Hayes Leads So Cal to Third-Place Victory

Brittany Hayes, The Times’ girls’ water polo player of the year this spring from Santa Ana Foothill High, had five goals Thursday to lead the Tustin-based So Cal under-20 women’s club team to a 9-2 victory over Navy in the third-place game of the Junior Nationals at Indiana University.

San Diego Shores defeated Stanford, 12-5, for the championship.

Foothill teammate Jillian Kraus scored a goal for So Cal, along with Katherine Belden, a graduate of Newport Harbor, and Vicki Brown and Katie Card, graduates of Foothill.

With the victory, So Cal gains an automatic bid to next year’s tournament.