Baldoni helps Team USA into quarterfinals

Kate Baldoni, a former Corona del Mar High girls’ water polo standout bound for Stanford in the fall, anchored the defense in goal to help the U.S. women’s junior national team post a 16-4 win over South Africa Wednesday at the eighth FINA junior world championships at Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.

With the win the USA advances to take on Australia on today in the quarterfinals.

Baldoni, a two-time All-CIF Southern Section Division I performer at CdM, which she helped lead to the section final in 2009 and 2008, was twice named Daily Pilot Dream Team and Pacific Coast League Player of the Year.

She has helped the Americans post a 3-1 record at the world championships.

KNAPP, FUREY WIN

Costa Mesa resident Jake Knapp shot four-under-par 66 to win the 14-15 age group title at the 20th annual Costa Mesa Junior Championship at Costa Mesa Golf & Country Club.

Knapp, who finished third in the Orange Coast League individual tournament as a sophomore last spring at Estancia High, posted one eagle and five birdies on the Mesa Linda course.

Hale Furey of Newport Beach won the age 12-13 title, carding a five-under 65, the low round of the tournament in all age divisions.

Furey had six birdies on the Mesa Linda course. He will be attend eighth grade at Harbor Day School in Corona del Mar in the fall.

UCI MEN PICKED SECOND

The UC Irvine men’s soccer team has been picked to finish second in the Big West Conference preseason coaches poll.

The Anteaters, who won the program’s first Big West regular-season and conference tournament titles last season, en route to reaching the round of 16 in their inaugural NCAA Tournament appearance last season, collected 40 points and two of seven first-place votes.

UC Santa Barbara (45 points and four first-place votes) was picked to dethrone Coach George Kuntz’s Anteaters.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (34 points), Cal State Northridge (32, one first-place vote), UC Davis (20), Cal State Fullerton (13) and UC Riverside (12) rounded out the poll.

UCI, 15-2-6 last season, 5-1-4 in conference, returns two All-Americans in senior Irving Garcia and sophomore Andrew Fontein. The ’Eaters also return first-team all-conference performer Spencer Thompson, a junior.

UCI opens its season Sept. 1 at Santa Clara.

The Anteaters’ home opener is Sept. 5 against Long Island, as part of the UCI College Classic. The ’Eaters open conference play Sept. 27 at UCSB. UCI plays host to the Gauchos Oct. 31.

USA’S POWERS LAUDED

Former UC Irvine All-American men’s water polo player Jeff Powers, a member of the U.S. national team, was named to the 2009 World Championships All-Star Team.

Powers, a center forward and a two-time Olympian, led the Americans to a fourth-place finish at the FINA World Championships, completed Aug. 1 in Rome, Italy.

Team USA, which claimed a silver medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, lost, 8-6, to Croatia in the bronze-medal game.

— From staff reports