Athletes at Point Loma High School brought home three league championships and barely missed another during a very successful spring showing. Boys swimming
For a boys swimming team that does not have any divers, Point Loma High’s second straight undefeated season and league championship is even more remarkable.
The Pointers automatically forfeit each meet’s diving points to their opponents, so it must compensate by its performance in the swimming events.
And still, the water Dogs floated to the top of the Eastern League standings on the strength of a tense battle against Serra High that came down to the 400-meter freestyle relay.
Leading 84-72, the Pointer team of Kealan Harris, Miles Koupal, Brendan McMahon and Chase Schaffer finished first, while teammates Joe McCannon, Sam McKay, Noah Stevenson and Trent Webster took second to secure the league title.
All eight qualified for the City Conference meet in addition to Max Adler, Michael Damsky, Jackson Daubner, Caleb Hareb, Naone Hasenstab, Kyle Miller, Erik Robinson, Kaynin Vaughn, Adam Watson and Sean Webster.
Harris recorded the fastest times in five of eight events to lead the team.
The team’s coaches include Joshua Fulks, Ken Toma, Jeromy Schultheiss and Jerry Rich. Track and field
Nine Pointer athletes earned Eastern League championships:
Courtney Justus (long jump and triple jump); Hallie Pullum (800 meters); Samantha Coon (pole vault); Jason Baker (long jump); Antonio Quintanilla, Jeese O’Brien, Malik Riddle and Jaylen Griffin (4 x 100-meter relay) and Ki’arah Johnson (100 meter and 200 meter).
Others qualifying for the CIF meet were Ginger Jacobs (long jump and triple jump); Allison Detrick (triple jump and 100-meter hurdles); Dan O’Beirne (shot put); Micah Karahadian (pole vault and 4 x 400 meter); Rowan Griffiths (pole vault); Isabella Polese (triple jump); Griffin (100 meters, 200 meters and 4 x 400 meters); Malik Riddle (4 x 400 meters); Antonio Quintanilla (4 x 400 meters) and Hiwalani Sierra (discus).
Keith DeLong (boys) and Alex Van Heuven (girls) split Pointer head coaching duties. Boys lacrosse
The team took the Central League championship with a 6-4 record (11-8 overall).
Sophomore William Price led the team in scoring with 29 goals and eight assists for 37 points. Classmate Jerry Piotrowski was second with 17 goals and seven assists for 24 points.
Senior Cole Scadden played every game in goal and posted a 5.1 goals against average for the Pointers.
In a first-round Div. II CIF playoff game, the No. 5-seeded Pointers were defeated 8-1 by No. 12-seeded Del Norte, which was winless in the Palomar League and 5-12 overall.
Pointer head coach Alex Golland and staff are looking forward to a more experienced squad in the future from a roster made up of four juniors, 13 sophomores and eight freshmen. Only four seniors will leave. Boys tennis
Head coach Mark Truver’s Pointers scored another league championship, finishing 11-1 in Eastern League, then went all the way to the CIF Div. I semifinals before dropping their match against La Jolla Country Day.
Following team competition, individuals continued on to earn further recognition.
Sophomore Keegan Smith won the Eastern League singles title after teammate Ivan Thamma, also a sophomore, was forced to withdraw with an injury.
Earlier, the two, playing doubles, reached the finals of the prestigious 115th annual Ojai Invitational tournament.
Thamma, the No. 3 seed in CIF singles, went to the semifinals before dropping his match to top-seeded Billy Rowe of Coronado in a marathon 6-4, 4-6, 10-8 match.
Freshman Colton O’Connell and sophomore Alex Schuster, playing in the CIF Doubles tournament, won two matches before losing to a pair of La Jolla High players in the “round of 16.” Other sports
– Boys volleyball just missed an Eastern League title, finishing 10-2 (18-13 overall), just behind 11-1 Patrick Henry. Henry’s only league loss was dealt by the Pointers in a memorable 3-1 match last month in the Pointer gym. But Henry downed the Pointers twice in earlier season matches on the Patriots’ floor.
– Boys golf won its first seven matches en route to a 10-3 record.
– Girls softball finished 7-5 (13-14 overall), good for third place in the Western League. They dropped a 7-1 decision to Ranch Bernardo in the first round of CIF Div. I playoffs.
– Girls swimming dropped to 1-6 in league and 2-8 overall. Several members qualified for the conference meet. They include Ella Bouris, Teresa Grippo, Miranda Morrison, Lauren Olcott, Hejira Whittaker, Jade Zounes, Lyric Greif and Erica Myrmel.
– Girls lacrosse was winless in Western League and 2-16 overall. All but five players should return next Spring from a roster that includes seven juniors, four sophomores and eight freshmen.