Youth Scene: Killer Whales rule over Dolphins

The Newport Hills Killer Whales defeated the Harbor View Dolhins, 740-578, in a South Coast Swim Conference meet June 19.

It’s called, “The Battle of the Greenbelt,” and has a long-term history of pitting neighbors, classmates, friends and even teammates from other sports against each other in a swim meet that traditionally has provided intense rivalries in the pool and great smiles and pats on the back after the races.

Newport Hills was led by its 13-14 boys’ group, who not only swam to first-place finishes in all five individual stroke events, but also won the medley relay and freestyle relay events.

Bianca Bays in the girls’ under-6 and Henry Wilde in the 9-10 boys were both three-time winners in individual stroke events for the Killer Whales. Bays was victorious in the 25-yard freestyle, the 25 breaststroke and 25 butterfly, while Wilde touched first in the 50 free, 50 fly and 100 individual medley.

Eleven Newport Hills swimmers were two-time winners in individual stroke events. Ryan McManigal (25 breaststroke and 25 Butterfly) in the under-6 boys, Jake Bays (25 free and 25 fly) and Speedy Laster (25 backstroke and 50 free) in the 7-8 boys, Chloe Harbilas (50 back and 100 IM) in the 9-10 girls, Morgan Cortens (50 breaststroke and 50 back) in the 9-10 boys, Natalie Wilde (50 back and 100 IM) in the 11-12 girls, Taylor Cortens (50 breaststroke and 100 IM) in the 11-12 boys, Ian Givant (50 free and 100 IM) in the 13-14 boys, Hollace Barden (50 free and 50 fly) and Sarah Furgatch (50 breaststroke and 100 IM) in the 15-18 girls and Christian Garkani (50 fly and 50 back) in the 15-18 boys.

In addition to winning her two events, Furgatch also set two new team and pool records. In the 50 breastroke, her time of 32.72 beat the previous record of 33.17 which had been set by Erin Redfern July of 1989, and her 100 IM winning time of 1:02.87 beat the previous team record of 1:03.43 set by current Newport Hills age-group coach Mary Flynn in July 2007. The 1:03.65 time of second-place finisher Harbor View swimmer Pippa Saunders also broke the old pool record of 1.04.57, also set by Flynn.

In winning the 9-10 girls 50 breaststroke with a time of 36.62, Lauren Openshaw eclipsed the team and pool record she had set two weeks earlier of 37.03, the previous record of 38.22 had been set by Dimitra Havriluk in August of 1993.

Both Jennifer Alvarado (25 free, 25 fly and 50 free) in the 7-8 girls and Jules Pouch (50 free, 50 breaststroke and 100IM) in the 13-14 girls were three-time individual stroke winners for the Dolphins. Alvarado set a new 7-8 girls 25 free pool record of 14.84, besting the old record of 14.87.

Siena Secrist (50 free and 25 fly) in the 9-10 girls, Eliza Britt (50 freestyle and 50 breaststroke) in the 11-12 girls and Matt Berry (50 freestyle and 100 IM) in the 15-18 boys were all two-time individual stroke winners for Harbor View.

In the relays, there were five new pool records established. The Newport Hills foursome of Madison Strassmann, Lauren Openshaw, Chloe Harbilas and Erika Anderson set a new pool and team record of 1:04.22 in the 9-10 girls 100 medley relay. Dolphins swimmers Mikey Ruiz, Luke Chelf, Alexander Taxman and Mitchell Cooper put in a new pool mark of 1:03.46 in the 9-10 boys medley relay, while Killer Whales Cassidy Papa, Sarah Furgatch, Hollace Barden and Devon Greenlee broke the old pool record of 2:00.89 with a new team and pool record of 1:57.12 in the 15-18 girls’ medley relay.

The 15-18 Newport Hills boys set two new relay records. In the medley relay, Christian Garkani, Anthony Daboub, Blake Motal and Blake Terry broke the old pool record of 1:45.28 set in June of 2005 by Anthony Maralle, Tom Randall, Saul Fields and Dean Pospisil with a new pool and team record time of 1:44.12. While in their winning freestyle relay, Killer Whales Justin Papa, Blake Motal, Willie Reese and Blake Terry broke the old pool record time of 1:34.84 set in June of 1993 by Harbor View with a new record time of 1:33.58.

Even though they finished in second place, medley relay Harbor View 15-18 boys swimmers Ari Marks, Isle Anderson, James Krolopp and Matt Berry as well as Dolphin freestyle relay 15-18 boys swimmers Marks, Bruce Bearer, Nick Treadway and Hayden Leach also swam times that erased the old pool records.

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Newport Beach All-Stars open with big victory

In the District 55 Little League All-Stars Tournament, Newport Beach Majors National defeated Northwood, 7-4, on Sunday at Chapporosa Park in Laguna Nigel.

Newport struck first with an RBI single by Jack Trush, scoring Gaston Buchereau.

Later in the inning, Jonathan White drove in two with a hard shot to right field. Buchereau on the mound held Norwood scoreless through two innings followed by Ryan Stone in relief. Newport extended its lead with two additional scores in the top of the third on a two-run homer by Jack Van Dalsem, driving in Stephen Menzia. Northwood came back in the bottom of the third with a three-run homer to cut the lead to 5-3. In the fourth, Newport added two more with an RBI groundout and a fielder’s choice bringing in White and Jason Neiger. Trush came in to close out the game with two scoreless innings.

Newport plays today at 7 p.m. at Chapparosa Park.

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Harbor View solid

The Harbor View Swim Team Dolphins finished third at the South Coast Swim Conference Relay Finals.

The Dolphins took home first-place trophies in the 5-6 boys’ age group, the 5-6 girls’ age group and the 9-10 boys’ age group. In addition, the Dolphins’ 15 -18 boys’ age group was one of two teams that broke the league record in the medley relay.

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Big splash by little Sharks in wrestling

Corona del Mar High received strong hope for the future from a youth wrestling program recently.

Brainchild of the CdM Wrestling Boosters, the Little Sharks program just completed its second series. About 14 boys from grades fourth through seventh signed up.

CdM Coach Gary Almquist has been impressed with the program.

“By the time these boys are eligible to compete for CdM in the ninth grade, they will already have 3-5 years of experience,” he said. “We won’t have to start from square one in the ninth grade”.

Coaching the Little Sharks program are Mitch Wexler and Ric Camarillo, two local fathers and former wrestlers who remain passionate about the sport.

The program culminated with an award ceremony where each boy received a T-shirt and a “Certificate of Toughness.”

For more information on the Little Sharks program, including how to sign up for the summer (starting July 10) and fall programs, email coronadelmarwrestling@gmail.com.

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