Sports Briefs: La Cañada High singles player advances to tennis individual playoffs
McKenzie back in CIF Tournament
La Cañada High junior girls’ tennis player Sophie McKenzie will participate in the CIF Individual Tournament on Monday at 8:30 a.m. at Whittier Narrows Tennis Center in South El Monte.
McKenzie, who won the Rio Hondo League singles championship for the first time Nov. 2, will make her third straight appearance in the event. She reached the third round last season as an individual after teaming with sister Cassie to reach the semifinals in the doubles tournament in 2015.
McKenzie enters with a 30-3 record.
The round-of-32 matches will take place Nov. 28, followed by the round-of-16 and quarterfinals Nov. 29. The semifinals and finals will be held Nov. 30.
Local teams head to cross-country finals
Team and individual championships will be up for grabs for the La Cañada High, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy and Flintridge Prep cross-country programs at Saturday’s morning’s CIF Southern Section championships at the Riverside Cross Country course.
The Prep League runner-up Flintridge Prep girls get going first at the Division V finals at 7:45 a.m. as the defending champions will look to win their fifth straight crown and sixth in school history.
At 8:25, the Prep League champion Flintridge Prep boys will look for their third title in five years and fifth in program history. Senior Evan Pattinelli will also attempt to defend his individual Division V title.
Up one division, the Mission League champion Flintridge Sacred Heart and Rio Hondo League titlist La Cañada girls will compete in the Division IV championship at 9:45 a.m. La Cañada finished eighth last season and just missed the cut to the state finals, while the Tologs missed the postseason entirely in 2016.
The La Cañada boys, who finished second in the Rio Hondo League, will close out the local efforts at 10:45 a.m. The Spartans finished 21st last season in their first finals appearance since 2009.
To advance to the finals, a team must finish in the top seven or an individual will have to post a top-five effort through the first 20 spots not secured by an athlete from a qualifying team.
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