Laguna on the fast track

The Laguna Beach High track and field season begins Saturday when the Breakers will compete at the Irvine Invitational.

Coach Earl Towner calls the girls’ team “as deep as I’ve seen the team in 15 years.”

Among the key performers on a veteran squad are senior Brittany Clark who was all-league and All-CIF in the sprints, and senior Alex Crawley who was All-CIF in the 3200-meters and will attend Columbia University in the fall.

Other key performers for Towner include Stephanie Pearson (200,400), Sarah Rolfing (100/300 hurdles), Emily LaRose (high/long jump) and Stephanie Ross (long jump, 200).

“Our hurdlers our coming into their own and our distance team is deeper than it’s been in a while,” Towner said.

“The girls’ team has not won a league championship since 1984 and I feel that we have a legitimate shot of attaining that goal this season. Our new principal, Donald Austin, has posted all of the sports’ league championships on the gym wall, and we would be very proud to add the year 2007 to the banner.”

Coach Dave Brobeck says things are in place for the boys’ team to build upon the unprecedented success it achieved last year.

“We’re poised for another great track and field season,” he said. “Last year was a landmark one for our program. We produced several school records, had well over 100 athletes, and the boys team finished second in CIF.

“Several of our main point scorers graduated last year. However, we still should have a very strong squad, and should win this league easily.”

Key returners for Brobeck include E.J. Gomez (100, 200); Jonathon Martinez (200, 400), Jeremy Eaton (800, 1,600); Andrew Raub (1,600, 3,200); Yann Panassie (110 hurdles, 300 hurdles); Nick Newell (high/long/triple jump) and Eric Bostwick (shot put/discus).

“Each athlete here should win individual league championships in the event area,” he said.

“We had a team tryout and kept a boys/girls squad of 110 this year. Big numbers plus a lot of enthusiasm and fun.”

In boys’ tennis

Newport Harbor recorded sweeps at Nos. 1 and 2 singles and at No. 1 doubles and went on to defeat host Laguna Beach, 15-3, in a nonleague match Tuesday.

Laguna began the season last week with a pair of losses. The Breakers dropped their season and home opener to Corona del Mar, 18-0, and also fell 17-1 to visiting Tesoro.

CIF Rankings

The Laguna Beach boys’ volleyball team began the 2007 season with a No. 6 ranking in the Southern Section Division II poll.

The division’s top two teams from a year ago, defending champion Valencia of Valencia and runner-up Corona del Mar, head the poll.

Division II preseason poll: 1. Valencia/Valencia; 2. Corona del Mar; 3. Santa Barbara; 4. Dos Pueblos; 5. San Marcos; 6. Laguna Beach; 7. Arcadia; 8. Claremont; 9. Santa Ynez; 10. Canyon/Canyon Country.