The Woodbridge Cross Country Classic, which is hosted by Woodbridge, Estancia and Costa Mesa high schools, will take center stage on the county’s invitational schedule Friday and Saturday at Estancia High.
The two-day meet has more than 12,000 runners registered to compete, according to meet founder and director George Varvas. There are more than 270 schools from seven states set to compete.
“This is shaping up to be the largest meet that we have ever had,” Varvas said. “We are very excited and take a lot of pride in making this meet most enjoyable for the kids.”
The meet’s four featured races (the boys and girls rated races, and the boys and girls sweepstakes) are scheduled to be run Saturday night.
“The excitement of racing under lights makes it so that the top squads and runners want to come,” Varvas said.
For more information on this year’s event, visit gvarvas.com.
— JASON EICHELBERGER
GIRLS GOLF
Troy, the No. 1 girls golf team in the county, will join some of the top teams in Southern California at San Clemente Municipal Golf Course on Friday in the Rainbow Sandals Lady Triton Invitational, which has evolved into the premier regular-season tournament.
Santa Margarita, La Costa Canyon, Torrey Pines, Palm Desert, Torrance and Diamond Bar, which has Bethany Wu on the roster, are among the 18 teams entered. Wu is the third-ranked player in the nation in the American Junior Golf Association.
— DAMIAN DOTTORE
BOYS WATER POLO
Jim Sprague is back in familiar waters.
Sprague, 78, has returned to the Freeway League as an assistant coach at Sonora. He once ruled the Freeway League with Sunny Hills, where he won CIF-SS Division 1 titles in 1973, 1976 and 1986.
Sprague had been an assistant the past few seasons at Los Alamitos. But when Los Alamitos boys coach Dave Carlson resigned after last season, one of Sprague’s ex-players at Sunny Hills saw an opening for a program that hasn’t made many waves recently.
Sonora walk-on coach Barry Atnip, who played for Sprague at Sunny Hills and later assisted him at Servite, discussed Sonora with his ex-coach and now close friend.
Sprague was cleared by the Fullerton district to coach and began training the Raiders in the summer, Atnip said.
“He’s electric,” Atnip said of Sprague, who also guided Servite to three CIF titles. “He’s one of the legends.”
Sonora (2-4) plays this week at the Los Altos tournament, then opens Freeway League play on Oct. 8 against Troy.
The start for today’s Division 1 clash between visiting Long Beach Wilson and Corona del Mar has been moved to 6:30 p.m.
— DAN ALBANO
