University High School is excited to announce that Vince Mesa is our new Football Varsity Head Coach. With the help of parents and players we selected Coach Mesa through an aggressive search reviewing several qualified candidates. Coach Mesa comes to us most recently from Orange Coast College, where he was the Running Backs Coach and Run Game Coordinator. Coaches who know him praise his knowledge for the game, his patience with developing players, and his enthusiasm for the sport. Prior to coaching at OCC, Coach Mesa coached overseas with the Oslo Vikings in Norway. He worked with and was eventually the head coach of the U15, U19, and even the Elite Team in Norway. His teams won numerous national championships as Coach Mesa honed his skills working with players from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Coach Mesa was also an assistant coach at Magnolia High School in Anaheim. In 2010 he helped lead Magnolia to winning their first league championship in over 40 years.
Coach Mesa originally comes from Huntington Beach, CA. He attended Huntington Beach High School, where he played football. He continued his playing career at Goldenwest College and then went on to play at Minot State University in North Dakota where he was a member of the Conference Champion team in 2002.
Coach Mesa is also a professor of both Film Production and Sound Design at Orange Coast College. He lives in Irvine with his wife, Johanna and has a daughter, Savannah.
With practices just starting, the team is up to 43 players with more adding each week. Coach Mesa will be sending out the date, time and location of the first parent meeting so he can introduce himself and his vision for the program. That information will be shared with football families today. If your student is interested in football and neither you nor they have been contacted, please reach out directly to Coach Mesa at vincemesa@iusd.org.
We are excited for Coach Mesa to put his stamp on the University High School Football program. He has all of the tools necessary to lead our teams to success and the values needed to help shape our student athletes into motivated, responsible, and hard-working adults.
Welcome, Coach Mesa!
Quick Link Guide to Uni Athletics
Back to school…AND FALL SEASON SPORTS (yay!)…are just around the corner.
For families interested in Uni Athletics, here is an overivew of our Athletic Department websites and resources. If you have not already done so, please check them out.
CONGRATULATIONS!! [Top L-R] Sydney Field, Collette Lowengrub, Kaili Taagepera, Mya Wang [Bottom L-R] Stewart Campbell, Luca Flick-Kaiser, Nic Conta, Matt Wallin
Sportmanship Award Winners
Aren Apelian & Lia Cui
Uni Athletic Summer Camps
Summer camp dates, times, and costs as well as how to register/pay on Uni’s Webstore are available on our online flyer or dedicated Summer Camps page.
Click the image to view the full flyer.
Camps are open to all student-athletes enrolled at Uni for 2021-2022. They are recreational, and entirely voluntary. Daily attendance supports athletic development but is not required. Participation in camps is not offered for credit and is not a prerequisite for equal access to participate in athletics during the school year.
All participants must be cleared through the Athletics Office prior to participation.
**Please expect 3-5 business days for the Athletics Office to review and process your clearance status and questions.
Highlights
Boys Golf
On Monday, June 7, 2021, our Trojans head to CIF-SS Division Team Championships! We’re rooting for them!
Quick Link Guide to Uni Athletics
Below you will find direct links to helpful Athletic Department websites and resources and what to expect on each. If you have not already done so, please check them out.
We’ll honor our Senior Scholar Athletes and Sportsmanship Award Winners and announce our Female and Male Athletes of the Year.
We’re also incredibly excited that a Trojan has been selected as the Pacific Coast League’s 2021 Female Athlete of the Year!
More information will be sent to the Trojan community soon…
Uni Athletic Summer Camps
Summer camp dates, times, and costs as well as how to register/pay on Uni’s Webstore are available on our online flyer or dedicated Summer Camps page.
Click the image to view the full flyer.
Camps are open to all student-athletes enrolled at Uni for 2021-2022. They are recreational, and entirely voluntary. Daily attendance supports athletic development but is not required. Participation in camps is not offered for credit and is not a prerequisite for equal access to participate in athletics during the school year.
All participants must be cleared through the Athletics Office prior to participation.
**Please expect 3-5 business days for the Athletics Office to review and process your clearance status and questions.
Highlights
Boys Tennis
The boys tennis program is playing in the finals tomorrow at UNI at 3:00. Coach Kessler is going for his 10th CIF title in 20 years of coaching!!!
On Wednesday (5/26), the boys tennis team defeated Woodbridge high school 12 to 6 in the semi-finals of the CIF Open Division playoffs. Uni was led by junior captain Conrad Brown and senior Rithvik Kishna in singles. Both players swept all three sets they played. In doubles, sophomore Paolo Conta and junior Omar Khayat won two of their three doubles sets. UNI will take on Harvard Westlake tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. at the UNI tennis courts.
