PLHS team sets sail for national championship Point Loma High School’s acclaimed sailing team is heading across the continent soon to capture yet another national championship. This year’s battle for the Baker Cup, under the auspices of the Interscholastic Sailing Association, will be sailed on the Charles River in Cambridge, Mass., on May 26-27. Last month, Pointer sailors swept to the overall championship of the Pacific Coast Interscholastic Sailing Association (PCISA) team competition, held at the San Diego Yacht Club. The victory gave the PLHS group its berth in the Baker Cup event.  Earlier this month the team secured first place in the 2011-12 PCISA standings, defeating all state schools for the Roy E. Disney trophy, which is determined by the cumulative results of nine separate regattas during the school year. Meanwhile, two sailing team captains will be honored next month by the San Diego Hall of Champions. Olin Paine and Jake Reynolds were selected as high school Stars of the Month by the museum and will be honored at the Prep Athletes Awards Gala on June 9. — Scott Hopkins

Junior sailing program scores high marks  The San Diego Yacht Club (SDYC) Junior Sailboat Racing Program has earned the prestigious Garret Horder Trophy for Excellence by the Pacific Coast Yachting Association. The news comes on the heels of a recent national study concerning junior sailboat racing, where the research and survey of more than 60 programs revealed the SDYC junior program was the “most successful” in the nation.  Dennis Conneally, management advisor of the San Francisco Yacht Club, conducted the 98-page study to “identify successful junior sailing practices from around the United States.”  San Diego has always been a hotbed for world-class sailors and SDYC has invested heavily in its youth programs over the years.  The award and study confirmed something special is happening at the Point Loma-based Yacht Club. The program gains its notoriety from the success of its young sailors, who perform extremely well at national events, boasting 17 high school national championships and 28 U.S. sailing championships.  SDYC has also produced more than 70 college All Americans, six college Sailors of the Year, and nine Olympic Medals. The summer program fosters high performance, but focuses mainly on a large number of very young beginners. Each summer, about 200 new sailors are taught the basics of sailing in La Playa Cove.  For more information, contact SDYC junior sailing director John Fretwell at (619) 758-6320, or email [email protected]. Long-jumper wins league championship His nickname is “The Flying Squirrel,” and the reason is now clear. Point Loma High junior Sydney Rush won the boys’ Eastern League long-jump championship with a leap of 22 feet, 6.5 inches, becoming one of a number of teammates qualifying for CIF preliminaries. Other first place honors went to junior Jamal Agnew, who covered 100 meters in 11.09 seconds, while junior Ricky Sweet won the 3200-meter event in 9:59.12. A second place went to Taylor Boswell in the 800 meter. Third places went to Austin Green in the 300-meter hurdles, Angel Sauceda in the 800-meter run, Sweet in the 1600-meter run, Roy Conrad in the discus, DeAndre Benson in the high jump and the 4X400 Pointer relay team. No events were won by Pointers girls. The top Pointers’ girl finisher was Jordan Whitlock, who took second in the triple jump, finishing only 5.5 inches behind the winner. Overall, Pointers boys took fourth place and girls took fifth, both behind league champion Scripps Ranch. The meet was held at Serra High School. — Scott Hopkins

Pointers set pace in the pool Boys: Andrew Brady led Pointers swimmers with a first-place finish in the 200-meter individual medley (IM) and second place in the 500-meter freestyle events in the City Conference Finals held recently at the La Jolla High School pool. In addition, the following qualified for CIF preliminaries being held May 17, with finals set for Saturday, May 19 — both rounds being held at Del Norte High School: Andrew Brady (200-meter individual medley and 500-meter freestyle), Cole Holderman (100-meter fly), Keegan Wade and Alec Cotugno (both 50-meter freestyle). Also qualifying were the six Pointer relay teams: Boys: 200-meter freestyle (Keegan Wade, Holderman, Cotugno, Brady); 200-meter medley and 400-meter freestyle (Anthony Farris, Holderman, Cotugno and Brady). Girls: 200-meter freestyle (Monica Longworth, Jade Zounes, Diana Linney and Taylour Rudzinski); 200-meter medley (Linney, Longworth, Olivia Lytle-Barnett and Zounes); 400-meter freestyle (Linney, Zounes, Lytle-Barnett and Rudzinski). — Scott Hopkins