Briefs: Larsen leads Slammers to back-to-back national titles
George Larsen, the Corona del Mar High boys’ soccer coach the past seven seasons, led the Newport Beach-based Slammers FC under-15 girls’ soccer team to its second straight Elite Clubs National League National Championship last month in Germantown, Md.
Larsen, who guided the Slammers under-14 team last year to the title, coached two Newport Beach residents — Natalie Hueston and Emily Johnson — and one Costa Mesa resident — Lexina McDowell — on the under-15 team. Johnson played for Newport Harbor High as a freshman last season, while McDowell was a sophomore at Estancia last season.
The Slammers defeated the FC Stars of Massachusetts, 4-1, in the final. Hueston scored a goal.
For the second time in four years, the Slammers earned the Elite Clubs National League Overall Club Championship for their showings in different age groups. Four of the Slammers’ five teams qualified for the Elite Clubs National League tournament, three of which reached the semifinals in their respective divisions.
The Slammers under-18 team won the national crown as well, while the under-17 team made the semifinals.
With the under-15 and under-18 teams winning their respective divisions, the Slammers became the first club to win two national championships in the same season.
The under-18 Slammers included Newport Beach resident Elizabeth Barbaresi, recent Estancia graduate Samantha Falasco, Newport Beach resident Lindzy Konrad, recent Sage Hill graduate Lexington Magliarditi, Newport Coast resident Carly Malatskey, Newport Beach resident Danielle Thomas and recent Estancia graduate Olivia Khoury. Ziad Khoury coached the under-18 team.
— From staff reports
— From staff reports
CdM’s Franson commits for softball
Corona del Mar High incoming senior Brooke Franson has committed to the Manhattanville College of New York softball program, she said Thursday night.
Franson said she wanted to go to college on the east coast, and she liked Manhattanville’s location and program. She wants to major in media arts.
Franson, a two-time Newport-Mesa Dream Team selection, earned second-team All-Pacific Coast League honors this spring. She batted a team-best .429 for CdM (2-20) and had team-best totals of two home runs, four doubles and four triples, to go along with 19 stolen bases.
— From staff reports
— From staff reports
Sapp wins title
Former UC Irvine golfer Garrett Sapp won the title of the Long Beach Open Sunday, earning the championship after a one-hole playoff.
Sapp fired a 7-under par 65 in the final round at El Dorado Parks Golf Course to finish with a four-round total of 18-under 270 (66-70-69-65) with play also conducted at Skylinks Golf Course. He defeated David Gazzolo and Sam Saunders in the playoff that began and ended on the par-5 18th hole at El Dorado Park. Sapp recorded a birdie, Gazzolo a par and Saunders a bogey.
Sapp, who played at UCI for two years (2004-06), received the winner’s check of $31,000.
He was an All-Big West Conference first-team selection both of his seasons at UCI. Sapp competed individually in the 2005 NCAA West Regional at the Stanford University Golf Course.
In his two seasons with the ‘Eaters, he registered eight top-10 finishes and five top-20 showings.
— From staff reports
— From staff reports
UCI names Saunders men’s tennis head coach
UC Irvine has named Mike Saunders as men’s tennis head coach, a position he held as interim this past season.
Saunders led UCI to a winning season in 2016 with a 17-9 overall record, including a streak of seven consecutive victories in March. The team won 11 of its last 15 matches.
Seven of his Anteater student-athletes received All-Big West Conference honors and three players excelled in the classroom, earning UCI Dean’s List recognition.
Saunders is a UCI alum who was a nationally-ranked junior, Intermountain sectional singles and doubles champion and Utah state high school 4-A singles champion.
As an Anteater student-athlete, Saunders won two Big West singles titles and served as team captain under coach Greg Patton his junior and senior season, when the team was ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation.
Saunders was also a Big West Scholar-Athlete and recipient of UCI’s Student-Athlete Challenge Award, which recognizes the university’s most improved student-athlete. He also was voted Most Inspirational and Most Improved player by his teammates and coaches.
Upon his graduation, Saunders played professionally in satellite and challenger events around the world. He later coached former UCI player and coach, Trevor Kronemann, and his doubles partner David Macpherson, who had a ranking as high as 11th on the ATP tour. More recently, Saunders has coached WTA player Maria Elena Camerin and some of the nation’s top college and junior players.
Saunders currently resides in Laguna Beach with his wife Amanda, daughter Stella, and son Owen.
— From staff reports
— From staff reports