Peninsula Smashes Record for Postseason Girls’ Golf

Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula, The Times’ No. 2-ranked girls’ golf team, broke the Southern Section postseason scoring record by 35 shots with a 377 and won the Central Divisional girls’ golf championship Monday at Yucaipa Valley Golf Club. The section has counted five-player team scores for the last three years.

Sixth-ranked Alhambra Keppel shot 389 and finished second, No. 5 Santa Margarita was third with 422 and No. 8 Saugus was fourth with 444. The top four teams advance to the section final Thursday at Indian Hills Golf Club in Riverside.

Seventh-ranked San Clemente shot 406 and won the Southern Divisional by two shots over No. 4 Huntington Beach Marina at El Prado Golf Course in Chino. Jennifer Osborn and Jane Chin each shot 71 to lead Marina. Anaheim Esperanza shot 429 and Irvine University shot 435 to earn berths in the section finals.

No. 10 Cerritos shot 417 and won the Eastern Divisional by 11 shots over No. 3 Palm Desert at Seven Hills Golf Club in Hemet. Torrance shot 441 and Paloma Valley shot 448 to advance to the section finals.

-- Peter Yoon

North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake will aim for its first Southern Section Division I title when the boys’ water polo playoffs begin this week.

The Wolverines were seeded No. 1 in the division when the pairings were announced Monday. Harvard-Westlake features a talented young team coached by one of the section’s best, Richard Corso, a former U.S. Olympic men’s coach who has guided the Wolverines to the Division I title game in 1992, 1998 and 2001.

“He has the hunger factor,” said Lake Forest El Toro Coach Don Stoll, whose team beat Corso’s for the 1992 title. “Corso is driven this season to make sure it’s his year.”

Harvard-Westlake is scheduled to play host to Long Beach Poly when the first round begins Thursday. Long Beach Wilson, the two-time defending champion and winner of six of the last seven Division I titles, is seeded No. 2, Santa Ana Foothill is No. 3 and El Toro is No. 4.

-- Dan Arritt

Bay League representatives got top billing for the Southern Section Division I girls’ tennis playoffs that begin Thursday.

Unbeaten Peninsula (19-0), the Bay champion, earned the No. 1 seeding and second-place Beverly Hills (12-2), which suffered its only losses against the Panthers, was seeded No. 2.

Peninsula, which has a first-round bye, is seeking its 11th section title in 13 seasons.

-- Lauren Peterson

Long Beach Wilson (22-5), ranked No. 4 by The Times, was seeded No. 1 and drew a first-round bye in the Southern Section Division I-AA girls’ volleyball playoffs. The Bruins play Thursday against the winner of tonight’s opener involving Arcadia (16-3) and Rialto (12-4).

Los Alamitos (21-8), which finished in a three-way tie with Huntington Beach Edison and Esperanza for first place in the Sunset League, is seeded No. 2 and also received a bye. Los Alamitos, Edison and Esperanza share the No. 7 ranking.

Sixth-ranked Long Beach Poly (25-3), which finished second behind Wilson in the Moore League, was seeded No. 3. Esperanza (26-2) was seeded No. 4 but plays a first-round match tonight at home against Diamond Bar (19-6).

Paul McLeod

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THE TIMES’

RANKINGS

*--* GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL

*--*

Los Angeles Marymount finished atop the regular-season rankings and is among the five Southland schools to receive the No. 1 seeding in its division for the Southern Section playoffs. Also seeded No. 1 are Santa Ana Mater Dei, Manhattan Beach Mira Costa, Long Beach Wilson and Irvine Northwood, which won the first league title in school history. Long Beach Wilson, Los Alamitos, Long Beach Poly, Mater Dei and Marymount received first-round byes. Northwood has a first-round match Thursday. Huntington Beach Edison, Newport Harbor, Mira Costa and Anaheim Esperanza begin the playoffs with first-round home matches tonight.

Rk. School (Rec., Div.) Last Week

1. Marymount (28-1, SS-Div. IV-AA)...1

2. Mater Dei (28-3, SS-Div. II-A)...2

3. Mira Costa (26-3, SS-Div. II-AA)...3

4. L.B. Wilson (22-5, SS-Div. I-AA)...4

5. Nwprt Harbor (20-5, SS-Div. II-AA)...5

6. L.B. Poly (25-3, SS-Div. I-AA)...6

7t. Edison (19-3, SS-Div. II-AA)...9

7t. Esperanza (26-2, SS-Div. I-AA)...7

7t. Los Alamitos (21-8, SS-Div. I-AA)...8

10. Northwood (19-4, SS-Div. III-AA)...NR

-- Paul McLeod

*--* BOYS’ CROSS-COUNTRY

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There are no new teams in the top 10 this week, but there are a few changes in the final regular-season order. Dana Point Dana Hills moves from eighth to fifth after winning the South Coast League finals Thursday. Dana Hills has had its share of injuries, but the Dolphins still have managed to get better as the season has progressed. Chino Don Lugo, 12th in Harrier magazine’s national rankings, posted a superb team time of 77:22 to win the Mt. Baldy League finals at Mt. San Antonio College on Wednesday.