Girls Golf
Girls Pacific Coast League Finals was held Tuesday, 5/32 at Los Serranos Golf Club. Our Trojans took first place when Leigh Chien shot a 71 on 18 holes!!! (That’s 3 under par!) Not only first place, but Leigh was voted MVP!
Great results for a rather challenging season and year!!
Post-Season/CIF Playoff Schedules
BOYS TENNIS (Div. 1)
v. Harvard Westlake
Friday, May 28
Start time: 3:00 PM
PCL TRACK FINALS
@Uni Stadium (visitor pass required)
Friday, May 28
Start time: 3PM
GIRLS LACROSSE FIRST ROUND (Div. 1)
v. Mater Dei
Saturday, May 29
Start time: 3:15 PM
Quick Link Guide to Uni Athletics
Below you will find direct links to helpful Athletic Department websites and resources and what to expect on each. If you have not already done so, please check them out.
Click here and head to the following sections featuring Trojan Sports:
2021 Committed Athletes p. 14-16
Trojan Sports Updates p. 17
Uni Athletic Summer Camps
Summer camp dates, times, and costs as well as how to register/pay on Uni’s Webstore are available on our online flyer or dedicated Summer Camps page.
Click the image to view the full flyer.
Camps are open to all student-athletes enrolled at Uni for 2021-2022. They are recreational, and entirely voluntary. Daily attendance supports athletic development but is not required. Participation in camps is not offered for credit and is not a prerequisite for equal access to participate in athletics during the school year.
All participants must be cleared through the Athletics Office prior to participation.
**Please expect 3-5 business days for the Athletics Office to review and process your clearance status and questions.
Highlights
Girls Lacrosse
By beating Beckman 11-9 on Monday night, the University Girls Lacrosse program locked up the league championship for the second season in a row! Even more amazing, their 16-15 win against Northwood, means they finish the season undefeated league champions, 12-0. This is an amazing accomplishment for the girls!
We await the release of the CIF-SS girls lacrosse bracket on Saturday, May 22 at 11 a.m. to find out where and who our Trojans face off against in their 1st round playoff game, set for Wednesday, May 26th.
Boys Lacrosse
Boys lacrosse celebrate their Senior Night tomorrow night (Friday, 5/21) versus Marina. They are likely also set to finish the season 3rd place in league play giving them a post-season game next Tuesday, May 25th.
Boys Golf
The University high school boys golf team finished strong to complete an unprecedented undefeated 12 – 0 season!! This is a testament to the will and determination of the entire team to complete such a task on top of everything that is going on this year… Covid, AP exams, and a shortened season. We defended and retained the title of PCL Champions!
The boys completely dominated the competition So much so that it was one of our players that received low medalist honors (lowest score for both schools combined) for EVERY single match.
Next up would be league finals and CIF post season. University High will be in D1 (toughest Division) for team CIF.
Wish them Luck!!
Go Trojans!!
Boys Tennis
Our Trojans face off against Mira Costa this Saturday, May 22nd in the 1st Round Open Division CIF-SS playoff competition.
Swim & Dive
Boys swim has 16 boys advancing to League Finals on Friday while girls will send 18 competitors.
Also noteworthy: Tomorrow (5/21), Laurel Jin will be diving at CIF! She is currently placed 2nd and is aiming for a first place finish. We’ll be cheering her on!
Boys Volleyball
These boys held their own against Paloma Valley High School (Menifee) on Tuesday evening, losing to the cougars in four. Still, so proud of this team for their first CIF appearance in four years!
Water Polo
Uni boys & girls water polo celebrated their successful 2020-21 seasons on Sunday with a socially distanced recognition celebration on the pool deck, in place of the customary off-site banquet.
Thanks to our coaches — Head Coach Jesse Briggs, assistants Christine Hunt, Jeff Campbell, and Maddie Chen — 41 players got in months of workouts and then a great reward with a 2.5-week season for both boys and girls after it seemed unlikely they’d be able to play any games this year.
All that hard work paid off: the boys and girls varsity teams each finished in second place in PCL league, the top finishes in years for either team.
