CdM seeking title

The second-seeded Corona del Mar High boys volleyball team will be

seeking a CIF Southern Section Division II title this afternoon

against fourth-seeded Valencia of Valencia at 3 p.m. at Cypress

College.

Today marks the sixth time in nine years the Sea Kings (26-6) have

reached a Southern Section title game, with five straight appearances

dating from 1997-’01 -- all under the direction of 10-year veteran

coach Steve Conti.

CdM, the Pacific Coast League champion, is fresh off a four-game

semifinal victory against Santa Barbara’s San Marcos, losing the

first game but rallying to claim the next three. Valencia (29-6),

which knocked off the Sea Kings in last season’s semifinals, is

coming off a sweep of top-seeded Santa Barbara and will play in its

fifth consecutive Southern Section final.

The Sea Kings are led by senior outside hitter Kevin Welch -- who

had a match-high 25 kills against San Marcos -- along with brother

Tom Welch and the Slaughter brothers, Ted and Scott.

-- Chris Yemma

Miller reaches semis

* TENNIS: Corona del Mar High senior Wesley Miller reached today’s

singles semifinal of the CIF Southern Section individual boys tennis

championships with two victories Friday at the Seal Beach Tennis

Center.

Miller, the third seed, defeated Tyler Bowman of Peninsula, 6-3,

6-3, in the round of 16. He followed with a 7-6 (7-3), 7-5 triumph

over Chris Kerney of Mater Dei. Miller, the two-time defending

Pacific Coast League champion, trailed, 5-4, in the second set, but

broke Kerney’s serve and won the following two games, CdM Coach Tim

Mang said.

Mang said Miller also trailed in the first set against Kerney.

Miller faces second-seeded Blake Muller from Santa Barbara in one

semifinal at 11 a.m. today. Michael McClune, the No. 1 seed from

Woodbridge, will play in another semifinal. The final will follow.

In doubles play Friday, CdM seniors Spencer Reitz and Matt Chou

defeated Edward Leu and William Lam from Temple City, 6-4, 6-0, in

the round of 16. The Sea King duo, which claimed the league title,

bowed out in the quarterfinals, falling, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, to Bret and

Ryan Thacher of Harvard-Westlake.

Miller and Muller are 1-1 in head-to-head competition in two team

dual matches this season.

Hahn better, misses cut

* GOLF: Newport Beach Country Club head golf professional Paul

Hahn rebounded from an opening-round 86 with a 4-over-par 76 Friday

in the second round of the Senior PGA Championship at Laurel Valley

Golf Club in Ligonier, Pa. Hahn carded four birdies in his second

round, but finished tied for 145th (18-over 162) after two rounds and

failed to make the cut (6 over).

Wratten clears 6-11

* TRACK AND FIELD: UC Irvine junior John Wratten tied for eighth

place in the high jump with a personal-best mark of 6 feet, 11 inches

in the NCAA track and field West regional at Hayward Field in Eugene,

Ore., Friday.

That mark ties him for fourth all-time at UCI. Anteater freshman

Julian Eison did not clear the opening height of 6-9. USC’s Jesse

Wiliams won the event with a mark of 7-4 1/2 .

Junior Ricky Barnes finished second in his heat of the 1,500

meters with a time of 3:49.33 to advance to today’s final at 3:07

p.m.

CdM’s Yelsey in final

* TENNIS: Former Corona del Mar High standout Anne Yelsey, now a

junior at Stanford, teamed with Amber Lui to win in the doubles

semifinals of the NCAA women’s tennis championships Friday at the

University of Georgia.

Yelsey and Lui knocked off No. 2-seeded Audra Cohen and Cristelle

Grier of Northwestern, 6-2, 6-2, to earn their eighth straight

victory.

Yelsey and Lui will meet Stanford teammates Alice Barnes and Erin

Burdette in today’s final.

Stanford already won the NCAA team title this spring.

Lions run well

* TRACK AND FIELD: Vanguard University sophomore Laura Bowman and

junior Liz Huipe finished 18th and 21st, respectively, in the final

of the women’s 10,000 meters Thursday at the NAIA outdoor track and

field championships at the University of Louisville in Kentucky.

Bowman’s time was 39 minutes, 28 seconds, while Huipe, a product

of Estancia High, finished in 39:34.

Junior Jenny Thune finished second in her 1,500 qualifying heat in

4:36.36 Thursday to advance to today’s final.