Rk. School (Sec., Div.) Last Week

1. Don Lugo (SS-Div. I)...1

2. Royal (SS-Div. I)...2

3. Murrieta Valley (SS-Div. I)...3

4. Upland (SS-Div. I)...4

5. Dana Hills (SS-Div. I)...8

6. Rancho Cucamonga (SS-Div. I)...5

7. C.C. Canyon (SS-Div. I)...6

8. St. John Bosco (SS-Div. II)...7

9. Crescenta Valley (SS-Div. I)...10

10. West Covina (SS-Div. I)...9

-- John Ortega

*--* GIRLS’ CROSS-COUNTRY

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Dana Point Dana Hills and Thousand Oaks, two traditionally strong programs, are additions to the final regular-season top 10 after winning their league finals Thursday. Dana Hills had six of the top 10 finishers -- and a 35-second gap between its Nos. 1 and 5 runners -- in the South Coast League finals. Thousand Oaks beat Simi Valley Royal, 37-40, in the Marmonte League finals. Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula won its 13th consecutive league title with a 36-40 victory over West Torrance in the Bay League finals Thursday.

Rk. School (Sec., Div.) Last Week

1. Murrieta Valley (SS-Div. I)...1

2. Sultana (SS-Div. II)...2

3. Esperanza (SS-Div. I)...3

4. Ventura (SS-Div. II)...5

5. Dana Hills (SS-Div. I)...NR

6. C.C. Canyon (SS-Div. I)...4

7. Ayala (SS-Div. I)...10

8. Peninsula (SS-Div. I)...7

9. Thousand Oaks (SS-Div. I)...NR

10. West Torrance (SS-Div. II)...8

-- John Ortega

*--* GIRLS’ TENNIS

*--*

Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula, which posted a victory over West Torrance, finishes at No. 1 in the regular-season rankings. The Panthers, North Hollywood Campbell Hall and Santa Ana Mater Dei will put unbeaten records on the line during the playoffs. Crescenta Valley, a newcomer to the rankings, has won 15 consecutive matches since a loss on points to West Hills Chaminade. Beverly Hills’ only losses have come against Bay League rival Peninsula. The Normans got a measure of redemption, however, when UCLA-bound Riza Zalameda won the singles title and Tessa Tran and Tova Hausman won the doubles title, all against Peninsula players, in the Bay League finals.

Rk. School (Rec., Div.) Last Week

1. Peninsula (19-0, SS-Div. I)...1

2. Campbell Hall (16-0, SS-Div. III)...2

3. Laguna Beach (17-1, SS-Div. I)...3

4. Calabasas (16-1, SS-Div. I)...4

5. Corona del Mar (11-4, SS-Div. I)...5

6. Beverly Hills (12-2, SS-Div. I)...6

7. Dana Hills (15-3, SS-Div. I)...7

8. Mater Dei (16-0, SS-Div. I)...8

9. Santa Barbara (14-2, SS-Div. II)...9

10. Crescenta Vly (17-1, SS-Div. II)...NR

-- Lauren Peterson

*--* BOYS’ WATER POLO

*--*

North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake and Anaheim Servite capped off their regular seasons with a nonleague game Wednesday and host Harvard-Westlake came away with a 9-8 victory. Both teams begin the Southern Section playoffs this week as the top-seeded teams in their respective divisions. Lake Forest El Toro defeated San Clemente, 9-7, on Wednesday to win the South Coast League title for the fifth consecutive season. The Chargers capped off their regular season with a 7-6 victory over Los Alamitos.

Rk. School (Rec., Div.) Last Week

1. Hrvrd-Westlake (23-2, SS-Div. I)...2

2. Servite (23-2, SS-Div. II)...1

3. L.B. Wilson (23-4, SS-Div. I)...3

4. El Toro (21-6, SS-Div. I)...5

5. Newport Harbor (16-10, SS-Div. I)...4

6. Foothill (19-8, SS-Div. I)...6

7. Damien (27-2, SS-Div. V)...8

8. San Clemente (13-11, SS-Div. I)...7

9. Los Alamitos (18-9, SS-Div. II)...9

10. Ayala (22-7, SS-Div. V)...NR

-- Dan Arritt