Briefs: Five qualify for California Am
Estancia High’s Jake Knapp, Sage Hill School’s Ahmed Eltamami, Corona del Mar’s Mike Moorhead, UC Irvine’s Pete Fernandez and Costa Mesa resident Jordan McRobie made the cut at Oak Creek Golf Course in Irvine Tuesday and qualified for the 101st California Amateur Championship.
Knapp and Eltamami tied for second after both shot three-under-par 68. Ryan O’Connor of Woodbridge was the top qualifier at four-under.
Moorhead, McRobie and Fernandez tied for sixth at one-under and were among the 11 to qualify.
The California Amateur Championship takes place June 25-30 at La Cumbre Country Club in Santa Barbara.
— Steve Virgen
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Thurman lauded again
UC Irvine sophomore Andrew Thurman was voted the Big West Pitcher of the Week for the third time this year after dealing his third straight complete game in the series opener against UC Santa Barbara on Friday.
The right-hander, who joins Scott Gorgen (2006-08) as the only Anteater to win the weekly award three times, shut out the Gauchos, 2-0 and held them to four hits while striking out six and walking three.
It was the second time the sophomore has gone the distance in a shutout this year after no-hitting Long Beach State two weeks ago. Thurman improved to 6-2 on the year and lowered his earned-run average to 2.61. He is holding opposing teams to a .193 batting average and has now yielded just two earned runs in his last 35 innings.
— From staff reports
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UCI’s Jun selected
UC Irvine sophomore men’s golfer Allan Jun has been selected to compete as an individual in the NCAA Championship.
Jun will compete in the regional at the Stanford Golf Course May 17-19. He is one of 10 individuals, along with 13 teams, who will be competing at that regional.
The low five teams and the low individual not on those teams at each of the six regionals will advance to the NCAA Final May 29-June 3 at The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades.
Jun leads UCI with a 73.15 scoring average in 33 rounds this season with three top-10 finishes. He placed fourth at the Fresno State Lexus Classic, ninth at the Big West Championship and 10th at the Arizona Intercollegiate. He has three other top-20 showings.
— From staff reports
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‘Eaters recognized
UC Irvine seniors Sam Gould and Fabian Matthews earned first-team All-Big West Conference honors in men’s tennis, while the Anteaters’ Jacob Jung was Freshman of the Year.
Gould is a three-time first-team singles honoree who also earned first-team doubles recognition along with partner Jacob Jung. Gould earned second-team all-conference laurels in 2011 (with Steven Henderson) and in 2010 (with Khunpol Issara).
Matthews, a Corona del Mar High product, earned second-team honors in doubles for a second straight year with partner Ryan Cheung.
Matthews and Shuhei Shibahara received honorable mention in doubles.
— From staff reports
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Smith on first team
UC Irvine junior Kristina Smith was named first-team All-Big West Conference in singles, while Anteaters senior Courtney Byron was named to the second team in singles and doubles.
Smith was a second-team choice in 2011. She was 16-7 in singles this season, 13-4 in the No. 1 spot and 6-2 in conference.
Byron collects her fourth straight all-conference singles recognition. She was a first-team performer in 2011 and 2010, after making the second team as a freshman in 2009. Byron was 16-12 on the season, 13-9 in dual matches.
Byron teamed with Hannah Holladay to garner second-team doubles honors. Byron was second team in doubles as a freshman and a sophomore.
Holladay was second team in doubles last year, paired with Rebecca Kwan.
Sophomore Franziska Goettsching (singles) and the doubles tandem of Smith and Goettsching received honorable mention.
Anais Dallara of Long Beach State was the Player of the Year.
— From staff reports