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Los Angeles Times
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
North Irvine prevents Newport Beach 18U ‘three-peat' at USA Water Polo Junior Olympics
IRVINE — Luke Harris called it a really hard decision to leave his brothers on the Newport Harbor High boys' water polo team, competing for a different club team before heading off to college. What made the decision a bit easier was knowing that his good friend and fellow goalkeeper, incoming senior Connor Clougherty, was more than capable of taking the reins in the cage. 'That's my true team, my alma mater,' said Harris, who helped the Sailors claim the CIF Southern Section Open Division title last fall. 'I will always love them to death and be supportive of them. All I want for them is for them to get better and succeed.' Harris left to play with a 'super team,' North Irvine Beast Boys, made up of players from different high schools, this summer. On Tuesday afternoon, he faced many of his Sailors teammates in the boys' 18-and-under gold medal match of the USA Water Polo Junior Olympics. Harris prevented Newport Beach Water Polo Club from winning the division three years in a row, though his own personal streak is intact. The USC-bound goalie made 12 saves as the Beast Boys beat Newport Beach 9-5 for the title at Woollett Aquatics Center. It's the third straight Junior Olympics title for Harris, who helped the Newport Beach 18s win it in 2023 and again last year. 'It felt like it was all or nothing,' Harris said. 'If we didn't win, we were going to feel like a bunch of dogs, honestly. Our whole persona was big, almost a little cocky, everyone kind of hated us. If we didn't win this, it was all for nothing. That was our mindset the whole time.' JSerra graduate Gavin Conant, who, like Harris, will be a Trojan next year, scored a match-high four goals and earned MVP honors. North Irvine, which avenged a loss to Newport Beach in the Junior Olympics quarterfinals on Monday, also featured Corona del Mar graduate Jackson Harlan and Newport Harbor graduate Santino Rossi. Harlan, the 2024-25 Daily Pilot Dream Team Player of the Year, had a field block and a drawn exclusion in the win. 'Coming together and training for three months, going out and getting the job done, there's no better feeling,' Harlan said. 'A surreal feeling.' Sean Anderson, an incoming sophomore transfer from JSerra, had two goals for team-high honors for Newport Beach. Coach Ross Sinclair said that Anderson and his older brother, Tyler, an incoming senior center who starred for the Lions last season, are now both officially enrolled at Newport Harbor. Kai Kaneko, Declan Bartlett and Fletcher Appeldorn added goals for Newport Beach. Clougherty made four saves. Harris said that North Irvine, which led 6-2 at halftime, effectively utilized an 'M-drop' zone defense. 'They just played a little faster, a little more intense, and they had some big moments from big-time players,' Sinclair said. 'I love Luke; I thought he was great. I've seen that before. I'm bummed that we lost, but I'm happy for the way that he goes out his last year. He was fantastic.' Newport Beach missed incoming senior standout Connor Ohl, who has been playing with the U.S. men's senior national team at the World Aquatics World Championships in Singapore. Team USA plays Italy in the seventh-place match on Thursday morning. The Sailors, who Sinclair has guided to the CIF finals in the top division for six straight years, will get back to high school water polo soon enough this fall. 'We have a good group, it's going to be fun,' Sinclair said. 'It's more, 'how do we stay focused, stay hungry and use experiences like this to get better?' It's going to be a fun high school season. There's a lot of good teams out there. We'll enjoy a little break, come back and chip away.' Session Two of the USA Water Polo Junior Olympics, featuring girls' and co-ed divisions, runs Thursday through Sunday in Orange County.
