Laguna opens with easy win

Laguna Beach proved worthy of its No. 2 seed in the CIF Southern Section Division 4 boys’ tennis playoffs Wednesday by rolling to a first-round victory.

The Orange Coast League champion Breakers had little problem with Orcutt Academy of Santa Maria, as they defeated the visiting Spartans, 17-1. The win moves Laguna into a second-round match at 3 p.m. Friday at Lynwood, the No. 2 team from the San Gabriel Valley League.

The Knights defeated host Elsinore (Sunbelt No. 2) in a first-round match Wednesday.

The Division 4 quarterfinals are at 3 p.m. Tuesday.

Jake Michaels and Teague Hamilton only lost one game in their three sets at No. 1 and 2 singles. Michaels won by scores of 6-0, 6-1, 6-0, Hamilton by 6-0, 6-0, 6-1 margins. Junior Austin Loomis also swept at No. 3 singles, winning, 6-3, 6-1, 6-2.

In doubles play, Laguna’s top team and Orange Coast League champions Hutton McKenna and Morgan Lebby shut out their opponents (6-0, 6-0, 6-0). Taylor Davidson and Nick Le, playing No. 3 doubles, also won their sets by shutout.

At No. 2 doubles, Owen Weber and Will Reeves won two of three sets, 6-1, 6-0, 4-6.

Prior to the start of the CIF playoffs, the Breakers dominated last week’s Orange Coast League Boys’ Tennis Championships tournament on the Laguna courts. In the singles final on May 12, top-seed Michaels defeated Hamilton, the No. 3-seed, 6-3, 6-1. The doubles title went to top-seeds McKenna/Lebby who beat Davidson/Le, the No. 2-seed, 6-1, 6-2.

*

Boys’ Volleyball

Orange Coast League champion Laguna, the No. 2-seed in the Division 2 playoffs, began postseason play Thursday against Arroyo Grande (PAC League No. 3) in a second-round match. The score wasn’t available at press time.

A win by Laguna would send the Breakers to a 7 p.m. quarterfinal match against the winner of another Thursday second-round contest between El Toro (Sea View No. 2) and Irvine (Pacific Coast No. 2).

The Division 4 semifinals are Tuesday. The division final is May 21 at Cypress College.

Laguna is in the CIF playoffs for the 38th consecutive year.

*

Track and Field

The Laguna girls’ team finished first and the Breakers’ boys’ team was third at the Orange Coast League Track & Field Championships on May 5 at Estancia High.

Laguna scored 141.2 points and edged Godinez, which was second at 134.4 points. Costa Mesa (76) was third, Estancia (57) fourth, Saddleback (43) fifth and Calvary Chapel (7.4) finished sixth.

In the boys’ standings, Godinez (183.333) won the title, Saddleback (99) was second, Laguna (90.6666) third, Calvary Chapel (56) fourth, Costa Mesa (50) fifth and Estancia (4) was sixth.

The Laguna girls dominated the 1,600 meter run by taking the top five spots and seven of the top 10. Junior Natasha Strickland finished first at 5 minutes, 24.03 seconds. Freshman Brielle Budroe (5:36.80) was second, junior Marisa Merchant (5:42.25) third, sophomore Grace Clark (5:42.95) fourth and freshman Kayla Baskevitch (5:45.20) was fifth. Freshmen Anya Miller (5:49.55) and Eliza Romero (5:49.62) were ninth and 10th, respectively.

Strickland also won an individual league title in the girls’ 3,200 meter run, finishing first at 11:37.68. Clark was second at 12:30.65.

Winning individual league titles for the Breakers were junior Ricky Delatorre, who took the boys’ shot put at 44 feet 7, and senior Christianne Kinder, who won the girls’ high jump (4-10).

*

Swimming

Both the Laguna boys’ and girls’ teams won league titles at the Orange Coast League Swimming Championships on May 5 at the Costa Mesa High pool.

Laguna’s boys took first place with 433 points to easily outdistance runner-up Costa Mesa, which was second with 233 points. Godinez (188) was third, Estancia (181) fourth, Saddleback (116) fifth and Calvary Chapel (103) was sixth.

The Laguna girls took the crown with 404 points. Costa Mesa (309) was second, Godinez (230) third, Estancia (173) fourth, Saddleback (48) fifth and Calvary Chapel (39) was sixth.

Winning individual and relay championships for the Breakers were: the girls’ 200-yard medley relay (Jessie Holechek, Lila Vera, Yoshi Andersen, Melena Masson, 1:59.12); boys’ 200-yard medley relay (Nolan McConnell, Tommy Renner, Billy Wild, Erik Henrikson, 1:44.26); Taylor Capobianco (girls’ 200 free, 2:01.55, and 100 free, 56.41)); Spencer Dodson (boys’ 200 free, 1:50.08, and boys’ 100 backstroke, 1:04.96); Billy Wild (boys’ 200 individual medley, 2:06.33, and boys’ 100 butterfly, 54.07); Nile Koegel (boys’ 50 free, 22.64, and 100 free, 49.74); Lila Vera (girls’ 100 butterfly, 57.27, and girls’ 100 backstroke, 59.18); Melena Masson (girls’ 500, 5:27.22); girls’ 200 free relay (Andersen, Masson, Capobianco, Vera, 1:44.85); boys’ 200 free relay (Koegel, Henrikson, McConnell, Wild, 1:30.87); Nolan McConnell (boys’ 100 backstroke, 57.36); girls’ 400 free relay (Capobianco, Holechek, Paige Watroba, Jessica Shusko, 3:57.28); boys’ 400 free relay (Koegel, Nicky Brunner, Samer Alkateb, Dodson, 3:25.25);