USC freshman Natasha Strickland at the 2013 Claremont Relays. Credit: Bill Davies

Two-time Olympic champion Felix Sanchez visited USC last month. The former Trojan track star from the Dominican Republic was there to make sure the 2013 USC track team understood the importance of beating cross-town rival UCLA. “It was really, really cool,” said USC freshman Natasha Strickland, a former Laguna Beach High star who ran the 1500 meters in her team’s regular season finale against the Bruins. “Being able to be a part of that [rivalry] was just a really exciting experience.”

Strickland’s first year as a two-sport division I college athlete was “really an eye-opening experience,” said the middle distance runner who also competed in cross-country for the Trojans.

The fall semester was especially tough, as the incoming freshman struggled to balance the rigors of college academics with a brutal cross-country training schedule. “It was a lot more mileage than I expected,” she said.

Having a supportive family near by made the transition easier. “I’m so glad I picked some place close to home,” Strickland said. Still, occasionally she would wonder, “Do I have time for this? Am I fully dedicated to both?”

She battled early season injuries that had dogged her since her senior year at Laguna. “Natasha had her ups and downs during the cross-country season,” said Tom Walsh, Strickland’s USC coach in both cross country and track. “But she learned a lot during a race at Riverside.”

At the Highland Invitational on the UC Riverside campus last October, Strickland finished fifth for USC and 17th overall. It was the first race where she figured among her team’s scoring five, helping the Trojans take second. “She followed the race plan exactly and stayed with a group of girls that was near the front,” said Walsh. “She held on nicely until the last 400 meters, and then she used her leg speed to finish strong and run the best cross country race of her life.”

Two weeks later at the PAC 12 championships, Strickland again finished fifth. And though the Trojans came in 10th overall, the experience gave her confidence for the future. “Now that I know how the whole system works, I think that I can definitely do better next season,” she said.

When Walsh recruited Strickland, he saw “untapped potential.” Someone “who isn’t afraid to compete against the best in the country,” he said. “The [Laguna] coaches did an excellent job of making her better, but they didn’t hammer her into the ground with over training like some of the high school coaches do these days.”

At Laguna, Strickland understood the importance of team unity, and how building a family-like atmosphere can drive team success. Laguna sophomore Janie Crawford recently credited Strickland as one of the inspirational forces that drove the 2011 Breakers to the cross-country state finals. Laguna missed Strickland’s senior leadership the following season. The team did not return to the state championship race.

Nevertheless, during her spring break Strickland returned to Eric Hulst Track, where she set school records in the 1600 and 3200, to help motivate and inspire a promising young girls track team. “My advice to them was to get that team spirit again,” Strickland said. “They just need that extra encouragement from a team member.”

While Strickland and her Trojan teammates encourage each other, at SC every athlete is expected to be self-driven. “Definitely the team bonding is different at the collegiate level,” she said. “It’s a totally different mind set.”

By track season, it didn’t take Strickland long before she made her mark as one of the team’s best at 1500 meters, when she ran a personal record 4:34.76 at the Trojan Invitational in March.

It was the third faster team time of the year. “She ran a confident and aggressive race, and finished with a strong kick at the end,” said Walsh, who believes Strickland has the ability to one day run 4:25 for 1500 meters.

Strickland needed to post a time of 4:30 or less at the final meet of the season against UCLA in order to qualify for the PAC 12 Championships. She came up short, but said, “I definitely see myself making it to PAC 12’s next season.”

Until then, Strickland is going to concentrate on “Making sure I’m driven both academically and athletically, and just seeing where this next year takes me.”

Lisa Ruthledge hits past Sarah Pavan.

Twenty two-person teams battled each other and a stiff sea breeze that whipped across Main Beach last Saturday during the 38th annual Laguna Open Women’s Volleyball Tournament. “This is probably the windiest tournament I’ve ever been in,” said Lynne Galli, after she and partner Lisa Ruthledge won their second straight title.

“You just have to work on your ball control and keep everything kind of low,” said Ruthledge of the challenging conditions that seemed to get worse as the daylong tournament progressed.

Saturday’s crowd was tiny compared to the tournament’s heyday in the mid-80s, when thousands gathered to watch the best beach players in the world compete for as much as $150,000 in prizes. In it’s 58th year, the Laguna Men’s Open, scheduled for June 5, is the second oldest in the state.

The Open fell on hard times in the early ‘90s, when the city banned sponsorships by alcohol manufacturers, driving top pros to search for big prize money elsewhere. Second-year director Kirk Morgan has a vision and a plan to turn things around starting in 2014.

Morgan envisions raising prize money through local sponsorships and a “Taste of Laguna” festival in the park near Main Beach. The City Council, which last month approved a tent and amplified sound at last Saturday’s event, urged Morgan to submit a written proposal outlining his future expansion plans. “We’re going to re-build in measured steps,” he said.

With only four courts at his disposal, Morgan had to cap the number of team entries at 20. He hopes to add more temporary courts for the men’s open. What the women’s field lacked in quantity, it more than made up for in quality, as nine of the California Beach Volleyball Association’s top 20 players and 22 of the top 100 competed.

Geena Urango tries to loft one over Lisa Ruthledge during the finals.

Laguna Beach High’s Alexx Murphy and Beckman High’s Myranda Cunningham, both seniors, were two of the youngest in a field. The indoor prep players teamed up but failed to advance out of pool play against many pros in their 20s and 30s.

Corona del Mar resident and CVBA 14th ranked Sarah Day and San Diego’s Summer Ross rose from the 11th seed to win their pool, before falling in the quarterfinals. It was their first time playing together.

Day gave up her volleyball scholarship at Cal State Fullerton to hit the beach circuit full time several years ago. “I felt this need to switch,” she said of her decision to shun the hardwood for the soft sand.

It was Day’s second Laguna Open and a first for Ross, 20, who used to play for Carlsbad High.

Galli, who moved to Laguna at 13, learned right away that volleyball ruled the local sports culture. She ended up playing for LBHS, graduating in 1998, and is now a four-time winner of the Laguna Open.

Morgan found his way to Laguna 27 years ago by way of Kansas and Ohio. A former player at San Clemente High and San Diego State, he has competed in countless CVBA tournaments up and down the coast.

Morgan still plays when he can, inbetween teaching adult classes at Main Beach and hosting the local tournament, where he does everything from raking the courts to writing the checks. “Since I’ve played in so many tournaments over the years, I know what I like in a tournament and what makes it fun,” he said. “And I try and make sure all those elements are present.”

Champions Lynne Galli and Lisa Ruthledge, right; with runners up Geena Urango and Sarah Pavan

“Kirk does a great job of running it, so all the great players want to play,” said Ruthledge.

If anyone knows the current health of the beach game in Laguna, it’s Morgan, who marvels at the diversity of local volleyball community. “From strong, young up-and-coming players, to mature athletes in their 60s and 70s who still play, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it stronger,” he said. “Players are on the sand from early dawn until sunset.”

