Track and field team splits

The Laguna Beach High track and field team split its final Orange Coast League dual meet of the season Wednesday at home against Costa Mesa.

The boys won. 88-22, but the girls suffered their first league loss of the year, 77-57. Coach Scott Wittkop said this came despite a near record-breaking performance by the girls’ 4x100 team of Alex DeGarmo, Christina Gardilicic, Sabina Seyster and Jessie Good Man. They finished in 50.3 seconds, just three-tenths off the school record set in 1974.

League preliminaries are Monday at Laguna, with the finals Thursday. The Laguna boys and Costa Mesa girls are defending league champions. Wittkop said he expects the league finals to be close on the girls’ side.

Sophomore Natasha Strickland set a school record at the Orange County Championships last weekend. Strickland ran the 3,200 meters in 11 minutes, 13.85 seconds, a personal-best and fourth place in the race.

The previous record was an 11:17.3, ran by Wendy Peterson in 1987.

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BASEBALL

The Breakers received a much-needed Orange Coast League win at last-place Godinez on April 23, coming from behind for a 9-6 victory.

Laguna Beach (4-4 in league) got five runs in the seventh to rally for the win. Coach Jeff Sears said starting pitcher Chris Paul pitched well, although the Breakers didn’t help his cause by committing five errors.

Paul also went four for four with a double and a home run to lead Laguna offensively. Mike Maxsenti and Shane Selfridge also had two hits each.

The Breakers lost a pair of tough nonleague games at Downey on Tuesday, by scores of 3-2 and 5-4. They resume league play Tuesday by hosting Estancia.

Laguna is still in fourth place in league but plays two of the teams ahead of it, Estancia and Costa Mesa, in the final two weeks.

“We control our destiny,” Sears said. “Do we want to play in the postseason or enjoy the surf, as they say in Laguna?”

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BOYS’ GOLF

The Breakers suffered a loss to Calvary Chapel on Monday to fall into a first-place tie for the Orange Coast League lead; both teams are 9-2 in league. Monday’s score was 204-218.

Laguna played Westminster on Thursday and prepares for next week’s league tournament.

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BOYS’ VOLLEYBALL

The Breakers have a good nonleague test at Huntington Beach tonight. The Oilers, the top-ranked team in Orange County, are ranked No. 6 in the CIF Southern Section Division I poll.

In Orange Coast League action, unbeaten Laguna has already clinched another league title with two matches left. Laguna, ranked No. 2 in the CIF Southern Section Division II poll, eased past No. 10 Calvary Chapel on the road Tuesday, 25-6, 25-12, 25-16.

Senior Travis Woloson had 10 kills to lead all players.

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BOYS’ TENNIS

The Breakers played Estancia on Tuesday and finished their Orange Coast League schedule out against Costa Mesa on Thursday.

The Breakers play defending CIF Southern Section Division I champion University today at home and then prepare for the Orange Coast League tournament, which is Wednesday and Thursday at Laguna.