll be the youngest one … This national meet is bigger than the CIF state meet.' Contributing: Barry Werner, USA TODAY High School Sports Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Yahoo
High school sprinter stripped of state title after celebration is deemed unsportsmanlike
North Salinas sophomore Clara Adams, center, wins a preliminary heat in the girls' 400 meters Friday at the CIF State Track & Field Championships in Clovis. She finished first in the finals the next day but was stripped of the title because of a celebration that was deemed by meet officials to be unsportsmanlike. (Steve Galluzzo / For The Times) North Salinas High sophomore Clara Adams ran the fastest time in the girls' 400-meter finals at the CIF State Track & Field Finals last weekend. She crossed the finish line .28 seconds ahead of her closest competitor. Advertisement But Adams is not the state champion. She was stripped of that title after she used a fire extinguisher to spray her cleats while on the field inside the track moments after the race. "I was robbed," Adams, 16, told The Times shortly after being disqualified from that event as well the 200 finals, which took place later in the meet. Adams said CIF officials told her that she was being disqualified because she had been "unsportsmanlike," but that's not how she saw it at all. "I was having fun," Adams said, noting her win in the 400 marked her first state title. "I'd never won something like that before, and they took it away from me. I didn't do anything wrong." Advertisement She added: "I worked really hard for it and they took it from me, and I don't know what to do." Days later, David Adams, who said he is the sprint coach at North Salinas, told The Times his daughter was "doing better" but still trying to cope with everything that unfolded Saturday afternoon at Buchanan High in Clovis. Read more: Transgender track athlete wins gold in California state championships despite Trump threat 'Clara's hurt. She's hurt right now," David Adams said Wednesday. "She's better today than Saturday. Saturday was fresh. It just happened. It was a shock. She felt numb. They made her sit there and watch while they put those other girls on the podium, knowing Clara's the fastest 400-meter runner in the state of California.' Advertisement Clara Adams has been running competitively since age 6, her father said. She finished fourth in the 400 at last year's state meet and won the event with a state-best time of 53.23 at the Central Coast Section championships last month. After posting the top qualifying time in Friday's preliminaries, Adams surged ahead of Madison Mosby of St. Mary's Academy in Inglewood to win the race with a time of 53.24. Immediately afterward, Adams walked over to the wall in front of the stands and found her father, who reached down and handed her what he described as a "small" fire extinguisher. She then walked back across the track into the grass, where she sprayed her cleats as if she was putting out a fire — a move her father said was a tribute to former U.S. sprinter Maurice Greene, who similarly celebrated his win in the 100 at the 2004 Home Depot Invitational in Carson. CIF officials apparently were not amused and disqualified Adams on the spot, awarding first place to Mosby. According to rules established by the National Federation of State High School Assns., "unsporting conduct" is defined as behavior that includes but is not limited to 'disrespectfully addressing an official, any flagrant behavior, intentional contact, taunting, criticizing or using profanity directed toward someone.' The penalty is disqualification from the event in which the behavior took place and further competition in the meet. The CIF did not respond to a request for comment from The Times. Advertisement According to David Adams, the officials 'were really nasty" toward his daughter. They "tugged on her arm," he said, "they were screaming in her face. I could hear it from where I was at. I could see it — I couldn't hear exactly what they were saying, but they were just really nasty." Read more: Long Beach Poly boys' 4x400 relay team shines at state track and field championships Clara Adams said she specifically asked the officials to speak with her father about the disqualification, but they refused. "They kept telling me, 'It's OK,' and I was telling them, 'It's not OK,' and they didn't care," she said. "They were trying to smile in my face, like them telling me 'no' amused them or something." Advertisement David Adams said the officials would only speak to North Salinas head coach Alan Green, who declined to speak to The Times for this story. 'They told him that it was unsportsmanlike conduct," David Adams said of the officials' discussion with Green. "We were asking for the rule, the specific rule of what she did, and they didn't really give anything. It was more of a gray area that gives them discretion to pick and choose what they feel is unsportsmanlike conduct." Read more: Prep talk: Birmingham's Antrell Harris reaches peak form with 10.24 in 100 meters Adams disputes that his daughter behaved in a manner that could be considered unsportsmanlike. Advertisement "Looking at the film, Clara is nowhere near any opponent," he said. "She's off the track, on the grass. Her opponents are long gone off the track already, so she wasn't in their face. It was a father-daughter moment. ... She did it off the track because she didn't want to seem disrespectful toward nobody. And they still found a reason to take her title away. They didn't give her a warning or anything.' He added that his daughter is a "very humble, really sweet kid." "I take responsibility for the situation. I'm taking full responsibility," he said. "Clara has run several championship races and won and walked off the track. It's just weird that she celebrates one time and now people, these strangers, these middle-aged people want to chase after her character?" Greene, the four-time Olympic medalist who inspired Clara's celebration, told KSBW-TV in Salinas that the CIF should reconsider its decision. Advertisement Read more: Greene, Jones Run Like Wind at Carson "If [the celebration] was away from everyone and not interfering with anyone, I would say reinstate her," Greene said. David Adams said he is trying to make that happen but so far the CIF won't return his calls . 'We have an attorney on standby right now," he said. "I don't want to take it there, but I will fight this all the way. As long as I'm breathing I'm gonna fight it. But we're trying to go through proper channels to give the CIF an opportunity to do the right thing. Having an attorney involved is our last resort, that means we tried everything.' Advertisement Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