Morgan knows it will take a whole village to raise the Open back to where it once was. “I know the community will support it once we really get it going again,” he said

For complete tournament results, visit www.cbva.com.

Photos by Robert Campbell

USC freshman Natasha Strickland at the 2013 Claremont Relays.
Credit: Bill Davies

Two-time Olympic champion Felix Sanchez visited USC last month. The former Trojan track star from the Dominican Republic was there to make sure the 2013 USC track team understood the importance of beating cross-town rival UCLA. “It was really, really cool,” said USC freshman Natasha Strickland, a former Laguna Beach High star who ran the 1500 meters in her team’s regular season finale against the Bruins. “Being able to be a part of that [rivalry] was just a really exciting experience.”

Strickland’s first year as a two-sport division I college athlete was “really an eye-opening experience,” said the middle distance runner who also competed in cross-country for the Trojans.

The fall semester was especially tough, as the incoming freshman struggled to balance the rigors of college academics with a brutal cross-country training schedule. “It was a lot more mileage than I expected,” she said.

Having a supportive family near by made the transition easier. “I’m so glad I picked some place close to home,” Strickland said. Still, occasionally she would wonder, “Do I have time for this? Am I fully dedicated to both?”

She battled early season injuries that had dogged her since her senior year at Laguna. “Natasha had her ups and downs during the cross-country season,” said Tom Walsh, Strickland’s USC coach in both cross country and track. “But she learned a lot during a race at Riverside.”

At the Highland Invitational on the UC Riverside campus last October, Strickland finished fifth for USC and 17th overall. It was the first race where she figured among her team’s scoring five, helping the Trojans take second. “She followed the race plan exactly and stayed with a group of girls that was near the front,” said Walsh. “She held on nicely until the last 400 meters, and then she used her leg speed to finish strong and run the best cross country race of her life.”

Two weeks later at the PAC 12 championships, Strickland again finished fifth. And though the Trojans came in 10th overall, the experience gave her confidence for the future. “Now that I know how the whole system works, I think that I can definitely do better next season,” she said.

When Walsh recruited Strickland, he saw “untapped potential.” Someone “who isn’t afraid to compete against the best in the country,” he said. “The [Laguna] coaches did an excellent job of making her better, but they didn’t hammer her into the ground with over training like some of the high school coaches do these days.”

At Laguna, Strickland understood the importance of team unity, and how building a family-like atmosphere can drive team success. Laguna sophomore Janie Crawford recently credited Strickland as one of the inspirational forces that drove the 2011 Breakers to the cross-country state finals. Laguna missed Strickland’s senior leadership the following season. The team did not return to the state championship race.

Nevertheless, during her spring break Strickland returned to Eric Hulst Track, where she set school records in the 1600 and 3200, to help motivate and inspire a promising young girls track team. “My advice to them was to get that team spirit again,” Strickland said. “They just need that extra encouragement from a team member.”

While Strickland and her Trojan teammates encourage each other, at SC every athlete is expected to be self-driven. “Definitely the team bonding is different at the collegiate level,” she said. “It’s a totally different mind set.”

By track season, it didn’t take Strickland long before she made her mark as one of the team’s best at 1500 meters, when she ran a personal record 4:34.76 at the Trojan Invitational in March.

It was the third faster team time of the year. “She ran a confident and aggressive race, and finished with a strong kick at the end,” said Walsh, who believes Strickland has the ability to one day run 4:25 for 1500 meters.

Strickland needed to post a time of 4:30 or less at the final meet of the season against UCLA in order to qualify for the PAC 12 Championships. She came up short, but said, “I definitely see myself making it to PAC 12’s next season.”

Until then, Strickland is going to concentrate on “Making sure I’m driven both academically and athletically, and just seeing where this next year takes me.”

USC freshman Natasha Strickland at the 2013 Claremont Relays. Photo by Bill Davies

Two-time Olympic champion Felix Sanchez paid a visit to USC last week. The former Trojan track star from the Dominican Republic was there to make sure the 2013 USC track team understood the importance of beating cross-town rival UCLA. “It was really, really cool,” said USC freshman Natasha Strickland, a former Laguna Beach High star who ran the 1500 meters in her team’s regular season finale against the Bruins. “Being able to be a part of that [rivalry] was just a really exciting experience.”

Strickland’s first year as a two-sport division I college athlete was “really an eye-opening experience,” said the middle distance runner who also competed in cross-country for the Trojans.

The fall semester was especially tough, as the incoming freshman struggled to balance the rigors of college academics with a brutal cross-country training schedule. “It was a lot more mileage than I expected,” she said.

Having a supportive family nearby made the transition easier. “I’m so glad I picked some place close to home,” Strickland said. Still, occasionally she would wonder, “Do I have time for this? Am I fully dedicated to both?”

She battled early season injuries that had dogged her since her senior year at Laguna. “Natasha had her ups and downs during the cross-country season,” said USC’s Tom Walsh, Strickland’s coach in both cross-country and track. “But she learned a lot during a race at Riverside.”

At the Highland Invitational on the UC Riverside campus last October, Strickland finished fifth for USC and 17th overall. It was the first race where she figured among her team’s scoring five, helping the Trojans take second. “She followed the race plan exactly and stayed with a group of girls that was near the front,” said Walsh. “She held on nicely until the last 400 meters, and then she used her leg speed to finish strong and run the best cross country race of her life.”

Two weeks later at the season-ending PAC 12 championships, Strickland again finished fifth. And though the Trojans came in 10th overall, the experience gave her confidence for the future. “Now that I know how the whole system works, I think that I can definitely do better next season,” she said.

When Walsh recruited Strickland, he saw “untapped potential.” Someone “who isn’t afraid to compete against the best in the country,” he said. “The [Laguna] coaches did an excellent job of making her better, but they didn’t hammer her into the ground with over-training like some of the high school coaches do these days.”

At Laguna, Strickland understood the importance of team unity, and how building a family-like atmosphere can drive team success. Laguna sophomore Janie Crawford recently credited Strickland as one of the inspirational forces that drove the 2011 Breakers to the cross-country state finals.

During her spring break, Strickland returned to the local track where she set school records in the 1600 and 3200 to help motivate and inspire a stable of young Laguna runners starving for the kind of senior leadership that she and Marissa Merchant provided in 2011. “My advice to them was to get that team spirit again,” Strickland said. “They just need that extra encouragement from a team member.”

While Strickland and her Trojan teammates root for and encourage each other, things aren’t quite the same at USC, where every athlete is expected to be self-driven. “Definitely the team bonding is different at the collegiate level,” she said. “It’s a totally different mind set.”

By the time track season started, Strickland was beginning to feel every bit a Trojan. It didn’t take long before she made her mark as one of the team’s best at 1500 meters, when she ran a personal record 4:34.76 at the Trojan Invitational in late March.

