Laguna Beach Water polo closes with strong JOs run
Laguna Beach Water Polo ended a successful season earlier this month with a strong run at the 2015 National Junior Olympics.
The two-session tournament, which included eight teams from Laguna, ran July 25-Aug. 2 in Irvine.
10-Under Girls
The Laguna Beach 10U Girls “A” team, coached by Albie Beeler, brought home the silver medal in their age group Championship Platinum Division. The girls’ “A” team started the tournament with a 4-1 win over Santa Barbara Premier Club. The squad lost their next two games to Santa Barbara 805 (6-2) and Back Bay Water Polo Club of Irvine (5-4). Laguna “A” rallied to win their next two games, shutting out American River of Sacramento (24-0) and beat SOCAL of Tustin (6-4), to reach the semifinals.
In the semis, Laguna “A” avenged its loss to Santa Barbara 805 by defeating its rival. Laguna “A” took the silver medal after it lost, 4-0, to Back Bay in the division final.
The 10U Girls “B” team placed ninth in the Championship Platinum Division.
—
10U Coed
Riding on the highs of their accomplishment, the 10U girls joined the boys to play in 10U Coed Championship Division games. Laguna put two 10U coed teams, “A” and “B,” in the tournament with Beeler coaching the 10U Coed “A” team.
The 10U Coed “A” team opened tourney play with an 18-1 rout of Viper Pigeon (Houston, TX.), then scored a 13-3 win over Bakersfield Water Polo Club. On the second day of play, Laguna beat both OC Water Polo Club of Rancho Santa Margarita (10-7) and Greenwich Aquatics of Greenwich, CT. (14-10).
The Coed “A” team dropped its first match on Aug. 1, losing, 13-7, to Newport Beach Water Polo. Laguna rebounded to post a 14-7 win over Shore Aquatics of Long Beach but fell in its final two games.
In the semifinals, Laguna fell, 12-6, to 680 Red of Northern California. In the third-place game, the locals also lost by a 12-6 score to Newport Beach.
The 10U coed “B” team placed sixth in 6th place in the Championship Gold Division.
—
12U Division
The 12U Girls “A” team placed fifth in the Championship Platinum Division, the 12U Girls “B” team was ninth in Championship Gold Division, and the 12U Boys team was fourth in the Classic Division.
14U Division
The 14U Girls team placed 12th in the Championship Platinum Division.
—
Baseball
Local athletes Blake Pivaroff and Cutter Clawson picked up pitching wins for the Baseball Performance Academy (BPA) DeMarini club team in recent national tournament action.
At the Travel Ball Select (TBS) National Championship 14-Under tournament in Marietta, Ga.
Pivaroff recorded the pitching win against the Ohio Heat, and Clawson took the win against the Louisiana Chaos. BPA DeMarini went 8-0 and capped its tourney run with a 4-1 victory over the Tennessee Crusaders in the final.
At the Perfect Game World Series (wood bat) in Georgia, BPA DeMarini went 4-0 in pool play but in bracket play, where it was the No. 2 seed, dropped its first game in extra innings, 9-8, to the Houston Banditos.
BPA DeMarini played games over eight consecutive days and complied a 12-1 record.
In previous tourney play, BPA DeMarini won the 14U gold medal at the USA Baseball National Team Championships-West tournament last month in Arizona.
— Reader submission