Briefs: Youth Basketball Camp registration available

Registration for a Youth Basketball Camp at Thurston Middle School is now open.

The camp, under the direction of Laguna Beach High boys’ basketball Coach Bret Fleming, is open to youth in grades second through eighth and will be held in two sessions starting Monday. Fundamentals of the game will be covered and the camp runs through July 31.

Camp instruction for youth in grades second through fifth is from 8 to 10 a.m. The camp for student-athletes in grades sixth through eighth follows from 10 a.m. to noon.

For registration information, visit www.lagunabeachcity.net.

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Laguna girls’ volleyball clinics

Two youth girls’ volleyball clinics run by Laguna Beach High girls’ volleyball Coach Raul Papaleo start Aug. 3.

The clinics are open to youth grades fifth through eighth (2015-16 school year) and run through Aug. 13 at the Laguna Beach High gymnasium.

For information, visit www.lagunabeachcity.net.

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U.S. men win Pan Am Games gold

The USA Water Polo Men’s Senior National Team followed suit of the Women’s Senior National Team by winning the Pan Am Games tournament championship.

One day after the Team USA Women won the gold medal, the Team USA Men won their tournament July 15 by defeating Brazil, 11-9, in the gold medal match in Toronto, Canada. Luca Cupido (Newport Beach/Newport Harbor High) and Josh Samuels (Villa Park/UCLA) each scored three goals, Bret Bonanni (Huntington Beach/Stanford) scored twice, and Merrill Moses (Palos Verdes/Pepperdine) had 17 saves in the final.

Team USA went undefeated in the tournament and captured its sixth straight Pan Am Games title. The U.S. defeated Ecuador (27-0), Cuba (21-4), Argentina (14-3) and Canada (9-8) prior to the gold medal game. The win over Canada in the semifinals secured a berth for the U.S. in the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.

The USA Women’s Senior National Team, which included Makenzie Fischer of Laguna Beach, won the gold medal at the Pan Am Games July 14 by defeating Canada, 13-4.

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U.S. Open of Surfing starts Saturday

The 2015 Vans U.S. Open of Surfing starts Saturday at the Huntington Beach Pier.

The top surfers in the world will compete for one of the sport’s largest prize purses in the world’s largest surf competition which culminates with the Women’s and Men’s finals Aug. 2. The event also includes a lifestyle festival atmosphere that runs the duration of the Open.

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The VIC dates set

Top riders both locally and around the world will be in Laguna Beach next month for the 2015 World Championships of Skimboarding. The 39th edition of The VIC will take place Aug. 29-30 at Aliso Beach.

Past competitions have drawn riders from such countries as Australia, Canada, Mexico, Japan, The Philippines, Chile and Spain. The VIC is the longest-running contest in skimboarding.

For information, call (949) 494-0059.

— From staff reports