It was the third fastest team time of the year. “She ran a confident and aggressive race, and finished with a strong kick at the end,” said Walsh, who believes Strickland has the ability to one day run 4:25 for 1500 meters.

Strickland needed to post a time of 4:30 or below at the final meet of the season against UCLA in order to qualify for the PAC 12 Championships. She came up short, but said, “I definitely see myself making it to PAC 12’s next season.”

Until then, Strickland is going to concentrate on “Making sure I’m driven both academically and athletically, and just seeing where this next year takes me.”

Janie Crawford wins the 800 at the Godinez dual meet while Coach Steve Lalim looks on with stopwatch in hand.

Janie and Jack Crawford arrived in Laguna with their parents two years ago. For the freshman Janie, the move from Redmond, Wash., marked a new beginning. For Jack, a junior, it became a refreshing reminder of old beginnings past.

Jack already trained with two cross-country teams, one as a middle-schooler in Texas and the other at his former high school in Redmond. His first task upon arrival in Laguna was to contact the cross-country coach at his new high school. “Every where you go, the cross country teams are the best group of people, I think,” said the self-described extrovert who was hoping to make some new friends fast.

Coach Scott Wittkop invited him to a team practice at El Morro Elementary. By the end of the team’s training run, Jack had become part of a new family. “This is a group that I really want to be a part of,” he thought at the time.

He turned his attention to his kid sister, telling her about the social side benefits of his favorite sport. “I just wanted her to go out and run, so that she would meet some people that were really nice and really cool and make some friends,” he said.

Janie was all ready an accomplished middle distance runner at her Redmond middle school.

Now, she looks back with fond memories on her first year in cross country. How Natasha Strickland and Marissa Merchant, the two seniors on that team, pushed Janie and her teammates to give everything they had to make it to state finals. How no one could sleep on the eve of the big race in Fresno. And how sad she was when it was over, because two of her new friends would not be back next season. “I will always remember that night,” Janie said. “My team is like my family.”

Jack was a varsity runner in Redmond at a school more than twice the size of Laguna. But the competition in Orange County is much tougher. “I’d say that my team here is a much faster team than my Redmond team,” he said.

Jack became close friends with then sophomore Casey Koprowski and freshman Grant Barton. At the time, the three of them were “on the boarder line of okay and good,” said Jack. Through hard work and dedication, the trio rose to the top of the ranks and became three of the team’s top runners.

After an exciting and memorable finish to the cross-country season, Janie really to began to make a name for herself when she took to the soccer field and tied for third on the team in goals scored with four. That 2012 squad, led by senior Marina Paul, went on to win its first Orange Coast league title.

Both Crawfords turned out for their first season of track in spring of 2012. Each has a special routine when preparing for a race. Janie likes to listen to music. For Jack, it’s cereal. “I try to have my Honey Bunches of Oats before every race in the morning,” he said.

Jack’s specialty is the 3200, although he also competes in the 1600 and the 800. He had some success in the 3200 at the California Relays, where he finished fifth with a personal record of 10:15.06. He went on to finish seventh at Orange Coast League finals with a time of 10:19.36.

Janie competed in four main events her first year: the 200, 800, 4×400 and triple jump. She even moonlighted as a member of the 4×800 and distance medley relays at the Arcadia Invitational.

She won her first ever high school triple jump competition at the Irvine Invitational, jumping 34′ 4” to break the school record. She also won league titles in the 800, and as a member of the 4×400 relay. “She has a unique combination of speed and endurance that allows her to be successful in pretty much any event we put her in,” said her coach Steve Lalim.

Both runners had breakthrough seasons last fall in cross-country. Jack lowered his three-mile time by nearly a minute, and Janie sliced more than two minutes off of her best. Their PRs came at the same event, the 32nd Annual Woodbridge Invitational.

Jack seems surprised by his cross-country accomplishments. “Honestly, I’ve completely surpassed any goals I ever had,” he said. “I’m at least a minute ahead of where I ever thought I’d be.”

Jack Crawford wins the 1600 at the Godinez dual meet

Jack has always known how to run, but it was Wittkop’s instruction and strategy that helped him shave off that last minute. “Senior year was a big drop just because I learned how to run a race,” he said. “I would be no where near where I am right now without him.”

Janie has two more years to reach her goal of becoming only the fourth girl to break the 18-minute barrier in cross-country. “I seem to be improving. I’m really hoping to get there, but I’m not sure if I will,” she said.

With the 2013 track season winding down, both Crawfords are trying to turn things up a notch.

Jack wants to bring his time in the 1600 below 4:30. He also wants to make a good showing in the 3200 at CIF.

He all ready has a win this season in the 3200 at the Irvine/Asics Distance Carnival. And he set a new PR of 9:54.19 on his home track at the Laguna Beach Trophy Invitational last March. “I believe he can run in the 4:20′s in the 1600 and low 9:40′s in the 3200, said Wittkop. “But it would not surprise me if he goes faster than that.”

One of Lalim’s assistants, Jeff Harris, has been working with Janie on her 200 starts. The following day at last Saturday’s Orange County Championships at Mission Viejo High, Janie ran a personal best 26.44 in the 200, only .35 shy of the 26.09 Holden Penney ran in 2009. Janie also soared nearly two feet past her own triple jump record when she flew 35’ 7” at the same meet. “She is the single most talented individual I’ve seen come through the track program,” said Harris, now in his seventh year at Laguna.

Janie added the 400 to her repertoire of races this season. Like everything else she tries, she quickly showed great prowess in the event, winning at the Irvine Invitational and Irvine/Asics Distance Carnival. And she set her 400 PR of 59.39 at the Laguna Beach Trophy Invite. “What do you say about someone like that?” said Harris, himself a former 400 runner. “There’s pain involved in that race. But certain people rise above that, and she’s one of those people.”

Jack considered some colleges where he would have the opportunity to keep running. But he committed to Montana State because of its mechanical engineering school. The coach there doesn’t think his times are fast enough yet, so “I’m not sure if I’m going to run next year,” Jack said.

Janie is looking forward to two more years as a three-sport athlete. All that after-school activity helps calm her mind so she can focus on her schoolwork when she gets home. It must be working. She has a 4.2 GPA. “I couldn’t image life without sports,” she said.

Photos by Robert Campbell

UCLA senior Andrea Reigel. Photo courtesy of UCLA Sports Information

One of the best female swimmers in Laguna Beach High history, Andrea Reigel (’09) realized her life-long dream when she competed in four events for the UCLA Bruins at the NCAA championships last Thursday through Saturday in Indianapolis. “I’m really happy with how my career ended,” she said,  “I feel like I reached my potential in swimming. I have no regrets.”

Her career began when, at age 10, she discovered her love for competitive swimming and gave up soccer to devote herself to becoming the best she could be. “I never lost that love of racing, and that’s why I do it,” she said. “You get to feel that sense of accomplishment.”