Los Angeles Times
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Connor Ohl, Newport Harbor girls shine at Sunset League swim finals
Connor Ohl sprinted into history on Friday at Golden West College. Before he even looked up at the scoreboard for his time after swimming the 50-yard freestyle at Sunset League finals, the Newport Harbor High junior heard the crowd cheering. 'I knew right then that I went 19 [seconds],' Ohl said. 'When I looked up, it was just the icing on the cake.' With his time of 19.79 seconds, he became the second-fastest high school swimmer in the event in Orange County history. The county record is a 19.69 by Olympian Michael Cavic of Tustin, set in 2002. Los Alamitos won the boys' Sunset League swimming championship, while Newport Harbor's girls used their depth to capture their third straight league crown. There were plenty of fast swims at the six-hour meet. Fountain Valley set five league records, with sophomore Alyssa Ton and junior Peter Vu setting two each in their individual events. Ohl was electrifying, splashing the water after seeing the time and clasping the hand of senior teammate James Mulvey to his right. Ohl, Mulvey and Dash D'Ambrosia swept the top three spots in the event for the Sailors. 'One-two-three is just incredible,' said Ohl, who also repeated as the boys' 100 free champion in 44.86 seconds. 'The fact that it's three water polo guys and not trained swimmers, it's even more incredible.' He added that he would be gunning for Cavic's county-record mark at next week's CIF Southern Section Division 1 championships. 'I never thought I'd ever be reaching levels like this,' Ohl said. 'It's unbelievable. … First it was breaking the Newport record, then it was breaking 20 [seconds] and now it's breaking this next record. It's just this progression of going faster and faster.' Newport Harbor's girls had lost by four points to Fountain Valley in a league dual meet, but won going away at league finals for their third straight crown. Senior Ariana Amoroso finished second in the 50 free and third in the backstroke to pace the Sailors. Amoroso is going to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, which announced in March that it would be cutting its swimming program, though the school's swimmers are scrambling to raise money to try to save it. 'I'm happy to end on a win senior year,' said Amoroso, adding that it was bittersweet that the CIF finals would likely be her final swim meet. 'I'm happy to see improvements in my times after recently switching club teams, too.' Caitlyn Stayt finished third in the 200 individual medley and fourth in the backstroke for the Sailors girls, who also got a pair of 'A' finals appearances by freshman Vivian Muir. Stayt is one of two seniors who came out for swimming after helping the Sailors make the CIF Southern Section Open Division title match in water polo, along with Harper Price. 'The senior leadership has been amazing,' Newport Harbor coach Kevin Potter said. 'They came back and just really stepped up. Harper swam the breaststroke. Last time she swam breaststroke was freshman year at league finals, and this year, we needed a breaststroker. She stepped in and scored huge points for us in that 'A' final.' The versatile Ton won the girls' 200 freestyle in 1:44.50 and backstroke in 53.68, each time a personal-best. She said she enjoyed the fact that her events were spaced apart, which allowed her to cheer for her teammates. 'There's still some things to work on, but I'm really excited heading into CIF,' said Ton, a CIF champion in the 200 freestyle last year. Her Barons senior teammate, USC-bound Kaitlyn Nguyen, won the 200 IM (1:59.76). Nguyen was second in the breaststroke to Corona del Mar sophomore Sofia Szymanowski (1:00.97), who placed second in the IM. 'I think Sofia's got a really good chance of winning [CIF] next week [in the breaststroke], and I think Kaitlyn can also win it,' said Fountain Valley coach Nathan Wilcox, who coaches both in club swimming for Irvine Novaquatics. 'It's just going to come down to who wants it more. … I definitely think those girls are both top three next week.' Fountain Valley's girls' 200 medley relay, featuring Ton, Nguyen, freshman Audrey Prall and senior Leyna Nguyen, also won in a meet-record time of 1:44.00. Among other top girls' swimmers, CdM senior Nikki Lahey became a three-time league champion in both the 50 free (23.42) and 100 free (50.38). 'It's really focusing on the little details and improving those next week,' said Lahey, bound for San Jose State. 'I feel like I'm in a pretty good place with my times right now.' Edison senior Gaby Kelly became a four-time league champion in the 500 free, winning it in a school record time of 4:52.27. Kelly never lost the race in a league meet during her entire high school career. 'I was really stoked about it,' said Kelly, who placed second in the 200 free. 'Especially with all of the new teams coming into the league, I was a little nervous, but I was really stoked with how I went. Being able to have that achievement is really nice.' On the boys' side, Fountain Valley's Vu claimed the 200 individual medley (1:48.77) and breaststroke (54.62). Newport Harbor senior Aidan Arie blasted to a school-record 48.28 in the butterfly, and also won the 500 free in 4:36.93. He celebrated wildly after winning the butterfly, as he said he earned a Summer Junior Nationals cut. Add Arie to the list of those incredulous at what Ohl is doing. 'At this point, if he told me he was going 18 [seconds], I'd believe him, the way he's dropping,' he said. 'It's crazy. It's not normal.' Edison's Holden Lee won the backstroke (49.88) and was third in the butterfly. Isaac Squires, a talented water polo player, helped Huntington Beach win the medley relay and also was an individual champion in the 200 free, touching in 1:42.91. 'If I can't beat them in water polo, it's nice to beat them here in swim,' Squires said. 'It's fun, because it's competitive, but it also helps because you get faster and you're always conditioned.' Most of the league's top swimmers will compete in the Division 1 meet, which will have preliminaries at 9 a.m. Thursday at Mt. San Antonio College and finals at noon on Saturday. Fountain Valley looks to excel. Ton is seeded first in the girls' 200 free, while Nguyen and Vu are seeded first in 200 IM for both genders. Vu is also seeded first in the boys' breaststroke, and Szymanowski and Nguyen earned the top two seeds in the girls' breaststroke. Ohl and Arie are seeded first in the boys' 50 free and butterfly, respectively, with Ohl seeded second in the 100 free. Lahey earned top-four seeds in each of her sprint freestyle events, and Kelly is seeded third in the girls' 500 free. Edison's Lee is seeded third in the boys' backstroke. Wilcox said he's looking for a top-three finish at CIF for Fountain Valley's girls, who finished fifth last year.
