Bethke Beats Trafeh at Meet of Champions

Brandon Bethke of Lake Forest El Toro held off Mohamed Trafeh of Duarte in the final straightaway to win the boys’ 3,200 meters in the Meet of Champions Distance Classic at Azusa Pacific on Saturday night.

Bethke, a junior who won the Southern Section Division I cross-country title in November, took the lead with less than 800 meters left and never relinquished it, holding off the favored Trafeh.

Bethke, who ran 58.5 for his final 400, was timed in 9 minutes 2.15 seconds to cut more than 15 seconds off his previous best while Trafeh ran 9:02.64.

Trafeh, a two-time all-American in cross-country, won the 1,600 in a career-best 4:13.97 earlier in the meet.

-- John Ortega

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Taking advantage of favorable wind conditions, Daniel Schaerer of La Jolla The Bishop’s threw the discus a nation-leading 200 feet 6 inches in the Huntington Beach Relays at Huntington Beach High.

Eddie Cornell of Ridgecrest Burroughs was second with a personal-best 197-9 and Matt Gray of Anaheim Esperanza was third at 188-8.

Shalonda Solomon of Long Beach Poly was a double winner in the girls’ division, taking the 100 in 11.50 and the 200 in 23.42. Both times were wind-aided.

-- Mike Kennedy

Boys’ Volleyball

Irvine Woodbridge will take on defending champion San Clemente at 7 p.m. Monday at Huntington Beach Edison High in the Orange County Championships final after each won semifinals Saturday in straight sets.

Woodbridge defeated Santa Margarita, 25-21, 26-24, and San Clemente beat Laguna Beach, 25-19, 25-21.

-- Blake Hennon

Boys’ Swimming

Junior freestyler Jeff Smith gave San Clemente a needed seventh-place finish in the 4x50 medley relay by out-touching Los Angeles Loyola’s freestyler and the Tritons snapped Irvine’s six-year winning streak Saturday in the Southern Section Relays at Belmont Plaza in Long Beach.

San Clemente finished with 188 points, just ahead of Irvine’s 184. El Toro finished a distant third with 135 points, despite victories in three of the seven races in the relays-only meet.

-- Lauren Peterson

Boys’ Tennis

Rancho Santa Margarita Tesoro -- a school in its third year of existence and second of varsity competition -- looks to extend its unbeaten start Monday when it plays host to Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley.

Junior Kevin Kordestani, the team captain, is 21-0 in sets and freshman Nick Meister, who is ranked No. 20 nationally in the 14-and-under division, is 20-1. The Tritons (7-0), who have defeated El Toro, Mission Viejo and Mission Viejo Trabuco Hills, also travel to Irvine University on Thursday to open Pacific Coast League play.

-- Elia Powers