By age 13, she knew she wanted to be a college swimmer after her club coach took her team to see the PAC 10 championships in Long Beach. “I just remember it being like, oh my gosh, I want to do that,” she said.

From the beginning, Reigel never lost sight of her dream, dedicating herself to endless grueling hours in the pool. “She’s very self driven,” said her mother Kristine, who admits all those years of early morning practices were tough. “It was great when she got her driver’s license,” she laughed.

Reigel set four individual records and three relay records at Laguna Beach High, drawing the attention of college coaches, including UCLA’s Cyndi Gallagher. When she met the talented teen during a recruiting visit, Reigel told her that she “loved” UCLA. “How could you not want a person like that on your team?” Gallagher asked.

Getting to the pinnacle of college swimming “was a very long process, but I wasn’t fully ready until this year,” Reigel said. “It was nice to feel all that work really paid off in the best way.

Reigel’s performance at the PAC 12 championships earlier this month in Seattle earned her a spot in both the NCAA 200 and 400 individual medley and the 200 backstroke. She admittedly didn’t swim her best race in the 200 IM preliminary on the tournament’s opening day. “I was a little excited and I went out to fast, and then I died,” she said.

She returned to Indiana University’s Natatorium on the next morning and swam a personal best 4:10.51 in the 400 IM preliminary, missing Friday night’s final by .01. Reigel is now second all time in UCLA history in both medley races. She is also among the top eight in both the 100 and 200 backstroke.

Had Reigel made the 400 IM final, she wouldn’t have been available when Gallagher came looking for someone to fill in for a sick member of the 800 freestyle relay team. It was an event that Reigel swam only occasionally in the past and was not one of her strengths, but the senior captain stepped up and accepted the challenge, which came as no surprise to her coach. “She is the ultimate team player,” said Gallagher, who, among many things, will miss Reigel’s “willingness to do anything I ask for the sake of the team.”

With Reigel swimming anchor, she and her three teammates went out and broke the school record with a time of 7:06.23, finishing 13th overall and adding eight points to the Bruins team total. “That was the highlight of the meet for me,” said Reigel. “Just to be able to say that I got to be a UCLA Bruin and a division one athlete, it’s pretty awesome.”

Relaxing at home last Monday, just two days after her final race, Reigel tried to put everything in perspective. “I’m officially retired. It’s pretty crazy,” she said. “After 15 years of swimming, it’s not really going to hit me for a while.”

A Biology major, Reigel plans to pursue a doctorate and a career in conservation biology. And though she’s ready to get on with the next chapter in her life, she hasn’t ruled out becoming a volunteer youth coach some day. “I would love to give back to the sport that gave me so much,” she said. “We’ll see.”

Sophomore Olivia Clark (#9) breaks off the line at the start of the fourth annual Hulst Memorial 3200.

Laguna Beach High’s Eric Hulst Track and Geyer Field came alive last Saturday, as thousands of spectators, coaches and athletes ushered in a new era in the storied history of the Laguna Beach Trophy Invitational track and field meet. “We’re going to continue to build a quality meet and try to make it better every year,” said girls’ coach Steve Lalim.

Laguna Coach Red Guyer started the Trophy Invitational more than 75 years ago to give his athletes a chance to compete on a level playing field against a handful of other small Orange County high schools.

The small town meet grew in the mid-70s, when better athletes from bigger schools turned out to compete against Laguna’s legendary distance runner Eric Hulst, who won a state cross-country title as a junior and set national grade level records that stood for decades. He also won the World Junior Cross Country Championship as a senior, leading the U.S. team to victory.

Senior Drake Martinez (center) wins the final heat of the 100m dash.

The meet ended in 1983, but returned in 2010, when Lalim and boys’ coach Scott Wittkop revived the long forgotten Laguna tradition and convinced district officials to name the school’s track after Hulst. The two coaches also named a race in his honor. This year, 30 girls and 29 boys competed for Laguna in the fourth annual Hulst Memorial 3200. “Athletes take a lot of pride in running in that event,” said Lalim.

Sophomore Janie Crawford kicks to the finish of the varsity 400m.

Only four years after its revival, the Trophy Invitational welcomed more than 1,500 athletes and coaches from 32 southern California schools across the top four CIF divisions. To put the talent of the field in perspective, 11 athletes from five schools combined to break 10 meet records. “I am very proud to play a role in the return of the Trophy Invite,” said Lalim. “It’s a great event for our high school, our track and field program, and our community.”

“Steve Lalim and I work very well together and have the same vision,” echoed Wittkop. “We also have parents that give a lot of time and support. We could not run the meet without them.”

Division four Laguna held its own against many of the larger schools. The girls’ 4×400 varsity relay team, seeded fifth coming in, blew away the competition. “I knew we’d do well,” said Lalim. “Our goal was to break 4:10.”

Freshman Coco Putnam clears the final hurdle in the frosh/soph 300m hurdles.

Janie Crawford, Natalie Kimball, Joanna Abarca, and Brielle Budroe combined to run a blistering 4:08.26, crushing second place Dana Hills by more than 4.5 seconds. “That’s a great time,” said Lalim. “We’re only gonna get faster.”

Crawford, a sophomore, was one of only two runners to break the minute mark in the 100m, finishing second with a time of 59.39. And she showed her versatility by taking fifth in the triple jump with a leap of 32 feet 10 inches.

For the third time this season, four pretty good football players, Spencer Anderson, Robert Clemons, Nathan Lancaster and Drake Martinez, broke the school record in the 4×100 relay. Their time of 44.15 earned them a fifth place finish against some top D-I schools.

In his first year of track, Nebraska football recruit Martinez ran a personal best 11.38 to win the final heat of the 100m, earning him a second place overall finish against some talented sprinters. Lancaster, a junior, took fourth in the 200m with a time of 23.41, and sixth in the 100m with a time of 11.63.

Junior Darby Winson (left) in the varsity 100m hurdles.

Although no Laguna athlete, girl or boy, competes in the event, organizers decided to re-introduce pole vault to the meet to attract some of the larger schools, like Dana Hills and Orange Lutheran. The school borrowed a pole vault pit from Mission Viejo High, and a team of volunteers spent hours setting up the intricate apparatus in one corner of Geyer Field.

Kevin Stull of Orange Lutheran celebrated the triumphant return of the crowd favorite event with a meet record vault of 15 feet 3 inches. Sierra Hansen of Dana Hills missed the girls record by one inch, clearing 10’ 6” to win.

Junior Kailar Pike clears the bar in the varsity high jump.

Freshman Coco Putnam was runner up in the girls 300m hurdles with a time of 49.76. She also clocked a 1:02.37 to take fifth in the 400m. Freshman Charles Warner cleared 5’8” to take third in the frosh/soph high jump.

It takes a lot of time and an army of volunteers to plan and stage the Trophy Invite; still both coaches enjoy the experience. Wittkop says he sometimes gets a chance to hear former athletes tell stories of past Trophy Invites. “I hope that the athletes that are competing now can look back and have the same positive memories,” he said.

