Anteaters sign point guard

Aaron Fitzgerald, a 6-foot-2 point guard who has already made stops

at Portland State and Washington State, has signed a national letter

of intent with the UC Irvine men’s basketball team.

Fitzgerald averaged 16 points, eight assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.1

steals last season at Jacksonville Community College in Texas, where

he was named second-team All-Region XIV.

After leading the state in scoring (32 ppg) as a senior at Kennedy

High in Seattle, he averaged 10 points and 4.5 assists as a freshman

at Portland State in the 2001-02 season. He then transferred to

Washington State where he redshirted his sophomore season.

He left Washington State following a coaching change and played

last season for Jacksonville. He has two years of eligibility

remaining.

“Aaron will improve our ball-handling ability and he is an

excellent passer,” UCI Coach Pat Douglass said. “He is an explosive,

penetrating guard who will enable us to play more of an up-tempo

game.”

Sailors upset Warriors

* GOLF: The Newport Harbor High boys golf team won its fourth

consecutive match, upsetting Woodbridge, ranked No. 4 in Orange

County, 192-194, at Rancho San Joaquin Golf Club in Irvine Thursday.

Rhett Palmer was a co-medalist at 1-under-par 35 for the Sailors,

who improve to 11-8, 5-5 in the Sea View League.

Also scoring for Newport Harbor were Davis Pemstein (38), Brandon

Sowers (39), Michael Benvenuti (39) and Michael Vackar (41).

Newport battles Back Bay rival Corona del Mar today for the

Pelican Cup at Pelican Hill Golf Club.

Newport sails to victory

* VOLLEYBALL: The Newport Harbor High boys volleyball team stayed

undefeated in the Sea View League, sweeping host Irvine, 26-24,

25-22, 25-14, Thursday .

Brett Perrine had 15 kills and Morgan Govaars added seven kills

and two aces for the Sailors (19-7, 8-0 in the Sea View League).

Setter Adam Schlesinger had 44 assists, five digs and three blocks

for the winners and Coach Dan Glenn said senior Matt Cheffer made two

notable kills late in the match.

Newport Harbor, ranked No. 5 in CIF Southern Section Division I,

hosts Laguna Hills Tuesday and travels to second place Woodbridge,

No. 6 in CIF Division I, Thursday. The Sailors defeated Woodbridge,

20-18, in the fifth game in their first meeting.

CdM second in PCL

* GOLF: The Corona del Mar High boys golf team finished the

regular season with a 204-216 victory over University at Newport

Beach Country Club Thursday.

Medalist Alex Chikovani shot 3-over-par 38 for the Sea Kings, who

finished in second place in the Pacific Coast League, behind Tesoro.

Ben Tilsen and Matt Story shot 40, and Rob Ury and Eric Miller shot

43 for CdM.

Sage Hill dominates

* TENNIS: The Sage Hill School boys tennis team swept visiting

Fairmont Prep, 18-0, to finish second in the Academy League (8-2),

behind Whitney (10-0). The Lightning are ranked No. 2, behind

Whitney, in CIF Southern Section Division IV.

Ara Demirjian won all 18 games in singles and doubles partners

Michael Cassel and Michael Garrison lost only one game to lead Sage

Hill.

Ian Livingston and Dan Chin lost two games at No. 1 doubles for

the winners.

Playoff pairings will be announced May 10.

*--*

Academy League

Sage Hill 18, Fairmont 0

Singles -- Cordier (SH) def. Kwan, 6-4, def. Chang, 6-0, def. Kim, 6-3; Demirjian (SH) won, 6-0, 6-0, 6-0; Wee (SH) won, 6-0, 6-0, 7-6.

Doubles -- Livingston-Chin (SH) def. Izumi-Tu, 6-2, def. Bong-Um, 6-0, def. Chow-Bnonsali, 6-0; Cassel-Garrison (SH) won, 6-0, 6-0, 6-1; Whitaker-Ross won, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2.

*--*

Sea Kings blank Uni

* SOFTBALL: The visiting Corona del Mar High softball team blanked

University, 10-0, Thursday.

Ann Klunder hit a three-run double in the first inning to open up

the scoring for the Sea Kings (10-7, 2-4 in the Pacific Coast

League). That was all the cushion needed for freshman pitcher Holly

Van Hiel, who she struck out six and scattered four hits.

