Briefs: UCI thrower shines

Itos Aikhionbare, who will be a junior at UC Irvine next fall, finished third in the shot put at the USA Junior Track & Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa on Thursday.

Aikhionbare, who recently completed her sophomore season at UCI, had a mark of 51 feet at Drake Stadium, more than a foot shy of the winner, Stamatia Scarvelis.

The top four finishers in each event are eligible to be considered for selection to the USA team for the Pan Am Junior Championships in Medellin, Colombia, Aug. 23-25..

Charles Jock, a three-time All-American and 2012 NCAA champion in the 800 while competing for UCI, qualified for Sunday’s final in the men’s 800 at the USA Championships.

Jock posted a time of one minute, 48.40 seconds in the first round Thursday to earn one of the 16 spots in the final.

Aikhionbare will compete in the discus throw Saturday at 10:45 a.m. PDT.

Megan Benson, a freshman at UCI in 2013, did not advance from the first round of the 100-meter hurdles Thursday.

Kaulyn Lee-McNeill, who will be a sophomore at UCI in the fall, competes in the first round of the 400 hurdles Friday at 1:00 p.m.

Charles Jock, a three-time All-American and 2012 NCAA champion in the 800 meters while competing for the UCI men’s program, qualified for Sunday’s final in the 800 at the USA Championships.

He had time of 1:48.40 in the first round Thursday to earn one of the 16 spots in the final.

— From staff reports

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CdM’s Hodson on path to make U.S. youth national volleyball team

Corona del Mar High junior-to-be outside hitter Hayley Hodson is getting closer to securing a spot on the U.S. girls’ youth national volleyball team for the second straight year.

Hodson made the second cut during a three-day tryout at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., where the team was reduced from 26 players to 16 on Sunday.

Hodson and the remaining players will take part in a third tryout at the American Sports Centers complex in Anaheim from July 8-21. The roster will be reduced to 12 players and those players will represent the U.S. at the FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U-18 World Championships in Thailand between July 25 and Aug. 4.

The U.S. qualified for the tournament by winning the 2012 NORCECA Girls’ Youth Continental Championship in Mexico in August. Hodson is one seven players from the 2012 U.S. Girls’ Youth National Volleyball Team.

Last season at CdM, Hodson led the Sea Kings to the semifinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 1-AA playoffs. Hodson earned first-team All-CIF Southern Section Division 1-AA, second-team All-Orange County, Daily Pilot Newport-Mesa Dream Team and first-team All-Pacific Coast League accolades after she finished with 453 kills.

— From staff reports

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Davey to UConn

Newport Harbor High product Blake Davey, who helped Cypress Community College win the 2013 state baseball championship, will continue his career at the University of Connecticut he said.

Davey earned first-team All-Orange Empire Conference honors in 2013, hitting .323 with one home run, 33 runs batted in, 30 runs, 12 doubles and three stolen bases. He was used primarily as a designated hitter at Cypress.

Connecticut advanced to an NCAA regional for the third time in four seasons in 2013.

— Barry Faulkner

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GSAC expanding

William Jessup University in Rocklin, Calif. will join the Golden State Athletic Conference in the fall of 2014, the GSAC Board of Directors announced Tuesday.

William Jessup, currently in the California Pacific Conference, is the first Northern California school to join the GSAC and will expand the GSAC membership to nine schools.

The Warriors have 11 sports, including six women’s sports. They were most competitive last season in women’s soccer and softball.

The women’s soccer team was 13-3-3 and won the Cal Pac North title with a 6-0 conference record.

The softball team finished 30-18 and shared the conference title with a 10-6 record in a three-team race.

The school also competes in men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s track and field, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s soccer, men’s golf, and women’s volleyball.

The Warriors were 11-17 in men’s basketball last season, 15-15 in women’s basketball, 4-12-1 in men’s soccer and 7-26 in women’s volleyball.

— From staff reports