Visit www.trophyinvite.com for a complete list of results.

Pole vaulters wait their turn at a practice run before.

A Dana Hills vaulter clears the bar in the pole vault.

Senior Robert Clemons stretches for the finish in the 100m dash.

The daughter of Laguna girls’ Coach Steve Lalim receives some pointers on her form from a Dana Hills runner.

Senior Reece Barton fires out of the blocks at the start of the 400m.

Freshman Pearl Shoemaker and sophomore Olivia Clark lead the first lap of the Eric Hulst 3200m.

Photos by Robert Campbell

Senior Haley Putnam anchors an experienced team that hopes to hopes to return to post season.

The Breakers return all but one starter from last year’s team that finished third in the Orange Coast league before losing in the CIF wild card round to Silverado. It was Laguna’s first post-season home game in 10 years.

Victoria Batistelli, Alan Ludloff’s assistant last season, takes over coaching duties from Ludloff, who led the team to a 15-8 finish in his only season. This is Batistelli’s first head coaching position, having previously assisted at her alma mater, Division 1 Wagner College, on Staten Island, N.Y., after completing a professional softball career in Italy.

All-CIF and all-league senior pitcher Haley Putnam and all-league senior catcher Kennedi Gherardini anchor a Breaker offense that also features fellow senior Cory Kent (SS), juniors Jordan Hartman (3B, OF) and Jennifer Sorenson (OF), and sophomore Halle Redfearn (P, 1B).

All six finished the 2012 season with batting averages well north of .400, and Putnam and Kent topped .500. They are joined in the starting lineup by junior Veronica Clancey (OF) and sophomore Katyn Ott (2B), who were no slouches at the plate last year, sporting .372 and .346 averages respectively.

Putnam and Redfearn got Laguna got off to an impressive start, beating Capistrano Valley Christian 29-0 in a combined no-hitter in the season opener. The Breakers followed with a 3-1 win over Westminster’s La Quinta High in the opener of the Costa Mesa Tournament.

They followed those two opening victories with three straight lopsided losses, one to division II Mission Viejo and both ends of a double header to La Sierra Academy, a top division IV team. As of March 12, Laguna’s record was 2-3. “We are excited about this season and have stacked our schedule with highly competitive teams to challenge us and make us better,” said Batistelli.

Swimming

Sophomore Erik Juliusson will play a big role in the boys’ quest for a CIF title.

After a season that included five new school records, the boys swimming team is off to a solid start in their quest to improve on last season’s CIF runner-up finish. They easily beat Pacifica/Garden Grove 116-33 in their season and home opening dual meet earlier this month.

Coach Kari Johnson returns for another year, having elevated the program to a level of respect not seen at Laguna before her arrival. In her first season, she led the boys to their first ever league championship, and neither team has lost a league title under her watch.

Johnson presided over both teams’ best ever CIF showings as well: runner-up finishes for the girls in 2009 and 2011, and last year’s boys’ team.  And a number of talented swimmers on both teams have set 18 of the school’s 22 records with Johnson poolside.

The fifth-year coach thinks the boys “have a shot at winning” CIF this season. If so, they will have to do it without Billy Wild, who set a school record in the 100 butterfly to win Laguna’s first ever boys CIF individual title.

In a four-year varsity career, Wild established two individual school records and is part of two record-setting relay teams. Other key losses for the boys are Tommy Renner and Dane Doran.

Junior Lila Vera will lead a girls’ team that finished third in CIF last season.

Returning from last year’s CIF runner up squad are all-league sophomores Erik Juliusson, who finished second at CIF in the 100 backstroke and third in the 500 freestyle in school record times, and Cade Baldridge, a member of the 400 freestyle relay team that set a new school standard at CIF.

Joining those two are all-league seniors Caleb Scott and Riley Thomas, as well as newcomers Cameron Karkoska and Max Morgan.

The girls lost distance specialist Melena Masson and sprinter Yoshi Andersen, who have moved on to college water polo careers.

Returning from last season’s CIF squad are senior Lexi Del Toro, juniors Lila Vera, Maggie Renner, MacKenzie Baldridge and Jenna Knott, and sophomores Makenzie Fischer and Faith Hale. Freshman Abby Cohn is a notable addition to the squad.

Vera earned first team all-league honors, winning the 100 butterfly and finishing second in the 100 backstroke at CIF last year. She owns school records in both events.

Del Toro also made first team all-league, while Knott and Renner made second team.

Johnson thinks the girls have enough talent to put them on the podium at CIF finals.

Photos by Robert Campbell

Senior first baseman Larry Stewart chases down the runner to record the final out of the sixth inning to preserve a 6-5 lead in Laguna’s victory over Troy of Fullerton in the Newport Elks Tournament at Skipper Carrillo Field.

Breaker baseball has experienced unprecedented success in recent years, with the last two teams posting the best records in team history. This year’s team looks to keep that momentum going. Head Coach Mike Bair has “high expectations” for his experienced squad, which includes 13 seniors and five juniors.

The Breakers are again loaded with live arms. As many as four quality starters and four more in the bullpen give Bair and third-year pitching coach Ben Julianel the enviable task of trying to get everyone enough innings to keep them sharp as the long season advances toward CIF playoffs.

Key returning players are seniors Robbie

Senior left fielder Kaito Lee battles the late afternoon sun to haul in a fly ball in the Laguna’s 11-2 win over Jurupa in the opening game of the Newport Elks Tournament at Skipper Carrillo Field.

McInerny (2B) and Blake Hester (DH, 1B, C), and juniors Steven Harrison (C, 3B) and Grant Wilhelm (P, CF). Each was selected first team all-Orange Coast league last season, with Wilhelm picking up pitcher of the year honors. Seniors Larry Stewart (P, 1B, OF) and Jackson Rees (P, RF), and junior Preston GrandPre (SS) earned second team honors.

Two key additions are Cole Millerd (P, 3B, OF), a senior transfer from La Quinta High School who went 7-2 with a 2.12 ERA in 56 innings over 10 starts. The other is junior Richie Nunis, who went 3-1 with a 2.96 ERA and was among the leaders in most every offensive category for last year’s JV squad.

Harrison’s .414 average and six homers led the team last year. Wilhelm (.394) had 37 hits and 24 RBI, both team highs. Hester’s (.402) 35 hits and 19 RBI were second to Wilhelm. McInerny (.359) matched Hester’s 19 RBI, and Stewart (.354, 23 hits, seven 2B) put up some big numbers despite missing several games with appendicitis.

Defending league champ Calvary and runner up Estancia will be the biggest obstacles for Laguna to overcome in their quest for only the second league title in program history.

Senior pitcher Jackson Rees pitched five innings and recorded six Ks without yielding an earned run in Laguna’s 11-2 win over Jurupa.

