Newport-Mesa gymnasts stand out

Costa Mesa’s Kevin Wolting and Donothan Bailey, and Adam Young of

Newport Beach recently completed solid performances in the Southern

California Junior Olympic gymnastic championships at Pacifica High.

Wolting, a 9-year-old who attends Kaiser Elementary, finished

first in his age group for the class five division. The best division

is class one. Wolting also qualified for the Southern California

All-Stars at the meet that was held March 13. He will be representing

Southern California and New Hope Academy of Gymnastics at the

regional championships April 1-4 in Phoenix, Ariz.

Wolting competed against roughly 100 young athletes, taking first

in the vault, parallel bars, rings and high bars. He also won the

all-around, scoring 56.725.

Bailey, 13, who also trains at New Hope, came in seventh in the

class three division and is an alternate for the Southern California

All-Star team.

Young, a 9-year-old who attends Eastbluff Elementary, finished

10th in the rings competition in class six division. His 10-place

finish helped his team take eighth in Southern California. Young

plans to attend the Olympic trials as a volunteer worker June 26 at

the Arrowhead Pond.

Peirsol third in 100 back

* SWIMMING: Former Newport Harbor High standout Aaron Peirsol

finished third in the 100-meter backstroke and helped the Texas 200

medley relay team finish second in a tightly contested race at the

NCAA swimming and diving championships Friday in Long Island, N.Y.

Peirsol finished the 100 back in 51.75. Markus Rogan of Stanford

took second at 51.60 and the Cardinal’s Peter Marshal won in a

world-record time of 50.32.

Peirsol, the world-record holder in the 200 back, also swam the

backstroke leg of the Longhorns’ 200 medley relay team that finished

in 1:34.58. Auburn won the race in 1:34.25, an NCAA record.

Peirsol will compete today in his specialty event, the 200 back.

He is expected to break the NCAA record, which is 1:53.68, set by

Florida’s Matt Cole in 2000. Peirsol broke the world record,

finishing in 1:51.17 in 2002.

Texas (246 points) stands in third place in the team standings, as

Auburn (435) is in first and Stanford (248.5) second.

Tars defeat Mira Costa

* VOLLEYBALL: The Newport Harbor boys volleyball team dug in

defensively and junior Brett Perrine amassed 27 kills and eight

blocks to fuel the Sailors’ 15-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-20 nonleague

victory over visiting Mira Costa Friday.

It’s the Sailors’ first win over the Mustangs, ranked No. 2 in CIF

Southern Section Division I, since 2000, Newport Harbor Coach Dan

Glenn said.

Senior Morgan Govaars had 20 digs, while senior Adam Schlesinger

added 51 assists for the Sailors (8-6), ranked No. 10 in CIF Division

I.

Jon Langford had eight kills and Ted Slater added seven for the

winners.

OCC sweeps Lazers

* VOLLEYBALL: The Orange Coast College men’s volleyball team

defeated host Irvine Valley, 30-27, 30-23, 30-23, Friday to remain

unbeaten in Orange Empire Conference competition.

Freshman setter Shawn Pacquing had 44 assists and sophomore

opposite Jon Larson had 11 kills to pace the Pirates (13-1, 5-0 in

conference).

OCC takes a nine-match winning streak into Wednesday’s showdown

against top-ranked Golden West.

Tars edged in quarters

* TENNIS: The Newport Harbor High boys tennis team lost a

quarterfinal match, 5-4, that was decided by a singles set tiebreaker

against Calabasas Friday in the Corona del Mar All-American

invitational on the Sea Kings’ courts.

Newport will face Brentwood in a fifth-place semifinal today at 8

a.m. at the Costa Mesa Tennis Center.

“It was a good experience,” Newport Coach Jeff Thomsen said of the

loss to Calabasas. “I think it will make them tougher for league.”

The Sailors defeated Menlo of Atherton, 8-1, in the first round

Friday morning. Robert Khoury, Jake Fleming, Tyler Deck, Charlie

Farmer and Ruslan Serydyk earned victories in singles.

*--*

Corona del Mar All-American invitational Quarterfinal

Calabasas 5, Newport Harbor 4

Singles -- Khoury (NH) def. Scharaz, 8-2; Fleming (NH) def. A. Lee, 8-2; Deck (NH) def. Smith, 8-4; Farmer (NH) lost to Gorelyshev, 7-8 (5-7); Serydyk (NH) lost E. Lee, 8-1; Espley-Jones (NH) lost to Kipnas, 8-4. Doubles -- Khoury-Fleming (NH) lost to

Scharaz-A. Lee, 6-8; Espley-Jones/Serydyk (NH) lost to Smith-E. Lee, 3-8; Farmer-Deck (NH) def. Rebhun-Kipnis, 8-1.

