Sailors capture crown

The Newport Harbor High tennis program won the inaugural World Team Tennis Pacific Challenge high school tournament Saturday at The Tennis Club Newport Beach, beating Sage Hill, 37-21, in the final.

In high school WTT competition each match consists of eight no-ad sets, starting with one set each of boys’ and girls’ doubles, going to two boys’ and girls’ singles sets and finishing with two mixed doubles sets. Total number of games won determines who advances.

Newport Harbor also beat Mater Dei and Tesoro to make the final. Once there, the Sailors took a three-game lead after doubles thanks to a 5-1 girls’ doubles victory by Blake Bakkila and Ricki Archie. Newport also won both girls’ singles sets, as Bakkila and Natalie Cernius each won, building on a 19-10 lead. Sage’s Andrew Kurzweil edged Jason Cernius, 5-4, in boys’ singles, but Newport’s Troy Arnold won 5-0 at No. 2 boys’ singles to give the Sailors an insurmountable lead.

Sage Hill’s mixed doubles team of Kurzweil and Katie Bick, along with Newport’s mixed doubles team of Greg Brostek and Mindy Wheeler, each won a set. Sage Hill’s boys’ doubles team of Kurzweil and Kevin Marshack also won its set.

Newport Harbor gets to keep the perpetual trophy for one year.

“I’m proud of my squad, [it] stayed strong all day long,” Newport Harbor Coach Kristen Case said. “I absolutely loved the format. It’s a good confidence-booster for our girls, especially, headed into the season.”

— Matt Szabo

Belden collects gold

Newport Harbor High product Anne Belden helped the United States women’s national water polo team defeat Australia, 6-3, Saturday, to claim the gold medal in the FINA World Cup in Christchurch, New Zealand.

It was the first World Cup title for the Americans since 1979.

Belden, who played collegiately at UCLA, scored seven goals in five games.

— From staff reports

UCI’s de Seriere lauded

UC Irvine senior goalkeeper Danielle de Seriere was named Big West Conference Defensive Player of the Week in women’s soccer Monday.

The veteran standout had four saves and added an assist on the game-winning goal in a 2-1 nonconference win over Idaho in the season opener Friday at UCI.

She made eight saves in a 2-2 tie at Cal Sunday in a game that featured two overtimes.

UCI, one of three unbeaten teams in the Big West after the first weekend of action, returns to action Sunday, when it plays host to Seattle at 1 p.m.

— From staff reports

Zur claims victory

Newport Beach resident Krisztina Zur and partner Carrie Johnson won the kayak pairs 500-meter B Final Sunday at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Poznan, Poland.

Zur and Johnson finished 2.3 seconds ahead of the runners-up from Spain.

Zur, the wife of Olympian Rami Zur, also finished fifth in the 200-meter individual kayak B Final, the consolation final..

— From staff reports