Briefs: Locals head to China

EDITOR’S NOTE: This corrects an earlier version of Jeff Thomas’ golf scores.

Newport Harbor High product Leah Robertson and CdM Aquatics Coach Stephanie Schnugg, as well as former UC Irvine men’s players Greg Enloe and Griffin Lerman, are playing for Team USA at the World University Games water polo tournament beginning Thursday in Shenzhen, China.

UC Irvine Coach Marc Hunt is also head coach of the American men’s squad, which begins play Thursday against Singapore. Hunt, whose seventh season as UCI head coach begins Sept. 3 at the UCI Invitational, was Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Coach of the Year in 2009 and 2007. He has led UCI to a top-five national ranking in four of his six seasons, including last fall when the ‘Eaters were fifth in the final poll after finishing 18-8.

Hunt won gold as captain of the U.S. team at the 1993 World University Games in Buffalo, N.Y.

Team USA, in Group “C,” then plays Serbia on Saturday and France on Monday. Lerman, a second-team All-American for UCI last fall when he scored 46 goals, and Enloe, who scored 32 goals as a senior in 2009, are both listed as defenders for the American men.

Robertson, twice a third-team All-American at the University of Michigan, is also listed as a defender. Schnugg, who played collegiately at Cal, is an 18U and 16U coach for CdM Aquatics. They and the rest of the United States women open their tournament Friday against Australia and continue Group “B” play against France on Saturday and Mexico on Sunday.

The World University Games are open to student-athletes who are between 17 and 28 years old, and who haven’t been out of college for more than a year.

The women’s championship match is Aug. 22, with the men’s following on Aug. 23.

— From staff reports

*

For the record: Thomas wins senior flight

Jeff Thomas won the senior flight in the 39th Will Jordan Classic, a.k.a. the Costa Mesa City Championship Sunday at Costa Mesa Golf & Country Club.

Thomas had the best gross score, five strokes better than Steve Oppegard.

Thomas shot 70 on Los Lagos Saturday and 66 on Mesa Linda Sunday.

— Steve Virgen

*

UCI top prospects

UC Irvine senior goalkeeper Andrew Fontein and senior midfielder Miguel Ibarra are featured in the Top 100 prospects list on topdrawersoccer.com.

The list showcases observations on who the top players are in terms of potential for the professional ranks.

Fontein was ranked No. 92 among seniors and is the No. 5-ranked goalkeeper on the list. A second-team All-Big West Conference performer in 2010, when UCI won the regular-season conference crown, he led all conference keepers with 11 shutouts and posted a 0.59 goals-against average. Both totals were UCI single-season records, and he also holds UCI career records with 20 shutouts and a 0.82 goals-against average.

Ibarra, ranked No. 19 among seniors and No. 6 among midfielders, had one goal and 10 assists in his debut season for UCI, after transferring from Taft Community College. He was a first-team all-conference honoree.

UCI opens its season Aug. 26 at home against the University of San Diego.

— From staff reports