*--*

*--*

First round

Newport Harbor 8, Menlo 1

Singles -- Khoury (NH) def. Diale, 8-2; Fleming (NH) def. Goldstein, 8-1; Deck (NH) def. Hansen, 8-1; Farmer (NH) def. Seiler, 8-4; Serydyk (NH) def. Kaufman, 8-7; Espley-Jones (NH) lost to Pight, 5-8. Doubles -- Khoury-Fleming def. Diale-Goldstein,

8-3; Deck-Farmer (NH) def. Hansen-Pight, 8-4; Espley-Jones/Serydyk (NH) def. Kaufman-Grauer, 8-2.

*--*

Chargers blow by Bucs

* SOFTBALL: Orange Empire Conference-leading Cypress College was

too much for host Orange Coast Friday, as the Chargers earned a 9-0

softball win halted after five innings.

OCC freshman second baseman Alison Zimmer had two hits and

freshman catcher Kim Ensey had the other, a double, for the Pirates

(9-20, 1-10 in conference). Cypress improved to 26-1, 10-0.

*--*

Orange Empire Conference

Cypress 9, Orange Coast 0

Score by Innings

Cypress 140 40 -- 9 9 0

Orange Coast 000 00 -- 0 3 1

Blabacha, Shoril (4) and Russo; Lindsay, Diaz

(4) and Ensey. W -- Klabacha, 19-1. L --

Lindsay, 1-7. 2B -- Mojen (C), Ensey (OCC). HR

-- Moojen (C).

*--*

Eagles march over Saints

* VOLLEYBALL: The Estancia High boys volleyball team, ranked No. 1

in CIF Southern Section Division IV, made quick work of Golden West

League visitor Santa Ana Friday, 25-11, 25-9, 25-8.

Senior Kris Hartwell had 12 kills and junior setter Trevor Holmes

had 30 assists and four service aces to pace the Eagles (10-1, 4-0 in

league).

Scott Sankey added eight kills, while Brad Larsen and Josh

Kornegay had seven apiece for the winners.

Estancia plays host to crosstown rival Costa Mesa Wednesday at

4:30 p.m.

Seahawks best Mesa

* SOFTBALL: Danielle Morton singled solidly up the middle in the

third inning, but that was all the Costa Mesa High softball team

could muster off of visiting Ocean View, which claimed a 3-0, one-hit

Golden West League win Friday. The Mustangs fell to 5-5, 1-1.

*--*

Golden West League

Ocean View 3, Costa Mesa 0

Score by Innings

O. View 100 000 2 -- 3 1 0 0

Mesa 000 000 0 -- 0 1 2

Feld, and McLaughlin, Simon (5); Butler

and Miller. W -- Feld. L -- Butler,

5-5. 2B -- Cruz (OV), Shafivadeh (OV).

*--*

Lightning still perfect

* VOLLEYBALL: The Sage Hill School boys volleyball team remained

unbeaten with a 25-7, 25-11, 23-25, 25-21 Academy League win Friday

over visiting Whitney.

Senior Kevin Joyce had 28 kills, while sophomore setter Jake

Lazere added 42 assists. Middle blockers Alex Greer and Macsun

Frederick each had eight kills for the winners (7-0, 2-0 in league).

The Lightning visits Brethren Christian Tuesday in what could be a

showdown for the league lead.

Mustangs lose in five

* VOLLEYBALL: The Costa Mesa High boys volleyball team had match

point in the fourth game, but lost its Golden West League match,

25-17, 24-26, 25-20, 24-26, 12-15, to host Orange Friday.

The Mustangs (4-4, 1-1 in league) had game point in the second

game, but could not close it out, Costa Mesa Coach Dave Sorrells

said. Ryan Bagwell and Mitch Mandel recorded 20 kills each, while

Andrew Melcer amassed 29 assists.

VU women dominate

TENNIS: The Vanguard University women’s tennis team dispatched

Pacific Lutheran, 9-0, Wednesday. Junior Olga Hlushchanka won all 12

games and freshman teammate Amy Brown won 12 of 13 to pace the Lions’

singles attack. Vanguard improved to 14-1.