Pirates’ Esquivel captures title

Orange Coast College women’s tennis sophomore Michelle Esquivel won

the Southern California regionals singles final Saturday at Cerritos

College to remain undefeated on the season.

Esquivel defeated Cerritos’ Charese Arrogante, 6-1, 6-1, in the

final after defeating Amanda Varela of Saddleback, 6-2, 6-2, in the

semifinal. Esquivel improved to 30-0 in singles matches.

The OCC doubles team of Esquivel and Jessica Rice lost in a

semifinal match, 6-4, 1-6, 6-2, to a San Diego City College duo.

OCC reaches finals

* ROWING: Men’s and women’s rowing teams from Orange Coast College

advanced to today’s finals of their respective divisions following

performances Saturday at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing

Association championships at Lake Natoma, near Sacramento.

OCC teams that earned spots into the grand finals include men’s

and women’s novice eight, men’s and women’s second novice, men’s

varsity four and men’s varsity pair, in an event with crews from 38

college and universities.

Coast men’s varsity pair of Alberto Mendoza and James Teeter

placed third in the second of two heats in 7:49 to earn one of six

spots into the finals.

Coxswain Candice Matheny, along with Chris Hernandez, Patrick

Israel, Shane Rubin and Brandon Caesar, finished second in the third

of three heats (7:09) in the men’s varsity four, which featured 16

boats. The top two from each heat made the final. A team from the

University of Colorado placed first in 7:07.

Top-seeded OCC claimed the best time of 15 crews in the men’s

novice eight, winning the first of three heats in 6:13, ahead of

Loyola Marymount (6:15).

Coast featured coxswain Elliott Thacker, Ryan Flake, Greg Somers,

Brad Stapleton, Matt Zeiser, Jeff Soukup, Adi Cosic, Hector Gomez and

Tim Worley. UCI finished third in heat 1 in 6:23.

OCC led by two or three seats with 500 of the 2,000-meter men’s

varsity eight race remaining, but placed third (6:24) and failed to

qualify for the grand final, Coast Coach Larry Moore said.

OCC’s men’s varsity eight team will compete in the petite final

today, which pits teams that placed third and fourth in their

respective heats against one another.

Lions roll along

* TENNIS: Olivia Amstad didn’t lose a game in sweeping her singles

match to lead the Vanguard University women’s tennis team to its

second straight 9-0 Golden State Athletic Conference victory, the

latest against Biola to conclude the regular season Saturday at the

Costa Mesa Tennis Center.

The doubles team of Jenny Edner and Damia Donkervoort claimed an

8-0 win for the Lions (21-3, 14-0 in the GSAC), who have dropped just

three points in their last five matches. Vanguard’s Alena Votavova

and Amstad earned an 8-1 doubles victory.

Vanguard, which has claimed its second straight conference

championship, will host a NAIA regional playoff match Thursday with

time and opponent to be determined.

Chop breaks record

* TRACK AND FIELD: Vanguard University senior Debby Chop broke her

own school record in the women’s long jump for the third time this

season and finished sixth in the Steve Scott invitational Saturday at

UCI.

Jenny Thune finished fourth in the invitational 800, while

Christol McDonald was eighth.

Senior Brandon Shaw finished second in the invitational section of

the men’s 800 for Vanguard and was just barely edged by Cal Coast

Track Club’s Ricky Ethridge. VU’s Erik Van Aken was third in the 400.

Sun Devils burn UCI

* WATER POLO: The UC Irvine women’s water polo team lost to

Arizona State, 9-7, Saturday morning at the Mountain Pacific Sports

Federation championships at the Spieker Aquatic Complex.

Freshman Jessica Lewis and senior Karly Tivenan each scored a pair

of goals for the ‘Eaters (13-17, 4-8 in the MPSF), while seniors

Christine McDonald, Erica Nicholson and Alicia Weider tallied one

goal apiece.

Freshman Lauren Machanis had six saves, and ASU keeper Caylinn

Wallace blocked 11 shots.

OCC men’s duo falls

* TENNIS: Kolbe Morita and Spencer Solomon, Orange Coast College

men’s doubles partners, were eliminated from the Southern California

regional tennis tournament in the quarterfinals Saturday at Cypress

College.

Solomon and Morita lost, 7-6, 4-6, 6-2, to Anthony Gomez and

Robert Sabo from College of the Desert, who eventually fell in the

semifinals to a duo from Saddleback.

Clinic to be held

* SOCCER: AYSO Region 97 is in the process of holding a series of

coaching clinics hosted by UC Irvine women’s soccer coach Marine

Cano, with the fourth session set to begin at 4 p.m. today at Kaiser

Field.

The free clinic is open to anyone in Region 97 and covers coaching

techniques, drills, practices and tactics.