SPORTS ROUNDUP: La Cañada High boys’ swimming locks up 13th consecutive Rio Hondo League title
BOYS’ SWIMMING
La Cañada 124, Monrovia 48: La Cañada made it 13 in a row when it comes to Rio Hondo League championships, behind a pair of wins from Brandon Nguyen, Dane Bell and Peter Loakes.
La Cañada Coach Art Lopez said it’s always a relief to add another league title to the growing list.
“It’s a lot of pressure because you have that many years behind you and there’s always chance you could have a bad meet and slip,” Lopez said. “For me, it’s a sigh of relief, because now it’s over. It’s official, we’re league champions and it’s done and now we pretty much have to focus on CIF.”
Nguyen won the 200-yard individual medley in two minutes 03.91 seconds and the 100 breast in 1:00.75. Bell took the 200 and 500 freestyles in 1:53.10 and 4:57.65, respectively. Loakes was victorious in the 50 and 100 freestyles in respective marks of 22.33 and 52.15.
La Cañada (6-0, 5-0 in league) won every race, as it did every league meet outside of San Marino, on Thursday with Garrett Chin also winning the 100 backstroke in 56.65.
GIRLS’ SWIMMING
La Cañada 120, Monrovia 51: The Spartans picked up their first win of the season in Thursday’s Rio Hondo League finale at Monrovia.
Rachel Wong picked up a CIF Southern Section consideration time and won the 200-yard individual medley in two minutes 17.40 seconds. La Cañada’s 200-medley relay team of Wong, Caitlyn Seto, Shelby Hopkins and Samantha Campbell also came close to a consideration mark in winning in 2:02.31 Thursday.
La Cañada’s identical 200-freestyle relay team also won, as did its 400-freestyle relay group.
The Spartans (1-5, 1-4 in league) also earned victories from Sarah Hughes in the 100 breaststroke (1:20.08), Hopkins in the 100 backstroke (1:06.20), Campbell in the 500 freestyle (5:34.81) and Emily Hoffman took the 200 freestyle (2:28.50).
BOYS’ VOLLEYBALL
La Cañada 3, San Marino 2: The Spartans survived in a five-game Rio Hondo League thriller at San Marino High Thursday, 13-25, 25-18, 25-15, 23-25, 16-14.
Connor Welbrecht tallied 28 assists, 21 digs and eight kills, while Mel Schroeder added 11 kills and Orion Burl had 10 kills and four blocks for the Spartans (8-7, 4-1 in league). La Cañada also received 12 digs, eight kills and four blocks from Michell Page and 22 digs, five assists and two aces from Connor Belcher.
BOYS’ TENNIS
Flintridge Prep 14, Webb 4: The Rebels got sweeps from Albert Lee, 6-0, 6-0 6-0, in singles and Koby Hayashi and Will Dixon in doubles, 6-0, 6-0, 6-1. Flintridge Prep improved to 2-2 in the Prep League.
Loyola 15, St. Francis 3: The Golden Knights got two wins from Alex Kavakian in a Mission League road loss Thursday.
SOFTBALL
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 6, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy 5: The Tologs were dealt a walk-off loss in a Mission League road game Thursday. Sacred Heart fell to 8-8-2, 1-3 in league.
Chadwick 9, Flintridge Prep 6: Marisa Wang had two hits and stole three bases Thursday for the host Rebels in a Prep League contest. Flintridge Prep dipped to 1-12, 0-7 in league.
BOYS’ GOLF
Loyola 185, St. Francis 201: Vince De Pinto fired a one-over-par 37 on Thursday in a Mission League match at Brookside Golf Course No. 2. Jack Tenney finished with a 38 for St. Francis (7-5, 6-4 in league).
HOCKEY
La Cañada 7, South Torrance 3: The Spartans club team received hat tricks from Dougie Williams and JB Lovelace in their second victory of the season Wednesday.
Lovelace, Chris Sotoodeh, Russell Marki, Lucas Drill all had assists in the game with Bryant Lai also scoring for the Spartans, whose defense was led by Will Fraipont and Jack Temple.