Los Angeles Times
03-04-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Corona del Mar boys' tennis still on top in the Sunset League
Meet the new (Sea) Kings, same as the old (Sea) Kings. The Corona del Mar High boys' tennis team lost its top two players, Niels Hoffmann and Jack Cross, to graduation. But a deep and talented lineup has squashed any doubts this season. CdM swept in singles and beat Marina 12-6 on Wednesday afternoon at its home courts, clinching at least a share of the Sunset League title with three matches remaining. The Sea Kings had dominated the four-team Surf League in recent years, splitting the league crown with Fountain Valley in 2021 before three straight undefeated league campaigns. Now, even with the move to the larger, seven-team Sunset League, CdM is still on top. Corona del Mar (11-2, 9-0 in league) has advanced to the CIF Southern Section Open Division title match in each of the last three years, falling to rival University every time. 'The goal is always to win a league title, and then to be in the Open Division playoffs,' CdM coach Jamie Gresh said. 'That's the goal every year, and I think we are playing Open-level tennis. We have good depth in doubles, and the singles guys are playing some good tennis right now as well.' CdM junior Ivan Pflueger and freshmen Henry Dennison and Blake Fraley easily swept in singles against Marina (9-3, 4-3), as the Vikings put each of their top four players in doubles. The CdM doubles teams of Mason Nguyen and Tristan Pham, Jack Barnes and Justin Pamer, as well as Roger Geng and Brody Jao, won one set each. Pflueger, who is 6-foot-6, has had to stand tall as the top returning singles player. 'Definitely a little more pressure, because I'm kind of expected to win now,' he said. 'Niels and Jack kind of carried it at singles the last couple of years. But yeah, I just have to deal with that and get my wins, do my best.' Pflueger added that the team camaraderie is good this year, echoing his coach that winning league and making a deep playoff run remains the goal. CdM had the match wrapped up early against Marina, allowing seniors Pham and Ansel Lee to skip the third round in preparation for Wednesday night's Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Awards dinner. Pham and Lee are two of CdM's valedictorians this year. Senior Trevor Nguyen and junior David Pham, who won the CIF Individuals doubles title last year, swept in doubles for Marina. Vikings coach Chuck Kingman said they played together for the first time this season, getting ready for what they hope is a deep run at the Ojai Tournament later this month. Last year, Nguyen and Pham lost in a tight three-set match in the Ojai semifinals. Junior Alejandro Hill and freshman DJ Buchfeller also swept in doubles for Marina, twice coming back from 4-1 deficits. The Vikings are getting toward full strength as the season enters the stretch run. Hill, a transfer from Servite, recently became eligible to compete. Buchfeller has missed time with a shoulder injury that forced him to serve underhand on Wednesday. 'CdM just has so much depth,' Kingman said. 'Good players and depth, which is a pretty tough combination to beat.' Hill will be playing in singles at the prestigious Ojai Tournament, which starts on April 24, for the VIkings. Pflueger will be playing singles for CdM, with Geng and Jao in doubles. Corona del Mar returns to Sunset League action after spring break on April 14, when it hosts rival Newport Harbor in the Battle of the Bay match. The Sea Kings beat the Sailors 16-2 in the teams' first league meeting. Marina traveled to Newport Harbor on Thursday for another league match.