Boys Volleyball

Senior outside hitter Weston Barnes knocks down the kill in Laguna’s season and home opener at Dugger Gym against Edison of Huntington Beach. The Breakers won 3-1.

Year two of the Scott Panaro era is underway. The second year coach, who took over for local legend Lance Stewart, and his team have all ready made some noise this season with an easy 3-1 win at home over Edison to open the season, followed by a 3-0 road thumping of Newport Harbor. It’s the first time Laguna has swept the Sailors on their court in more than 15 years.

Gone are last year’s co-captains, Orange Coast league MVP Jack Winn and first team all-league Austin Hillemann. Senior and second team all-league Grifan Fair steps into Winn’s role as setter. Fellow senior and first team all-league Weston Barnes, who led the team in kills last season, should get even more chances at the net with the departure of Hillemann.

Rounding out the starting rotation is senior and first team all league Maxx McCarter in the middle. He’ll share blocking duties with junior Noah Blanton. Junior Jake Hexberg moves into the Libero spot. Fellow junior JP Wollam will also see time at both setter and Libero.

Senior Jackson Pries, who was injured most of last season, will work the other side of the net at opposite, while junior Jack Wyett will backup McCarter on the outside. Another junior, Alec Wulff, who is fresh off a stellar hoops season, brings height and athleticism to a deep and talented group of outside hitters.

Senior Larry Stewart connects on a low pitch for a single in Laguna’s 11-2 win over Jurupa.

The Breakers look to cruise through their league schedule and collect an eighth straight title, with Calvary Chapel probably giving them their toughest competition. If the first two games of the season are any indication, the 2013 Breakers have a good chance to match or exceed last year’s CIF quarterfinal appearance.

Boys Tennis

Teague Hamilton and Morgan Lebby return for their senior seasons, hoping to lead the Breakers back to CIF quarterfinals and beyond. Hamilton and Lebby were both all-league last season, with the UC Santa Barbara-bound Hamilton also earning all-CIF honors.

The duo was a combined 9-0 in Laguna’s three CIF matches. “Our success as a team is pinned on these two players,” said Head Coach Don Davis. “Teague Hamilton is an elite tennis player and is someone to watch during CIF individuals.”

Senior pitcher Kurt Rebone delivers a pitch during his complete game victory over Troy of Fullerton in the Breakers third round game of the Newport Elks Tournament at Skipper Carrillo Field.

The Breakers return all their starters from last season, including first team all-league seniors Matt Meisberger, Jared Boetes, and Andrew Koumas. Second team all-league juniors Noah Radach and Alex Duong also return to action.

Hamilton and Lebby are the number one and two singles players. Senior Owen Weber, who returns to the squad after a year off, will join freshman Ryan Gee to form the number one doubles team. The rest of the starting lineup is still working itself out in competition.

The team’s brutal pre-league schedule has all ready seen them lose to San Clemente, Crean Lutheran and Corona del Mar. The next three against Mission Viejo, Mater Dei and Newport Harbor on March 5, 6 and 7 probably weren’t any easier.

Still, the Breakers have the depth to run the table in league competition, as they did last season, going 8-0 to win the title. How far Laguna goes in CIF remains to be seen.

The pickoff throw to junior short stop Preston GrandPre comes too late as the runner from Troy of Fullerton gets back to second base safely during the Breakers third round game of the Newport Elks Tournament at Skipper Carrillo Field.

Boys Golf

The future, and maybe even the present, looks bright for the five sophomores one junior and one senior that make up a young Breakers golf team that will surely miss first team all-league Tim Peterson, a four-year varsity starter.

Returning to the starting lineup are senior Mitchell Wills, junior Tyler Metez and sophomore John Grayden. They are joined by sophomores Spencer Donovan, Troy Sullivan, Dylan Rouda, and Josh Pontius. “We have a strong group of tenth graders that bring a solid core to the team,” said Coach Scott Finn.

Laguna has had a rough go of it so far, dropping two matches to division one Tesoro of Rancho Santa Margarita to open the season, before losing a third to division one Dana Hills. Still, Finn hopes his young team can right the ship in time to compete with Estancia for a league title.

Sophomore second baseman Katyn Ott throws to first for the put out during Laguna’s season and home opener against Capistrano Valley Christian at the Breaker’s Thurston Middle School field.

Junior Veronica Clancey connects for a hit in Laguna’s season and home opening win against Capistrano Valley Christian at the Breaker’s Thurston Middle School field.

Senior Haley Putnam pitched Laguna to its season and home opening win against Capistrano Valley Christian at the Breaker’s Thurston Middle School field.

Photos by Robert Campbell

Senior Jake Dalke joined Laguna’s 1,000-point club this season.

It’s been a historic season for Laguna Beach High School basketball. For as far back as records show, the 2012-13 boys team is the first to have four players score at least 240 points, led by senior Cole Kesler’s league-leading 361. The other three—junior Noah Blanton (268), Dalke (264), and junior Alec Wulff (240)—finished among the league’s top eight, and the team’s fifth starter, junior Josh Adams (190) was 14th.

It’s that kind of a balanced attack that helped the Breakers go undefeated (10-0) in league play for only the third time in the program’s 79-year history. “To me that’s just kind of how the game’s supposed to be played, where, you know, kids share the basketball,” said Coach Bret Fleming.

Going into the first round of CIF against Brentwood High, the girls had won a school record 19 games, or 19 more than last season. Like the boys, they did it with a balanced attacked. All five starters scored more than 100-points, led by freshman Jackie Cenan, whose 398 are only 51 shy of the entire output of last year’s 0-18 squad.

A big difference between this year and last for the girls was an influx of eight talented freshmen that doubled the team’s roster to 16. But the main reason for the stark turnaround was, “they learned how to compete. They learned how to win. And once you do that, it just feeds on itself,” said second-year Coach Mark Lewis.

Freshman Jackie Cenan led Breakers to a record 19 wins.

“We play off of each other’s strengths, and we’re able to work well together,” said senior captain Kylie Even.

Cenan’s 18 points per game average led the Orange Coast league, while the other four starters—junior Jane Wallin (213), freshman Alexander Lewis (145), junior Kyra Humphries (127) and Even (101)—finished among the league’s top 14 in total points scored.

All those points aside, keeping the other team from scoring has been job one for Lewis’ team this season. They had the league’s best defense, allowing an average of 33.3 points in 10 games. They also recorded nearly 17 steals and more than six blocks per game for the entire season. “We always try to build on our defense,” said Even. “First we focused on bringing [opponents] down in points, and then bringing us up.”

This year was also punctuated by several individual achievements. Dalke became only the 10th player in team history to score more than 1,000 career points. His 103 games played also put him in elite company, only three off Jeff Clark’s (’06) record of 106. “He’s just been a kid that’s real consistent and a hard worker,” said Fleming, who has coached half of the 10 players in the 1,000-point club.

“I just can’t thank Coach Fleming enough. He’s given me countless and countless opportunities for me to excel, said Dalke. “He’s like part of my family now.”

