Briefs: Knapp advances at Pub Links

Jake Knapp, who recently graduated from Estancia High, advanced to Thursday’s round of 32 at the 87th U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at Soldier Hollow Golf Course in Midway, Utah.

Knapp, bound for UCLA, beat Dan Horner of Sandy, Utah, 3 and 2. Knapp will take on Bryson Dechambeau of Clovis, Calif. Thursday morning.

The winner will advance to the round of 16 at 1:20 p.m.

Dechambeau won the CIF/SCGA Southern California championship at Brookside Golf Club and finished ninth in the state championship at San Gabriel Country Club last month.

Knapp qualified for match play after making the cut from his first two rounds of stroke play Monday at Tuesday. He was among 10 who tied for 55th and were among the 64 who qualified for match play at the USGA event.

Knapp shot for four-over-par 146 (74-72). James Erkenbeck of San Diego was medalist at seven-under 135 (68-67) on Tuesday.

— From staff reports

*

Locals led Balboa to silver at Junior Nationals

Kevin Rakestraw, Kent Kawaguchi and Joey Martino helped the Balboa Bay Volleyball Club under-16 boys’ team win the open division title at the Junior Nationals last year.

The local trio tried to lead Balboa Bay to the Junior Nationals crown on Sunday, albeit in a different age division. The three earned the second-best prize for the Balboa Bay 17 Hurley team: the silver medal.

Southern California Volleyball Club Quiksilver beat Balboa Bay, 25-20, 23-25, 21-19, in the open division championship in Dallas.

Balboa Bay tried to become the first team during the four-day tournament to knock off Southern California, but Southern California went a perfect 11-0. The best Balboa Bay could do was force a decisive third set in the best-of-three finale.

Steve Astor, the Newport Harbor High boys’ volleyball coach, guided Balboa Bay to an 8-3 record during the tournament. The team featured four local standouts, Rakestraw, a middle blocker from Newport Harbor, Kawaguchi, a setter from Sage Hill, and Martino, an outside hitter from Corona del Mar, and Nic Sargeant, an outside hitter and libero from Newport Harbor.

Other players on the team included Jake Arntiz, Brad Hankus, James Koci, Chad McCallister, Conner McEuen, Tucker Pikula, Steve Roach, Jimmy Webb and Jason Wilahan.

The Balboa Bay 16 Hurley team placed second in its respective open division.

Balboa Bay faced Ka Ulukoa Mizuno in the title match, which the team from Hawaii swept, 25-18, 26-24. The two teams only met once during the tournament as Ka Ulukoa finished 11-0 and Balboa Bay 10-1.

Rich Polk coached the Balboa Bay team, which included Noah Blanton, Tommy Casey, Jakob Hexberg, Lucas Lamont, Eric Matheis, Benjamin Oxnard, Ryan Ptak, Kyle Radechi, Brenden Sander, Ryan Schickling, Cameron White, David Whitney, Colin Wilbur and Reed Wilson.

The Balboa Bay 15 Hurley team placed sixth in its open division tournament.

— From staff reports