Coaches handed out 27 awards on Sunday to these players:
MVPs: Matt Wallin and Stewart Campbell, boys Varsity; Joseph Park, boys JV; Ashley Wallin, girls Varsity; Clarisse Facredyn, girls JV
Coaches Award: Oleg Shatskikh, boys Varsity; Ryan Watson, boys JV; Zoe Huxman and Caitlyn Liao, girls Varsity; Priyanshi Singh, girls JV
Most Inspirational: Victor Martin, boys Varsity; Pravir Gurukar, boys JV; Maria Langlois, girls Varsity; Camelia Zandpour, girls JV
Most Improved: Artem Zimin and Jaden Chen, boys Varsity; Noah Chin and William Chen, boys JV; Grace Noyes and Leah Schulman, girls Varsity; Sumunaa Gnanashanmugam, girls JV
Top Defender: Liam Horan and Eli Wirth, boys Varsity; Awsito Salam, boys JV; Vidya Sundaram, girls Varsity, Luba Al-khalili and Brooke Yeh, girls JV
Seven senior boys water polo players received awards at the Uni Water Polo season recognition on Sunday at the Uni Pool deck. Left to right: Wirth, Varsity Top Defender; Campbell, Varsity MVP; Horan, Varsity Top Defender; Wallin, Varsity MVP; Salam, JV Top Defender; Gurukar, JV Most Inspirational
Post-Season/CIF Playoff Schedules
PCL TRACK PRELIMS
@Uni Stadium (visitor pass required)
Friday, May 21
Start time: 3PM
BOYS TENNIS FIRST ROUND (Open Division)
v. Mira Costa
Saturday, May 22
Start time: 12PM
BOYS LACROSSE FIRST ROUND (Div. 3)
v. TBD (bracket released Saturday, 5/22 at 11 a.m.)
Tuesday, May 25
Start time: TBD
GIRLS LACROSSE FIRST ROUND (Div. 1)
v. TBD (bracket released Saturday, 5/22 at 11 a.m.)
Wednesday, May 26
Start time: TBD
PCL TRACK FINALS
@Uni Stadium (visitor pass required)
Friday, May 21
Start time: 3PM
Quick Link Guide to Uni Athletics
Below you will find direct links to helpful Athletic Department websites and resources and what to expect on each. If you have not already done so, please check them out.
Uni Athletics hosted our 2021 Collegiate Athlete Signing Event on Wednesday, April 12 in the main gym. We recognized 12 of 13 Trojan athletes who will go on to play collegiate sports at 4-year colleges or universities. The event was livestreamed and household fans were invited to attend one of the first on-campus recognition events of this pandemic year. Past and present coaches, Athletic Director Tom Shrake, and Principal Kevin Astor all honored our athletes with remarks.
Back row (L-R): Myla Rodrigues, Noah Sperling, Stewart Campbell, Victoria Holms, Evan Chien Front row(L-R): Mollie Kessler, Gabriella Souza, Emily Markus, Collette Lowengrub, Marta Meinardi, Mya Wang, Laurel Jin Not pictured: Rithvik Krishna
Stewart Campbell, men’s water polo, UC Irvine Evan Chien, men’s golf, UCLA Victoria Holmes, women’s volleybal,l UC Davis Laurel Jin, women’s diving, Yale Mollie Kessler, women’s soccer, University of Chicago Rithvik Krishna, men’s tennis, UC Irvine Collette Lowengrub, cross country & track, UC Riverside Emily Markus, women’s tennis, Millikin University Marta Meinardi, triathlon, University of Denver Myla Rodrigues, women’s soccer, Iona College Gabriella Souza, women’s soccer, Dominican University of California Noah Sperling, baseball, Columbia College of Missouri Mya Wang, women’s lacrosse, UC Berkeley
Congratulations, again, to these Trojan Athletes! We’re so proud of you and wish you our very best as you move on to college-level competition.
Uni Athletic Summer Camps
Summer camp dates, times, and costs as well as how to register/pay on Uni’s Webstore are available on our online flyer or dedicated Summer Camps page.
Click the image to view the full flyer.
Camps are open to all student-athletes enrolled at Uni for 2021-2022. They are recreational, and entirely voluntary. Daily attendance supports athletic development but is not required. Participation in camps is not offered for credit and is not a prerequisite for equal access to participate in athletics during the school year.
All participants must be cleared through the Athletics Office prior to participation.
**Please expect 3-5 business days for the Athletics Office to review and process your clearance status and questions.
Highlights
Boys Golf
The University Boys Team remain undefeated with 2 solid wins against Woodbridge last Thursday (205 – 220) and Portola this past Tuesday (193 – 208). Senior Captain Steven Li was the low medalist on both matches shooting 37 (+1) and 35 (-1) respectively. Next week, we will finish the regular season with 2 away matches…Tuesday against Beckman at Tustin Ranch Golf Course and Wednesday against Laguna Hills at Oso Creek Golf Course.
League Finals will be on May 24 where the players from our league will try and qualify for Individual CIF.
Go Trojans!!