Los Angeles Times
29-03-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Daily Pilot Girls' Water Polo Dream Team: Newport Harbor enjoyed gift of Gabby
Gabby Alexson came into every match for the Newport Harbor High girls' water polo team knowing the opponent would likely run a drop defense. The plan involved limiting the sophomore center in front of the cage, forcing her teammates to take outside shots. It's a strategy that Alexson could take as a compliment. She also took it as motivation. 'It almost gives me more drive to be able to go and beat that,' she said. 'I don't want them to break down my play.' Alexson had three Orange Lutheran players in the vicinity as she scored the biggest goal of the Sailors' season on Feb. 18. She still took the excellent entry pass from fellow sophomore Madison Mack, turned and scored, setting off a wild celebration at Orange Coast College. Newport Harbor had just dethroned the two-time defending CIF Southern Section Open Division champion in the semifinals, 12-11 in the second sudden-death overtime period, booking its own trip to the title match. Alexson, who shined for Newport Harbor all season at center, is the 2024-25 Daily Pilot Dream Team Player of the Year. The goal was symbolic of personal growth for Alexson, Sailors coach Ross Sinclair said. 'It was a big growing moment for her,' he said. 'Last year, I think she maybe would have tried to play for a call in that moment. In those moments, the refs want to see you finish.' Alexson, who stands 5-foot-9, turned into the primary center upon the graduation of Ryan Chalupnik, last year's Dream Team Player of the Year. She provided mentorship for freshman Caroline Daniel, another two-meter player with big-time potential. Alexson shared Sunset League MVP honors with teammate Emerson Mulvey and was a first-team All-CIF selection, also earning Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions all-tournament team accolades. The Sunset League champions finished third in Santa Barbara, a position they held for much of the season before dethroning Orange Lutheran and advancing to their first CIF final since 2022. Newport Harbor (26-6) lost to Oaks Christian in the Open Division title game but will return a deep team next year, as Sinclair regularly made six-for-six line changes. Last year, it was Alexson, Mack and Valery Verdugo as the three freshmen earning significant varsity minutes for the Sailors. This year, it was Daniel, Addison Ting and Campbell Pence. 'I think it's so cool that we have such young talent,' Alexson said. 'The three freshmen this year, I've been playing with them since I was 12, too. It's just really cool to have them all come together in high school.' Alexson will remain a player to watch. She's earned two USA Water Polo Junior Olympics titles with Newport, in the 12-and-under and 14U age groups, and hopes for another one this summer in 16U. She also has international experience, playing for the Cadet National Team at the Pan Am U19 Championships in El Salvador and the U16 World Championships in Turkey last year. At the Newport Harbor banquet this year, Sinclair introduced her as one of the best centers in the country, easily in high school. The praise makes Alexson smile. She knows she'll put in the work to back them up. 'I feel like a lot of my hard work has been paying off,' she said. 'I just don't want to hit a peak. I want to keep on going up … If Ross thinks that I'm elite, then I have to keep on training like that.' Here's a look at the coach of the year, first-team and second-team honorees on this year's Dream Team. Katie Teets Laguna Beach Teets, in her second season in charge of the Breakers, guided a team with three senior captains but relatively little varsity experience behind that. Laguna Beach (20-12) started the season 0-6, but gained momentum toward the end and made a run that culminated in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 title, the program's eighth CIF championship. The 10-9 win over San Clemente was Laguna Beach's third sudden-death victory of the season, and Teets earned CIF Coach of the Year accolades. Reagan Weir 2M | Corona del Mar | Sr. A four-year varsity player for the Sea Kings, the Stanford-bound Weir remained a force as a senior while serving as a valuable mentor to CdM freshmen centers Camryn Spruill and Keira Bethell. Weir scored a team-best 103 goals for CdM (19-11), helping the team finish runner-up in the Sunset League and advance to the Open Division playoffs. A first-team all-league and all-CIF selection, she also drew 56 exclusions. Harper Price UTIL | Newport Harbor| Sr. Sinclair referred to Price as the Sailors' iron woman and blue-collar worker, helping out in multiple areas and especially as a standout defender. Price, bound for UC Berkeley, is a repeat first-team Dream Team selection and was a first-team All-Sunset League pick. Presley Jones ATT | Laguna Beach | Sr. Always one of the smartest players in the pool, Jones has earned multiple USA Water Polo Junior Olympics titles but capped her high school career with her first CIF championship. The Pacific Coast League MVP and Division 1 Player of the Year put away the winning penalty shot, drawn by senior teammate Kara Carver, in the CIF final. Jones, bound for UCLA, tallied 72 goals and team-best totals of 61 assists and 70 steals. Maya Tovar ATT| Huntington Beach | Jr. Tovar returned from a year away from high school water