High School Roundup: Marina moves on to State Meet

Every cross country team had to make a quick mental adjustment in the CIF Southern Section Division finals at Mt. San Antonio College last Saturday after rain pushed the races onto an alternate, flat and mostly paved course.

It didn’t hold back the Marina High girls’ cross country team, which was the only local team to advance to the CIF State Meet by taking sixth in Division I with the top-seven teams making the cut.

The Vikings were led by Kylie Nishisaka, who placed sixth individually in 16 minutes 30 seconds. The senior was thrown off by the course change, which was announced just about an hour before the first race, but it didn’t matter in the end.

“I was definitely looking forward to the original course so it kind of threw me off a little bit mentally, but I just went out there and ran,” Nishisaka said.

While the Vikings were the only team to advance, Edison will still be represented at the State Meet, which is held at Woodward Park in Fresno Saturday , after Jeff Thies and Haley Seward both moved on individually. The top-five runners who aren’t on qualifying teams in each division move on to State.

Thies was the only Charger competing in the Division I boys’ race and took eighth overall in 14:18 and was the fourth individual to stamp his individual ticket to State.

“I was pretty confident I was going to make it to State so I was more looking toward trying to win and being up with the leaders more,” Thies said. “That didn’t work out like I was planning, but otherwise it was a good race.”

While Edison’s girls (ninth, 211) didn’t move on as a whole, the Chargers still erupted with cheers when the results were posted and it was revealed Seward would move on after she took ninth overall in 16:36.

“I personally love the rain course so when we came and I found we’re running the rain course I was so stoked,” Seward said.”

Marina’s top-five scorers were Eileen Stressling (28th, 17:07), Brianna Shoffner (42nd, 17:21), Erin Nighswonger (67th, 17:52) and Madeline Fox (77th, 18:01). Edison’s scorers included Gabrielle Yatauro (19th, 16:58), Julia Sienski (41st, 17:21), Alexa Yatauro (74th, 17:59) and Janie Wiess (88th, 18:12).

— Andrew Shortall

*

Basketball extravaganza

Eighteen Orange County prep basketball teams will be at Ocean View High Saturday for the Coaches for a Cause extravaganza. The day features nine prep matchups including games involving local schools Ocean View, Fountain Valley and Liberty Christian. Proceeds from the event benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Saturday’s game schedule is as follows:

Girls’ basketball: Liberty Christian vs. Oxford Academy, 8 a.m.; Ocean View vs. La Quinta/Westminster, 11 a.m.

Boys’ basketball: Liberty Christian vs. Oxford Academy, 9:30 a.m.; Magnolia vs. Calvary Chapel, 12:30 p.m.; Fountain Valley vs. La Habra, 2 p.m.; Villa Park vs. Roosevelt, 3:30 p.m.; Troy vs. Capistrano Valley, 5 p.m.; Westminster vs. Mission Viejo, 6:30 p.m.; Ocean View vs. Dana Hills, 8 p.m.

Signings

Several local athletes signed a National Letter of Intent on Nov. 14. Listed below are the names of athletes who signed as submitted by their respective schools:

Brethren Christian: Mamadou Ndiaye (men’s basketball, UC Irvine).

Edison: Karley Wester (softball, Notre Dame); Genna Gomez (women’s basketball, St. Joseph’s); Brooke Webster (women’s soccer, New Mexico); Brooke Lillywhite (women’s soccer, Westmont); Kelsea Arenado (women’s soccer, Vanguard); Sierra Krenik (women’s soccer, Tulsa); Risa Burke (women’s water polo, San Diego St.); Carissa Sherman (softball, Cal State Northridge); Sammy Cordova (softball, Utah); Chiara De Marco (softball, Concordia); Karly Tahti (Hawaii Pacific).

Marina: Jake Bauers (baseball, Hawaii); Tyler Mildenberg (baseball, Oregon St.). Mildenberg, starting third baseman for the Vikings, is a four-year varsity starter. Bauers, who plays first base and is an outfielder, is a two-year varsity player.

“He is a big key for the success of the team this year,” Marina Coach Bob Marshall said of Mildenberg. “He is team-oriented young man that puts his team ahead of himself. I am very proud of what he has accomplished and the leader he has become. Jake has worked hard at achieving his goal of playing at the next level. He is a true impact player that possesses the five tools of baseball. Jake is hard-working and is a leader on this year’s squad. I am so proud of Jake and I look forward to following his future endeavors in baseball.”

Ocean View: Brittany Hitchcock (softball, Hawaii).

Mater Dei: Jeremey Martinez (Fountain Valley , baseball, USC).

CIF Rankings

The preseason rankings for four prep winter sports, boys’ and girls soccer, girls’ water polo, and wrestling, have been released. Below are the rankings involving local teams:

Boys’ soccer: Marina (No. 8, Division 1); Ocean View (No. 9, Division 2).

Girls’ soccer: Edison (Tie-No. 10, Division 1).

Girls’ water polo: Edison (No. 9, Division 1); Huntington Beach (No. 10, Division 1); Ocean View (No. 2, Division 7).

Wrestling: No local teams in top 10 polls.

— Mike Sciacca