The four-year varsity starter was genuinely surprised to learn of his accomplishments after the season finale against Costa Mesa, but he doesn’t want to think about them just yet. “It will be cool to look back on it,” he said. “What I’m super stoked about right now is our record of 21 and six.”

Cenan was simply dominant for the girls. During winter break at the four-day, four-game MaxPreps Holiday Classic, she averaged 21.3 points, 12.25 rebounds and 4.7 steals to lead the Breakers to the title, the team’s second tournament win of the season.

After the break in the league opener against Saddleback, Cenan became only the fifth Laguna girl to score 30 or more points in a game. Two nights later against Estancia, she did it again.

With so many offensive weapons on both teams, it would seem that there wouldn’t be enough shots to go around. “Whoever’s open is allowed to shoot and is encouraged to shoot,” said Kesler. But, he conceded, “I don’t really think people care about scoring that much.” Everyone just tries to “share the ball, run up and down the court, and just get the easy pass and get the easy bucket,” he said.

Lewis said his team’s balanced scoring is a product of the system. “They just do what they’re supposed to do. When the girls execute the game plan, you know, good things usually happen for us.”

The best thing that happened for both teams was securing a post-season berth. “Going to CIF is just proof of what hard work gets you,” said Wallin.

A win against Salesian on Feb. 13 means the boys will play a second round game on Friday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. A victory over Brentwood on Feb. 14 will send the girls to a second round game on Saturday, Feb. 16.

Photos by Robert Campbell

Junior Noah Blanton goes up for two of his career high 22 points against Estancia earlier this season. Credit: Robert Campbell

Noah Blanton may be a quiet kid, but the 6’5” junior has been making some noise on the basketball court for the Breakers, who needed to beat Costa Mesa on Thursday, Feb. 7 at Dugger Gym to cap off an undefeated league season, the third in school history.

Most locals remember the exploits of Noah’s uncles Kurt (’85) and Dain (’90), who excelled in both basketball and volleyball at Laguna. Dain, a 2000 Olympic gold medalist in beach volleyball, was all Pacific Coast League in basketball in 1989 and ’90, and all-CIF in ’90.  His father Everett (’84), who ran track, also played one season of hoops for Laguna.

Blanton has never felt pressured by his family heritage, but “it’s real good motivation when I’m in practice, and I see my uncle’s name up on the wall,” he said.

A gifted athlete, Noah had big-game potential as a sophomore, but he lacked the aggressiveness to really make an impact. “Sometimes potential can be a dirty word,” said Breaker’s Coach Bret Fleming, who thought Blanton “kind of played nice” last season.

Blanton agreed, saying, “I can’t be as nice when I’m playing. I’ve got to set that aside.”

This year Blanton has dispensed with the niceties, nearly doubling his scoring average and leading the team in rebounds and blocked shots. “That’s a huge turnaround from his freshman year,” said Fleming. “Now he’s very competitive. He likes to compete. He wants to compete.”

Blanton lost his nice guy image on the Main Beach courts last summer, where “he had to be tougher and more aggressive,” said his father. “He had to play against men.” But off the court, “I think he’s still pretty much the same.”

Blanton’s mother Mary, who teaches at El Morro Elementary, is happy to see that basketball has helped her son come out of his shell, but she knows that the game will never really change who he is deep down.

Noah’s love for basketball developed on the courts of Laguna’s Boys and Girls Club, but no one really taught him the finer points of the game until he joined the National Junior Basketball program in eighth grade. “When he got to high school, he had a lot of learning to do,” his father said. “Everyone was kind of technically ahead of him.”

Fleming began to mold the future Breaker at his summer basketball camp. Now, three years later, “our coach has really been pounding away at him to step it up,” said Blanton’s teammate Cole Kesler. “He’s starting to learn what it takes to score and be a good player at the varsity level. If we can keep his confidence up that he can make a move and score, I think we’re going to be doing pretty well.”

“He’s starting to get it,” Fleming agreed, but conceded, “some things he gets better than others.”

One thing Blanton needs to get is a better jump shot. Right now, teams guard him loosely when he goes outside, because he hasn’t shown he can be a consistent scoring threat from there.  “If he added some kind of jump shot to his game, he’d be really, really tough to guard,” said Fleming.

Even without a consistent jumper, Blanton still does a lot of damage in the paint. Over the last nine games, he’s averaging 12.5 points, including a career high 20 against division one Corona to help Laguna earn a third place finish at the Estancia Coast Classic tournament last December. Two games later, he burned Estancia for 22 in the Breakers second Orange Coast league contest.

Each night out, Blanton gains confidence and gets a little better. “I feel more comfortable after every game,” he said. “I learn from all of them.”

He’s closer to becoming a complete player. “There’s still more under there that we haven’t seen yet,” his father predicted. “You get glimpses of it every now and then. When it’s realized all the way, it’s going to be something special.”

Lance Stewart

Lance Stewart, former volleyball coach and three-sport star at Laguna Beach High, was inducted into the UC Berkeley Sports Hall of Fame last Saturday. He received the award in part for his MVP performance as a setter on Cal’s first club national championship team in 1985. “It was kind of cool,” said Stewart, who was surprised when he found out. “Every year I get the email of the people who are being inducted. This year it was me.”

Stewart was named CIF volleyball player of the year as a high school senior in 1981, when he led Laguna to a 30-0 record and a Southern Section title. That performance earned him full scholarship offers to play at Pepperdine and USC. What Stewart really wanted, though, was a football scholarship, but no offers came. He remembers telling himself at the time, “I’m going to prove these football coaches wrong.”

He turned his back on volleyball and enrolled at two-year school, Saddleback College, where, as a freshman quarterback, he led the Gauchos to the Mission Conference championship and a 13-12 victory over San Diego Mesa in the PONY Bowl. That stellar season, which later earned him induction to Saddleback’s Hall of Fame, caught the attention of Cal recruits. “They came calling, and I answered,” said Stewart.

His football career in Berkeley never really got off the ground. A quarterback at heart, Stewart didn’t take well to the coaches attempts to make him everything but a QB. After an uneventful season, he made peace with his gridiron dream, took a year off, and then tried out for Cal’s club volleyball team.

Stewart went on to coach LBHS’s boys’ volleyball team in two stints over nine years as well the girls’ team from 2004-12. He stepped down last November.

All Stewart has ever cared about, both as player and coach, is helping his team be the best it can be. To him, individual awards just get in the way. “If you’re a coach, you’re trying to sell the idea of team,” he said. “If you’re worried about that stuff, you’re never going to keep improving. It’s out of your control, so why worry about it.”

That’s not to say Stewart doesn’t appreciate his Hall of Fame induction “It’s always nice to be recognized, let’s just say that. Especially from a great university like Cal,” he said. But right now, Stewart is “trying to get a bunch of little 13 year olds better at volleyball. What I’ve done in the past and the awards I’ve gotten don’t mean a whole lot to them. What I’m doing in the moment is what’s important.”

