Pitz earns USA surf spot

Laguna Beach’s Taylor Pitz has been named to the 2009-10 PacSun USA Surf Team following her performance last week at the SIMA Surfing American USA Championships at the Huntington Beach Pier.

Pitz, who will be a junior at Laguna Beach High, made the U.S. team for the third straight year. She was one of five selected for the girls’ Under-18 team, along with U.S. Open women’s champion Courtney Conlogue of Santa Ana, Kaleigh Gilchrist of Newport Beach, Lakey Peterson of Santa Barbara and Quincy Davis from New York.

“I was really stoked,” Pitz said. “This is my last year of being in the Under-18 category. My goal is to compete in New Zealand [at the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships in January]. I’m just going to train real hard and hopefully make it happen. Ian Cairns is an amazing coach.”

Pitz, who finished second in the girls’ 18s last year at the USA Championships, this time was knocked out in the quarterfinals. She won her heat in the first round, scoring a 11.24. But, in the quarterfinals, she was third in her heat and failed to advance.

“It was a bummer,” Pitz said. “The second day, I had a really good free surf, the best I’d surfed Huntington in while. I felt like I was surfing well.”

Pitz will now compete in National Scholastic Surfing Assn. events this fall, as well as high school meets with the Breakers, and prepare for New Zealand.

Gilchrist, who will be a senior at Newport Harbor High, won the girls’ 18s title at the USA championships.