Ciarelli named Player of the Year

Tony Ciarelli, a former All-CIF player at Huntington Beach High and current senior outside hitter at USC, has been named the 2012 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Men’s Volleyball Player of the Year.

A team co-captain who has started all four years for the Trojans, Ciarelli, a 2008 graduate of Huntington Beach, leads the nation in aces and is tied for fourth in kills. He has been named MPSF player of the week three times this season.

USC won the regular season MPSF championship and is the top-seed in the conference postseason tournament. The top-ranked Trojans (22-5) host No. 2-ranked UC Irvine (22-5) in the conference semifinals Thursday.

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Osbrink new Marina girls’ hoops coach

Carol Osbrink, former principal at Marina High, has been named the new girls’ basketball coach at the school, Athletic Director Michelle Spencer said Monday. Osbrink served as principal at Marina from 1994 to 2002, then went on to become assistant superintendent of educational services in the Huntington Beach Union High School District.

For six years during her time as a district administrator, she served on the CIF Southern Section Council and as CIF Blue Book Committee chairwoman.

Osbrink coached the Marina girls’ junior varsity basketball team last year and replaces Dean Katayama as varsity head coach. Osbrink started her teaching and coaching career at Temple City High. In 10 years, she guided the Rams’ girls’ basketball program to eight league championships and reached the CIF Southern Section playoffs in all 10 years. She had a 74% winning percentage during that time.

“We always knew that Carol was a Viking through and through and we are very excited to have her lead our Lady Vikings in the upcoming season,” Spencer said. “She not only has tremendous basketball knowledge in terms of Xs and Os, but her ability to motivate and be a role model for these young girls is awesome.”

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Okwudibonye to Sacramento St.

Former Ocean View High boys’ basketball player Ryan Okwudibonye has signed to play men’s basketball at Sacramento State University. The 6-foot-8, 230-pound power forward is part of the program’s 2012-13 recruiting class and will enroll as a junior in the fall, the school announced.

Okwudibonye played at New Mexico Junior College the last two years. He played in each of the Thunderbirds’ 50 games during that span and in his freshman year helped lead the team to its first National Junior College Athletic Assn. Region V Tournament appearance in 14 years. During the 2011-2012 season, he was second on the team in rebounding and third in blocked shots.

At Ocean View, Okwudibonye was part of two teams that won Golden West League titles and a CIF Southern Section championship.

“Ryan is a strong center/power forward [who] is physical and a very good post defender,” Sacramento State Coach Brian Katz said. “His combination of strength and quick feet defensively will allow him to guard multiple positions on the court. He’s a player we’ve followed over the last three years and feel like his best offensive days are ahead of him.”

Okwudibonye is the second local player to join the Sacramento State men’s basketball program in the past year. Former Edison High standout Dylan Garrity recently completed his freshman season with the Hornets and was named the Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year.

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Weinberg signs with T-Bones

Aric Weinberg, an outfielder who played baseball at Marina High and Golden West College, has signed a professional baseball contract with the Kansas City T-Bones of the American Assn. Weinberg is in his fourth season playing at the professional level. He previously played for the Alexandria Aces of the Continental Baseball League, and Kalamazoo Kings and River City Rascals, both of the Frontier League. During his time with the Alexandria Aces, Weinberg was one of the leading hitters in the CBL and started in left field in the league’s All-Star Game.

“Kansas City is one of the best professional independent baseball organizations in the country, so it’s [a] real thrill to sign with them,” Weinberg said.

Weinberg played on Marina’s 2003 CIF championship team.

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Pro Surfing series starts Saturday

The American Pro Surfing Series will hold its inaugural event Saturday and Sunday at the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier.

The series, created by local surf industry veteran Scott Waring, features domestic surfers. Sixty-four men and 16 women will compete in a four-man heat format. The prize purses are $10,000 for men and $2,000 for women.

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Soccer tryouts are Sunday

AYSO Region 143 (Huntington Beach) will hold tryouts for its EXTRA program Sunday and May 6 at Meadow View School, 5702 Clark Drive, Huntington Beach. Tryouts for boys and girls in the Under-9 through -12 divisions is from 10 a.m. to noon.

The U13 and U14 division tryouts are between 1 and 3 p.m. both dates. Participants are asked to attend both tryouts and to arrive 20 minutes prior to each session to check in. The AYSO EXTRA program offers a more advanced level of competition than its standard program.

For more information, visit https://www.ayso143.org.

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Youth football registration ends Tuesday

Huntington Beach Jr. All-American Football and Cheer is accepting online registration for football players and cheerleaders, ages 5 to 14. Early registration discounts will be offered until Tuesday. To register, visit https://www.hbjaaf.com.

For more information, email info@hbjaaf.com.