Lexi Del Toro

The shared life experiences of Lexi Del Toro, Makenzie Baldridge and Sydney Saxe make them much more than BFFs; they’re BFL—Bonded For Life.

They grew up in the arms of a close knit community that encouraged their involvement in a sport that not only has become the glue that binds their friendship, but also the cement that makes up the foundation of their lives.

Water polo, and the life lessons it teaches, has given many former Laguna Beach high school players the strength, courage and perseverance to achieve their personal goals. Former Breaker stars like 2012 Olympian Annika Dries (’09), Taylor Dodson (’09), Natasha Schulman (’09), Lexie Ross (’10), Jessica Shusko (’11), Jessie Holechek (’11), Yoshie Anderson (’12), and Melena Masson (’12) owe much of who they are and what they have accomplished to the character-building sport.

“I like to call it the Laguna Beach water polo legacy,” said Baldridge. “They just left us this great example to follow; that motivation to do well and excel both in the pool and in the classroom.”

Baldridge’s father played water polo for Corona del Mar High, UC Irvine and UCLA, but it was her mother’s quest to “water proof” her young daughter by signing her up for swimming lessons that eventually gave an unwitting Baldridge her first taste of water polo. “I remember stepping on the pool deck, and I still had no idea what the sport was,” she said.

Del Toro, Baldridge’s St. Catherine’s classmate, said she was “just at that age where you want to do things with your friends.” So she signed up for swimming lessons too. It wasn’t long before the two caught the eye of Capo Club coaches. The rest is history.

Makenzie Baldridge

One of Saxe’s fifth grade friends had been hounding her to join Chad Beeler’s Laguna Beach Water Polo club. “I really didn’t think I would like water polo at all, so I kind of put it off,” said Saxe. Eventually, “my friend ended up quitting, but I stuck with it,” she said.

Del Toro and Baldridge met up with Saxe in seventh grade, when they joined Beeler’s program. The three are now senior co-captains on Coach Ethan Damato’s Breaker squad. “It’s such a great bond to have, you know, your best friends on your team, spending that much time with people you enjoy being around,” said Del Toro. “We’re basically inseparable.”

Individually they aren’t as dominant as some past Breaker stars, but together they form a core of leadership that has a carried a young Laguna team to the number six ranking in both Orange County and CIF division one. “Mackenzie is the type of leader who leads by example,” said Damato. Lexie is like “an assistant coach” and the “mother figure of the group.” And Saxe has been “such a steady factor this year. I always know I can count on her,” he said.

Sydney Saxe

Like most of his players past and present, the trio can’t say enough about their inspirational coach, who “expects great things from us, because he knows we can accomplish great things,” said Del Toro.

When their lives get a little hectic, like around finals times, Damato reminds them that “Water polo is an outlet for us to relax and forget about any type of stress, any adversity that were facing,” said Del Toro.

When a rare kidney disease sidelined Del Toro a couple years ago, Baldridge, Saxe and the entire team rallied around her. “It’s really helpful having our team, having such supportive people with us through those type of things,” said Del Toro.

Last year, doctors found a cyst on Baldridge’s spleen and had to remove it. The experience has had a profound affect on her. “It just gave me this whole different view of water polo. And now I just want to work so hard, not only for my teammates, but for myself,” she said.

“I think having your friends by you during those hard times was really helpful for both of them,” said Saxe.

All three girls are active in the community. To raise awareness for kidney disease, Del Toro, with the help of Saxe and Baldridge, organized a “Kidney Mud Run” with the non-profit Kidneys For Life foundation. Del Toro also spent some time visiting with other kidney patients. “It was definitely an experience, and a humbling experience at that,” she said. “To see their strength and motivation to keep going has definitely been an inspiring feeling.”

Baldridge volunteers with Beeler’s Little Mermaids program, helping young kids develop a love of the water. The normally shy Saxe stepped out of her comfort zone when she volunteered to be a Sunshine Reader with the Laguna chapter of the National Charity League and found out that she wouldn’t actually be reading stories to little children, but acting them out. “It’s really helped me step out of the box a little bit,” said Saxe. “It was a little frightening, but it’s been really rewarding.”

None of the girls wants to think about the end of the season, when their competitive days in the pool as teammates come to an end. “I’m really going to miss them to death,” said Baldridge, who will stay on the west coast and play for UC Santa Barbara next year while her friends head east.

Del Toro (Harvard) and Saxe (Princeton) will join former teammates Anderson (Harvard) and Holchek (Princeton) in what will be an Ivy League rivalry, Laguna style. “There’s obviously going to be some competition when we play each other, because we’re both really competitive people,” said Del Toro. But at the end of the day [Saxe] is always going to be my teammate at heart. She’s always going to be my best friend.”

Photos by Robert Campbell

Drake Martinez (36) in action at home against University High.
Photo by Robert Campbell

Anyone who watched Drake Martinez carry the football the past two seasons for Laguna Beach will tell you the all-league, all-CIF, all-Orange County running back is definitely all that. Now he can add all-southern California to his growing list of honors.

Martinez was recently selected to play in the 2013 Canyon-Coast Classic, an annual all-star game that pits 32 top players from Arizona against 32 from California’s CIF Southern, Los Angeles City and San Diego sections. Players from all divisions and school sizes make up both squads. The game is at Riverside Community College on Monday, Feb. 21 at 12:30 p.m. and will be televised on Fox Sports West.

Members of the Southern California Interscholastic Football Coaches Association and the Arizona Football Coaches Association select the players not only on their athletic accomplishments but also on their academic success and dedication to the game and their community.

Martinez will put on his high school pads on one more time and play for southern California coaching legend Dick Bruich, whose resume includes 20 league, four CIF, three state and one national championship with Fontana and Henry J. Kaiser High Schools over a 22-year career. “I’m just blessed to be able to be coached by him,” said Martinez.

Although Martinez played both running back and safety for Laguna, the school’s all-time leading scorer made most of his headlines on offense, racking up 65 career touchdowns to break former Breaker receiver Chris Paul’s (’11) career record of 44. Martinez expects to play mostly on defense, although his coach told him he would get some carries on offense. “I’m just glad to be a part of it,” said Martinez. “Hopefully I can get at it and make some plays happen.”

Several division one colleges have been courting Martinez, but he has yet to sign a letter of intent. He has been training for the Canyon-Coast Classic for several weeks, hoping to show those who doubt his talents because of Laguna’s perceived “weaker” division and league. “I just want to show everybody that I can play with better competition,” he said.

Austin Paxson (’11) slides home for the first of six runs for the alumni squad. The young Breakers beat the old Breakers in seven innings this past Saturday, Jan. 5 at Skipper Carrillo Field.

Chris Stansbury (’03) looked solid in the middle relief against this year’s Breaker squad, but the damage was done before he reached the mound.

Photos by Robert Campbell