No. 1 Esperanza Girls Win Sunset Cross-Country Title

Esperanza, the top-ranked girls’ cross-country team in Orange County, clinched the Sunset League championship by winning convincingly at the league finals Saturday at Central Park in Huntington Beach.

Senior Pam Smith won the three-mile race in 18 minutes 17 seconds for the Aztecs, whose five scoring runners finished in the top six. Nicole Distefano (18:32) finished second and Lisa Massoth (18:57) third for Esperanza, which won with 17 points.

Katharine Mais came in fourth in 19:11 for Los Alamitos, which finished second with 52 points.

In the Sunset League boys’ cross-country finals:

Edison wins--Edison’s Andy Knutsen (15:41) and Scott Brandos (15:57) finished second and fifth to help the Chargers win with 37 points.

Esperanza junior Ryan Bousquet won the three-mile race at Central Park in 15:26, but the Aztecs finished third in the meet with 50 points.

Christopher Mais (15:52) and Kevin Reynolds (15:53) finished second and third to help Los Alamitos to second place with 47 points.

At the Cal State Invitational boys’ water polo tournament:

Foothill finishes ninth--After Foothill lost its first-round game Friday, the Knights won three consecutive games to finish ninth. Eitan Goldstein scored eight goals in two victories Saturday, including five in an 11-10 victory over Clovis in the ninth-place game.

In nonleague water polo:

Pacifica 23, Downey Warren 16--Steve Rodermund scored 12 goals for visiting Pacifica (9-6).

In Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions girls’ volleyball:

Laguna Beach takes seventh--After falling, 15-9, 15-1, 15-11 to Bakersfield Centennial, the Artists defeated Bakersfield Stockdale, 5-15, 15-13, 15-9, 9-15, 15-11. Laguna Beach (11-5) was led by Kristin Gunderson, who had 20 kills. Kellie Cramm and Maggie Mallarain each had 13.