Sportstars
Orange Lutheran and Mater Dei win Southern California Division 1 regional girls water polo semifinals, rivals set for fifth meeting this season in championship match
WESTLAKE VILLAGE – Oaks Christian was still riding the momentum from one of the most remarkable postseason runs in CIF-Southern Section girls water polo history, with the Open Division champion Lions advancing to the Southern California Division 1 regional semifinals. But the one elite opponent the Lions didn’t encounter... Read more
Oaks Christian, Clairemont and Cathedral Catholic earn top seeds in respective divisions in Southern California regional girls water polo playoffs
Following its first CIF-Southern Section Open Division championship, Oaks Christian earned the top seed in Division 1 in the Southern California Regional girls water polo playoffs. The Lions (22-7), who produced a 7-5 victory Saturday against Newport Harbor at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, are appearing in the... Read more
Alex Stoddard helps Oaks Christian shut down Newport Harbor to capture first CIF-Southern Section Open Division girls water polo crown
WALNUT – With more than 60 CIF-Southern Section championships in the school’s history that spans nearly 25 years, it is a significant achievement for any Oaks Christian athletic program to become the first to accomplish a goal or reach a level of success never previously celebrated in Westlake Village.... Read more
Gabby Alexson scores golden goal in second sudden-death overtime period to lead Newport Harbor back to CIF-Southern Section Open Division final following 12-11 pool-play victory against Orange Lutheran
COSTA MESA – Before the final CIF-Southern Section Open Division girls water polo pool-play match even reached the opening sprint Tuesday night, fans of both Newport Harbor and Orange Lutheran were standing and cheering in the Orange Coast College bleachers upon learning just moments earlier that Oaks Christian had... Read more
Oaks Christian girls water polo team completes inspiring comeback to knock off top-seeded Mater Dei, advance to CIF-Southern Section Open Division final
SANTA ANA – Mia Fabros wasn’t going to be denied. Makena Bygrave didn’t back down from the challenge. Nicole O’Neill couldn’t pass up the opportunity. And Alex Stoddard wouldn’t let one of the most impressive rallies in CIF-Southern Section girls water polo playoff history by Oaks Christian be upstaged... Read more
Mater Dei, Orange Lutheran girls water polo teams earn top two seeds in Southern Section Open Division playoffs
Mater Dei and Orange Lutheran received the top two seeds in the CIF-Southern Section Open Division girls water polo playoffs, which will be contested for the first time this season using a pool-play format for the eight-team competition, following a single-elimination bracket the past three years. Pool-play matches are... Read more
Kirra Pantaleon steps up late to lead Mater Dei girls water polo team to Newport Invite title with 14-12 overtime victory against Orange Lutheran
SANTA ANA – If there was any athlete on the Mater Dei High roster who felt most comfortable competing in the pool at the Tom DeLong and Jim Brumm Aquatics Center at Foothill High, it was Kirra Pantaleon. And if there was any competitor in the Monarchs’ lineup who... Read more
Orange Lutheran and Mater Dei girls water polo teams win respective pools in impressive fashion at Newport Invite
SANTA ANA – Orange Lutheran and Mater Dei already have a Trinity League showdown scheduled Tuesday in a significant postseason tuneup for both programs. But two of the country’s top girls water polo teams could add another showdown to their rivalry Saturday after each group completed pool-play competition unbeaten... Read more
Return of elite athletes after competing for U.S. women’s national water polo team bolsters several lineups ahead of Newport Invite
The lineups of several of the elite girls water polo teams in Southern California will receive a boost just in time for the last significant tournament during the regular season, as several members of the U.S. women’s national team roster are expected to return to competition at the Newport... Read more
Strong second half from Kirra Pantaleon lifts Mater Dei girls water polo team to first Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions title
SANTA BARBARA – The lineups might have been slightly different, but the outcome was the same for the Mater Dei High girls water polo team Saturday against Orange Lutheran in the championship match of the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions. For the second time in an eight-day span, the... Read more
Jesuit captures state record 10th boys cross country title, JSerra girls win fourth straight in Division 4, Trabuco Hills fastest girls team in Woodward Park history
FRESNO – The most decorated boys program in state history returned to the spotlight. One of the most impressive girls dynasties added another remarkable chapter to its growing legacy. A pair of three-time individual winners made their last races at Woodward Park memorable. Post-race interviews And a trio of... Read more
Hanne Thomsen takes aim at fourth state cross country title, Sadie Engelhardt and Evan Noonan eye three-peats, JSerra girls pursuing four in a row in Division 4
Four returning girls individual winners and three defending boys champions join all the teams looking to add to their title legacies Saturday at the CIF State Cross Country Championships at Woodward Park in Fresno. Hanne Thomsen, a senior at Santa Rosa Montgomery, is attempting to become the fourth female... Read more