Briefly In Sports
Morrissey seeks repeat title
Mike Morrissey of Laguna Beach will attempt to repeat as overall champion at The Ultimate Boarder Championship. The fourth annual triathlon-like event — a week-long series that pits some of the top surfers, skaters and snowboarders in three competitions, — starts Saturday at Mammoth Mountain and continues Monday through April 9 at Seaside Reef.
The first-place prize is $30,000. Morrissey won the overall title last year and also won the inaugural event.
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Van Alphen second at open tennis event
Sydney Van Alphen of Laguna Beach used two weeks of solid play to reach the final of the girls’ 12’s division of the Harper Ink Open Tournament (Level 2B) in San Diego.
Van Alphen advanced to the final after defeating Hope Hairrell of Los Alamitos, 6-2, 6-2 in a match that lasted nearly two hours. Two weeks ago, Hairrell defeated Van Alphen in the division final at the Long Beach Open.
Van Alphen fell, 6-1, 6-1, to Julia Goldberg of Tarzana in the final. Van Alphen has reached the finals in her last two Level 2-designated tournament appearances.
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Breakers rise to No. 5 in CIF baseball poll
The Laguna Beach baseball team continues its climb in the CIF Southern Section Division 4 rankings, moving to No. 5 in this week’s poll. For the past two weeks, the Breakers, who began the season unranked, have held down the No. 7 spot. Bishop Amat, ranked second last week, is the new leader of the poll. The Lancers swapped places Palm Desert, which had been ranked No. 1 the previous month. Spots three-though-10 went to Oaks Christian, Torrance, Laguna Beach, Chino, Indio, La Quinta/La Quinta, Troy and Nogales.
In boys’ tennis, Laguna is ranked third in a Division 4 poll that only included eight teams. The poll is headed by Viewpoint, with Paramount ranked second. Following Laguna is Santa Ynez, Dunn, Buckley, Linfield Christian and Santa Clara.
Laguna’s boys’ volleyball team again is ranked second in Division 2. Corona del Mar continues at No. 1. Valencia/Valencia is ranked third, followed by Oak Park, Trabuco Hills, Oaks Christian, Beckman, San Luis Obispo, El Toro and Aliso Niguel.