polo to excel as a junior for first-year head coach Kelly Doherty. One of the Oilers' leaders on offense, she performed well in high-pressure situations, helping Huntington Beach (12-14) finish third in the rugged Sunset League and advance to the Division 1 playoffs. Maya Tovar, whose younger sister Leila was a freshman on the team, was a first-team all-league selection. Gaby Kelly ATT | Edison | Sr. First-year head coach Eric Perales didn't know if Kelly would return to the team this year, as she spent the early part of the season overseas. But she came back and was a key player again for the Chargers. Kelly, bound for UC Santa Barbara for swimming, helped Edison (15-15) finish fourth in the Sunset League and advance to the second round of the Division 2 playoffs. She was a first-team All-CIF selection. Didi Evans ATT | Corona del Mar | Sr. The left-handed attacker was a four-year varsity player who will be missed at CdM. Bound for Princeton, she was second on the team with 76 goals and led the squad with 88 assists. She was a first-team All-Sunset League selection and ended her sparkling career as a two-time CIF Southern Section Division 1 champion, starting for both teams as a freshman and junior, respectively. Kara Carver ATT | Laguna Beach| Sr. Carver missed much of December due to sickness, but was undoubtedly a key piece as the Breakers came together at the end of the season, joining older sisters Rachael and Hannah in bringing the program a CIF title. Despite missing that time, Kara, a dynamic player bound for USC, finished with a team-best 73 goals along with 29 assists and 57 steals. A repeat first-team Dream Team selection, she was also first-team All-CIF. Emerson Mulvey UTIL| Newport Harbor| Soph. A transfer from Mater Dei, Mulvey quickly turned into a leader inside and out of the water for the Sailors. A hard worker and vocal in practice, she was an all-tournament team selection at the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions and shared the Sunset League MVP award with Alexson. Mulvey also earned first-team All-CIF accolades. Lydia Soderberg GK | Newport Harbor| Sr. The Sailors saw Soderberg become a more consistent standout in her second year starting between the pipes, becoming more explosive and getting off her line quicker. She also showed the ability to block her fair share of penalty shots. Soderberg, bound for UC Santa Barbara, was a second-team All-Sunset League selection. Position, Name, School, Year GK Gabby MacAfee, Corona del Mar, Sr. ATT Kaila Wesley, Fountain Valley, Sr. DEF Madison Emerson, Edison, Sr. ATT Valery Verdugo, Newport Harbor, Soph. UTIL Lily Franzese, Huntington Beach, Jr. UTIL Gaby Zifcak, Ocean View, Jr. 2M Sophia Winters, Costa Mesa, Sr. ATT Brooke Shumard, Marina, Soph. GK Siena Jumani, Laguna Beach, Sr.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
JSerra defeats Loyola to capture Open Division boys' soccer championship
Something had to give when JSerra and Loyola met for the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys' soccer championship Friday night at Fred Kelly Stadium on the campus of El Modena High. Both teams entered unbeaten, having given up just 10 each all season, so one goal figured to be enough to win. It was, although JSerra added an insurance goal late to prevail 2-0 and capture its third section title and second in the last three years. The seventh-seeded Cubs played their San Juan Capistrano rivals even through the first 40 minutes. JSerra began pressing early after intermission. A mixup in the back line allowed top scorer Gavin Allegaert to slip behind the defense in the penalty area and send a strike into the upper left corner of the goal with 20:53 remaining. 'It was a long ball over my head and the center back's head and it bounced out in front of me, there was miscommunication between the keeper and center back and I buried it top corner,' the UC San Diego-bound forward said of his 20th goal of the season. 'In these kinds of games scoring first is huge… whoever gets the first goal usually wins.' The goal seemed to deflate the seventh-seeded Cubs (20-1-4), who were seeking their fifth CIF title and first since 2016. Loyola, ranked third in the state, had its best chance when Josh Gallagher stole the ball deep in Lions territory, whirled and fired just wide of the post in the 22nd minute. JSerra doubled its lead when Michigan commit Jake Tatch broke free along the left sideline, crossed to Finn Wilkins, and the freshman headed it in from seven yards out with 10:38 left. 'Jake played a great ball, I saw it coming and just had to attack,' Wilkins said. Allegaert nearly made it 3-0 as the clock ticked under four minutes, but Christopher Stillwell made a diving, one-handed save. Senior goalkeeper Liam Johnson made five saves to post his eighth shutout, the best being a punch over the bar in the final 10 minutes for the Trinity League champions (17-0-1), who defeated Sunny Hills by an identical score to win the Southern Section Division 1 crown in 2023 before going on to capture the regional crown and finish No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps. Coach Erik Kirsch's squad hopes to write a similar ending this season. 'We were expecting a very similar style to Mater Dei.' Johnson said. 'My defense does all the work. Most games I don't have to do much but I'm there when they need me.' 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.
