CdM, Tars awarded top seeds

CIF girls water polo pairings storySea Kings seeking fifth straight section crown in Division II. Newport is in Division I. Costa Mesa, Eagles vie in Division VI.It took the Pittsburgh Steelers 31 seasons to accumulate five championships, but the Corona del Mar High girls’ water polo team is looking for its fifth CIF Southern Section Division II crown in only five seasons.

The Sea Kings (24-3) earned the No. 1 seed in Division II and will open their postseason bid Thursday in the first round against visiting La Habra (11-12).

Newport Harbor (23-4) is the No. 1 seed in Division I. The Sailors, who reached the Division I final last season and have section titles to their credit in 1999 and 2004, open Friday with a first-round home game against either Long Beach Poly or Bell Gardens. Poly and Bell Gardens meet in a wild-card contest Wednesday.

Costa Mesa and Estancia, which tied for second in the Golden West League, open play Thursday with Division VI road dates.

Costa Mesa (13-14), the league’s No. 2 representative by virtue of beating Estancia in their league meeting, is at Colony (12-3), the champion of the Mount Baldy League.

Estancia (14-8), visits Mountain View League champion Centennial of Corona (21-8).

All matches are scheduled for 3:15 p.m.

Sage Hill (13-8), a freelance school which defeated Costa Mesa, 5-3, on Feb. 6, did not receive an at-large bid. With 16-game brackets in each of the VI divisions, as well as new rules allowing fourth-place teams from seven-team leagues automatic entry, there were no at-large berths available in any division.

Coach Aaron Chaney has been at the helm for CdM’s four straight titles, including the last three in Division II after a 2002 crown in Division IV.

The Sea Kings’ only losses this season have been to Foothill (twice) and Newport Harbor. CdM, however, avenged all three of those losses by topping the Knights, seeded No. 2 in Division I, and Back Bay rival Newport.

CdM is led by seniors Camille Hewko, Tumua Anae and Ashley Chandler, as well as junior Katie Indvik.

Indvik was a second-team All-CIF Division II performer last season, when Chandler earned third-team All-CIF laurels.

Hewko is a constant scoring threat and Anae has starred in her first season as the primary goalkeeper.

Newport Harbor, coached by Bill Barnett, whose 12 section titles include 10 won as the Sailors’ boys’ coach, is paced by seniors Kally Lucas, Leah Robertson and Calli Manderino.

The Sailors’ four losses have come against Foothill (twice), CdM and Santa Margarita, the No. 4 seed in Division I. Newport has also defeated each of those teams.

Costa Mesa, which reached the Division VI quarterfinals last season, is led by senior Annie Le, a second-team All-CIF Division VI honoree as a junior.

Coach Tim Postiff’s Mustangs have also received strong play from junior goalie Brittney Mucha.

Corona del Mar outscored its regular-season opponents, 261-116, while Newport Harbor also more than doubled the output of the competition, finishing with a 261-127 margin.

Costa Mesa ended a four-game losing streak with a 9-1 league triumph over Orange in its regular-season finale.

Estancia won four of its final five regular-season games, earning a return to the postseason after missing last year’s playoffs.

Should any of the Newport-Mesa teams win their first-round contests, they would advance to the Feb. 21 quarterfinals. The semifinals in all divisions are scheduled for Feb. 24.

The championship game in Division I and Division VI is scheduled for Feb. 28.