Briefs

Locals win NCAA title

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Former local high school standouts Brittany Fullen of Corona del Mar and Anne Belden of Newport Harbor helped UCLA win its fifth straight NCAA championship in women’s water polo Sunday.

Fullen recorded 12 saves and Belden had one goal in the No. 3-seeded Bruins’ 5-4 win over rival USC, the top seed. The local pair are two of UCLA’s senior class of four that won four NCAA titles and went 12-0 in postseason play.

Former Corona del Mar product Tumua Anae had 11 saves for the Trojans.

The UCLA women’s water polo program secured its 11th national championship and seventh NCAA title. The championship marks the 104th NCAA team title, tops in the nation, for the UCLA athletic department.

OCC’s Yano honored

Orange Coast College freshman swimmer Rikiya Yano has been named Male Athlete of the Month for April by the California Community College Athletic Assn.

Yano, the 2009 State Swimmer of the Year, set five state records and seven school records at the state championships, to help the Pirates run away with the state crown.

His state records came in the 1,650-yard freestyle (15 minutes, 18.45 seconds), the 200 free (1:37.08), 500 free, 400 free relay and the 4x200 free relay. His school records came in the 1,000 free and 400 medley relay.

His 1,650 victory, which broke a 29-year-old state record by more than four seconds, was voted the state’s Performance of the Year.

— From staff reports

Lions star honored

Vanguard women’s tennis player Hana Jurcovicova was named Senior Player of the Year by the Intercollegiate Tennis Assn.

Jurcovicova was ranked No. 16 in the most recent ITA rankings. She paired with Kateryna Malakhova to rank No. 9 in doubles.