Heather Lohrman went 3 for 4 with a double, a stolen base and

three runs scored. Also swinging the bat well for CdM was Allie

Duernberger, who went 4 for 5 with two RBIs, a stolen base and two

runs scored.

The Sea Kings play Magnolia Saturday in the Garden Grove

tournament.

*--*

Pacific Coast League

Corona del Mar 10, University 0 Score by Innings

CdM 301 042 -- 10 10 2

Uni 000 000 -- 0 4 3

Van Hiel and Stern; Guay, Vitalo (3) and

Gloud. W -- Van Hiel, 5-2. L -- Guay. 2B --

Lohrman (CdM), Klunder (CdM), Stern (CdM).

*--*

Bentzer Player of Year

* TENNIS: UC Irvine junior Anna Bentzer has been named the Big

West Conference Player of the Year in women’s tennis, highlighting a

cast of three women and four men who earned All-Big West honors for

the Anteaters.

Bentzer, who is from Stockholm, Sweden, completed the dual-match

season with an 18-2 record including an 8-1 record against Big West

opponents. Bentzer is ranked 121st nationally as a singles player.

She teamed with senior Tiffany Chang, and they are ranked 59th

nationally in doubles. She was named Big West Athlete of the Week

four times this season. Bentzer is the first UCI player to receive

the honor since 1985 when Stephanie Rhorer won it in the first year

of Big West women’s tennis.

Bentzer and Chang were named first-team All-Big West in singles.

Bentzer was recognized second-team All-Big West in doubles with

freshman Jayme Hu and Chang received second-team All-Big West laurels

in doubles with junior Hui Leow.

Bentzer and Chang received honorable mention for all-conference

honors in doubles.

For the UCI men’s tennis team, senior Jonathan Endrikat received

first-team All-Big West honors in singles and in doubles with

teammate junior Brian Morton, a former Corona del Mar High standout.

Morton and Endrikat are ranked 26th in the country as a doubles team.

Morton and junior Ryusuke Kashiwabara received first-team All-Big

West recognition in doubles. Morton and Kashiwabara were also

second-team All-Big West in singles. Endrikat and senior Wkwesi

Williams came away with second-team All-Big West laurels in doubles.

Eagles sweep Saints

* VOLLEYBALL: The Estancia High boys volleyball team remained

unbeaten in the Golden West League with a 25-8, 25-7, 25-17 victory

at Santa Ana Wednesday.

Senior Kris Hartwell led the Eagles with 10 kills, while junior

setter Trevor Holmes added 22 assists and four ace serves for the

winners.

Estancia, ranked No. 1 in CIF Southern Section Division III,

improved to 17-4, 10-0 in league.

Tritons hold off Lions

* BASEBALL: Visiting Vanguard University scored three runs in the

ninth, but came up short, 8-6, in a nonconference baseball game

Thursday against UC San Diego.

Nikolaus Crouch doubled in a run after two had scored on separate

wild pitches in the Vanguard ninth, but Triton reliever Logan

Boutilier came on to get the final two outs to preserve the victory

for starter Nolan Dunkly.

Crouch was among six Lions to record two hits apiece, including

Jason Searle, who was 2 for 4 with two RBIs.

Vanguard fell to 12-32, while UCSD, an NCAA Division II program,

improved to 31-21.

Vanguard meets host Chapman University today at 3 p.m.

*--*

Nonconference

UC San Diego 8, Vanguard 6

Score by Innings

VU 002 010 003 -- 6 12 0

UCSD 302 002 10x -- 8 20 3

Klein, Erickson (6), Franco (9) and

Westerfeld, Cox (8); Dunkly, Lipetz (6),

Smith (7), Leake (8), Bergstrom (9),

Boutilier (9) and Anderson, Morehead

(9). W -- Dunkley, 1-0. L -- Klein, 0-6.

Sv -- Boutilier (1). 2B -- Hudgins (VU)

2, Crouch (VU), Sparks (VU), Burton

(UCSD), Hernandez (UCSD), Albrecht

(UCSD), Robinson (UCSD), Anderson (UCSD)

3.

*--*