Breakers edge Estancia by two strokes

It wasn’t a stroke of luck that gained the Laguna Beach girls’ golf team a huge Golden West League victory Tuesday.

It was several strokes of great play that lifted the surging Breakers.

In a key contest against host and defending league champion Estancia, Laguna won the match by just two strokes, 221-223, on the Mesa Linda Golf Course (par 35) at Costa Mesa Country Club.

The victory propelled Laguna into a two-game lead over Estancia in the Golden West League standings and has the Breakers in line for an outright championship.

Laguna played a make-up match Wednesday (Oct. 17) against Ocean View and closed out league play Thursday (Oct. 18) against Westminster. Those scores weren’t available at press time.

The Breakers improved to 8-0 in league with the win over Estancia and have won eight-straight matches to improve to 9-1 overall.

Estancia’s two losses this year have come at the hands of the Breakers.

The Eagles, who dropped a 248-259 match to Laguna on Sept. 26, are 7-2 in league and 12-2 overall.

Estancia defeated Laguna twice last year en route to winning the league title.

“Our girls looked awesome today,” Laguna Coach Val Quigley said. “I’ll tell you, both the Estancia and Laguna girls came to play. Both teams shot great scores and under the pressure of such a big match, our Laguna girls played like champions. Our individual scores tell the whole story.”

Karina Shaw, who won medalist honors, shot 39, her lowest score of the year. Shaw was one of five Breakers to record their lowest score of the year as Lexy Altman (41), Grace Stewart (46), Caitlin Barretto (47) and Shannon Sweeney (48) achieved that individual milestone.

“That’s five players shooting their lowest scores of the year in the biggest match of the year,” Quigley said. “The character and competitiveness of our girls really shined today.

“Diana Smith may have been our most important player, even though her score was dropped in the final tally. Before the match while warming up, one of the girls was having difficulty making solid contact and Diana helped her with a little feedback on her swing, which solved the problem. Without that feedback, we don’t get five low scores and we don’t get the win.”

In surfing

Laguna launched its season at 54th Street in Newport Beach on Oct. 10 where it dropped a close contest to Newport Harbor.

The Breakers, coached by Scott Finn and Alyssa Cairns, earned two first-place heat finishes as Austin Cooper won the boys’ short board and Taylor Pitz the girls’ short board.

Pitz also surfed in the girls’ longboard event and finished in second place.

Other top finishes for Laguna included Dashel Pierson-Plesa, who was third in the boys’ short board, and Matt Karam who was third in the bodyboard competition.

In cross-country

The contest was held in 2- to 4-feet peaky, wind swell conditions.

Both the Laguna boys’ and girls’ teams improved to 2-0 in Orange Coast League competition by virtue of easy wins over visiting Costa Mesa.

Laguna’s boys defeated the Mustangs, 19-40. The Breakers captured the top three spots and took six of the top-10 finishes. Casey Finnerty won the varsity race in 18:12. Yann Panassie (18:37) was second, Jake Johnson third (18:41), Andrew Shapero fifth (18:59), Jordon Festa seventh (19:20) and Sean Mulville was eighth (19:30).

Laguna’s girls won, 16-43, dominating the run with seven top-10 placements.

Maggie Newton-Neal took first-lace in 21:41, edging out teammate Heather Thomas who was second also at 21:41. Third-place went to Austin Schlatter (22:48), fourth to Sophie Radach (22:58), sixth to Madi Silvers (24:32), seventh to Margaux Reckard (24:32) and ninth to Jourdana Gergis (25:47).

At the Orange County Invitational on a rain-soaked course (2.7 miles) at Irvine Park Saturday, Panassie led Laguna with a 22nd-place finish (14:36) in the boys’ varsity race and Kativa Strickland (18:17) and Taylor Capobianco (18:17) finished in 24th and 25th place, respectively, to lead Laguna’s girls.

Laguna runs today at the Mount SAC Invitational in Walnut.

Both Breakers teams end league competition Thursday at Estancia.

In girls’ tennis

Laguna began the second-round of league play Tuesday by scoring a 16-2 home court win over Calvary Chapel.

In singles play, Madeline Jaeger swept with scores of 6-0, 6-1, 6-0, Haley Moss also earned a sweep with scores of 6-1, 6-0, 6-0, and McKenna Nokes won two of three, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.

The Breakers also won eight of nine points in doubles play.

Alison Azera/Sarah Russell won 6-3, 6-0, 6-2, Heather Tran/Alex Yates-Robinson won 6-2, lost 4-6 and won 6-2, and No. 3 Kimberly Smith/Bianca Sganga swept 6-2, 6-1, 6-1.

Laguna hosts Estancia Tuesday (Oct. 23) and plays at Calvary Chapel Thursday (Oct. 25).

In boys’ water polo

Laguna posted a 2-1 record in the past week, it’s most recent game a 14-6 Orange Coast League triumph over host Estancia. Nine Breakers found the net led by Nathan McConnell’s three goals. Pierre Masson scored twice, and single goals went to Sean Dorse, Max Munoz, David Brunner, Johnny Meek, Brett Thompson and Giorgio Masco.

On Tuesday, the Breakers had an easy time against Aliso Niguel and posted a 20-4 nonleague victory. Masson led the scoring onslaught with six goals. McConnell scored four goals, Victor Alcone three and Dorse and Robert Chew each had two goals. Goalie Warren Murrel had 10 saves.

Laguna, ranked eighth in the Division II poll, traveled Saturday to face Newport Harbor, the top-ranked team in Division I. The Breakers trailed 4-2 at the half, but the host Sailors began to pull away in the third quarter en route to a 10-4 nonleague win. Masson and McConnell both scored twice, and Murrel had 13 saves.

Laguna returns to the pool today to compete at the Tustin Tournament. The Breakers resume league play at 4 p.m. Wednesday at Costa Mesa.