TRACK AND FIELD
Santa Margarita came away with big wins in the Aztec Invitational at San Diego State on Saturday.
The Eagles took five wins in girls events and three wins on the boys side with two one-two finishes.
Lauren Drysch and Nikki Merritt each put up season best times in the 400 meters (57.13) and 100 hurdles (15.04), respectively, while McKenzie Shulman posted a personal record in the 800 (2:24.59).
Santa Margarita also took the girls 400 and 1,600 relays.
The Eagles got one-two finishes in the boys 100 and 400.
Blake Hennesay set a meet record in the 100 (10.78) with Richie Caragao close behind (10.97). In the 400, Derek hit a personal record (49.75) and Tru Fulton took second (50.97). Santa Margarita also grabbed the win in the boys 1,600.
– ZACH CAVANAGH, Contributing writer
SWIMMING
Capistrano Valley’s girls diving team remained in rarefied air over the weekend.
Sophomores Hayley Montague and Markie Hopkins, two of Orange County’s breakout performers last spring, swept the top-two places at the Mission Viejo Invitational on Friday.
Montague won the 11-dive competition with a score of 501.70 points while Hopkins tallied 475.55.
Last season at the CIF-SS Division 1 finals, Montague and Hopkins finished second-third behind teammate Cami Hidalgo to give the Cougars a top-three sweep and 59 points in the team competition. Hidalgo, the three-time defending Division 1 champion, didn’t dive Friday.
Montague and Hopkins both said consistency was important to their success.
“As long as we keep trying and practicing to our full potential, I feel like we’ll be fine (this season),” said Montague, who along with Hopkins dives club for Fullerton College-based SoCal.
“I was pretty consistent (Friday). I think my (reverse dives) could have been better.”
Hopkins scored a perfect 10 on a back dive pike on the 3-meter springboard.
“I like our team,” she said.
Two-time defending state champion Colten Young of Crean Lutheran captured the boys meet Friday with a score of 558.95. …
Santa Margarita’s top-ranked girls swimming team plays host to No. 2 Tesoro in a dual meet between Division 1 contenders Thursday at 3 p.m. The Eagles have captured three consecutive CIF-SS Division 1 titles.
– DAN ALBANO
BOYS LACROSSE
Mater Dei’s boys lacrosse team pulled an interesting upset last week, knocking off Servite, 6-3. The win came less than two weeks after the Friars knocked off the Monarchs, 14-4.
Sean Homsy made 13 saves to lift the Monarchs, who snapped the Friars’ seven-game winning streak. Nick Sando led the Monarchs with two goals and two assists.
County games to watch this week: Newport Harbor at Edison and Aliso Niguel at San Clemente on Tuesday; Servite at Corona del Mar on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m., Foothill aqainst visiting Santa Margarita on Wednesday at 7 p.m. (The game will be on the turf field at Foothill.) Huntington Beach visits Los Alamitos on Wednesday. The Oilers will be at Newport Harbor on Friday. Foothill hosts San Clemente on Saturday.
— DAMIAN CALHOUN
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
St. Margaret’s captured the title of the San Pedro Tournament on Saturday by defeating West Torrance in the final.
The Tartans also had victories over New West Charter, Village Christian, West Covina, Pacifica and St. Monica during the one-day tournament.
Matthew Hamadani and Ethan Hill earned all-tournament honors.
— DAMIAN CALHOUN
GIRLS LACROSSE
The top 10 list of goal scorers in the state has a strong O.C. influence.
Trabuco Hills sophomore Hennessey Evans is second with 39, followed by Laguna Hills junior Sabrina Astle (38) and Tesoro’s Emma Roberson (37).
Aliso Niguel junior Quinnlyn Mason has 35 and Northwood senior Rachel Hsieh has 33.
— DAMIAN CALHOUN
BOYS GOLF
Some of the best boys golf programs from around the country will compete Friday and Saturday in Indio the 54-hole Champions Invitational that has evolved into possibly the most prestigious high school tournament.
Patrick Cantlay, Jordan Speith and Rickie Fowler, who are all PGA Tour members, have won the individual competition at the tournament at the Golf Course at Terra Lago, a former site for The Skins Game.
Cantlay helped Servite top the leaderboard in 2009 and ’10, and the Friars will be back in the elite field again, looking to win the tournament for the fifth time.
Their last triumph came in 2015 when they beat Great Oak by two strokes.
Since the tournament began in 2006, only two Orange County schools have won the Champions Invitational, and both are from the Trinity League. Santa Margarita finished first in 2011.
The Eagles will tee off in Indio on Friday along with 10 other programs from the county – Corona del Mar, Edison, Huntington Beach, JSerra, Los Al, Mater Dei, Mission Viejo, Orange Lutheran, San Clemente and San Juan Hills.
– DAMIAN DOTTORE
