Slammers are primed

The Newport Beach-based Slammers Futbol Club is sending two teams to

compete in the United States Youth Soccer national championships in

Orlando, Fla., beginning today. The girls under-17 and the girls under-16 squads each won the recent U.S. Youth Soccer Far West

regional championship in their respective divisions to qualify for

the trip to Florida.

The under-17s defeated Real Colorado National, 2-1, in the

regional championship with goals coming from Tiffany Alvarez and

Alexa Orand.

The under-17s open up the tournament Wednesday at 7:30 a.m.

Eastern time against Eclipse Select from Illinois, the Midwest

regional champions who had five different players score in a 7-0 romp

in the regional final.

The under-16s are led by Christen Press, who scored both goals in

the Slammers’ 2-0 victory over Potland Maroon in the regional final.

The under-16s recorded six consecutive shutouts in the regionals, a

feat unmatched by any other club.

The under-16s open the tournament Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. Eastern

time against Greensboro SC Twisters Green from North Carolina, who

won the South regional championship despite carrying only 12 players.

The Slammers also had regional winners in the girls under-12 team,

but only the under-14 and older teams advanced to play in Florida

this week.

Stone helps win trophy

* ROWING: Newport Aquatic Center member Stephanie Stone was on the

winning eight-man crew who won the Women’s Junior B 8+ final in the

2005 United States Rowing National Championship Regatta in

Indianapolis Sunday.

Stone’s U.S. Junior Women’s Development Camp Boat A finished the

2,000-meter race in 8 minutes, 9.7 seconds, edging second-place

Thompson Boat Center by close to seven seconds, equivalent to almost

a full-boat length.

The U.S. Junior Women’s Development Camp grabbed the regatta

trophy by earning 260 points. Thompson Boat Center was second with

129 points.

Peirsol cruises into final

* SWIMMING: Aaron Peirsol, a Newport Harbor High product, topped

the field in the men’s 100-meter backstroke semifinals at the world

championships Monday in Montreal.

Peirsol, who won Olympic gold in 2004 and is the world record

holder in the event, finished the semifinal in 54.41 seconds, ahead of Greece’s Aristeidis Grigoriadis (54.84) and the United States’

Randall Bal and Australia’s Andrew Lauterstein, who tied for third in

54.88.

The final is slated for today.

Semifinals of the 200 back, which Peirsol also won Olympic gold in

last year, are scheduled for Thursday.