Girls Soccer
University girls soccer team accomplishes goal and clinches PCL championship
University High’s girls soccer team celebrated winning the Pacific Coast League title Friday. (Photo courtesy University girls soccer)
University High’s girls soccer team celebrated a big win Friday which helped the Trojans earn the outright Pacific Coast League championship.
University clinched the crown with a 3-0 victory over Irvine. First-year Coach Cole Fipps said it was the program’s first league title in more than a decade.
“I am beyond proud of my players and how hard they have worked to be at this point,” Fipps said. “They never stopped believing they could accomplish this and even before we knew we were going to have a season, made it their goal to be the team that wins the Pacific Coast League for Uni again.
“I am just so happy for these girls, and I cannot praise them enough on how well they have done this year so far.”
Against Irvine, Anna Keeling scored the first goal in the first half and then in the second half Gabriella Souza and Mia Kim had goals.
Keeling and Souza are the team’s top scorers.
Fipps and his players are now hoping for a successful run in the CIF playoffs.
****UPDATE: Uni Girls Soccer defeated Troy High School 5-0 (!) on Wednesday, May 12. Our Trojans face off against Upland (7-4-1, 3rd in their league) TONIGHT (Friday, 5/14) @Upland HS for their second round CIF match up.
Swim
The Uni boys & girls swim & dive team wrapped up a successful 2021 regular season at Woodbridge last week and then got the joyful news that all will compete again in the PCL league championship meets next week.
During the season, girls diver Laurel Jin set a new team record, scoring 464.20 points, to top a record previously held by Barclay Machika Kaku and set in 2011.
The teams have at least 4 auto-qualifying results for the CIF-SS championship meets that will be held the last week of May, with opportunities for more at the PCL meets next week.
Auto-qualifiers are: Reina Gomez, Laurel Jin, and Matthew Lou (2).
In addition, coaches Ryan Vande Wydeven and Halli Bacon named their CIF teams, which includes swimmers & divers with CIF-consideration times during the season, as well as relay alternates.
Boys CIF team: Matthew Lou (2 automatic times, 6 consideration times), Matt Wallin (4C), Cyrus Mirsafian (3C), Javier Rodriguez (2C), Henry Ding (1C), Liam Horan (1C), James Koga (1C), and alternates Eli Wirth, Stewart Campbell, Jaden Chen, Wesley Tsai
Girls CIF team: Reina Gomez (1 automatic time, 5 consideration times), Laurel Jin (1A), Alexandra Lindenberg (5C), Annika Nie (4C), Caitlyn Liao (3C), Camelia Zandpour (2C), Lauren Zhao (2C), Emily Lu (2C), Ai Taguchi (2C), Chloe Bohuslavizki (1C), and alternates Jean Meyer and Kristina Yan.
Tennis
Girls
The varsity girls tennis team finished the regular season with a record of 10 wins and 0 losses. The team won the Pacific Coast League title for the third year in a row. The Trojans were led by Jane Lee and Kamya Nair in singles and Emily Markus and Megan Bee in doubles. Senior captain Emily Markus and junior Megan Bee also won the PCL doubles title and will move on to the CIF tournament. The 3rd seeded Trojans will host Palos Verdes high school TONIGHT in the first round of the Open division playoffs here @Uni.
Boys
A couple of weeks ago the boys suffered their first loss in the Pacific Coast league since 2006. Uni had won an incredible 131 straight league matches. The boys responded well winning their remaining matches to finish at 9-1 and won the PCL title for the 15th consecutive year. The Trojans have been led by Conrad Brown, Rithvik Krishna and Zino Mirtorabi in singles and Captain Nic Conta, Omar Khayat, SangHyuk Im, and Konrad Walter Wu in doubles. The top seeded Trojans will begin defense of their Open Division Title next week.
CIF Playoff News
GIRLS TENNIS FIRST ROUND (Open Division)
v. Palos Verdes
Today! Friday, May 14
Start time: 3PM
GIRLS SOCCER SECOND ROUND (Division 1)
v. Upland
Tonight! Friday, May 14
Kick-off: 6pM
BOYS VOLLEYBALL FIRST ROUND (Division 3)
v. TBD (bracket released Saturday, 5/15 at 10 a.m.)
Tuesday, May 18
Start time: 6PM
GIRLS TENNIS SEMI FINAL (Open Division)
v. Westlake (if we win tonight)
Wednesday, May 19
Start time: 3PM
Next Week’s Home Events
Quick Link Guide to Uni Athletics
Below you will find direct links to helpful Athletic Department websites and resources and what to expect on each. If you have not already done so, please check them out.
How? This event will be livestreamed at iusd.tv, click “Schools” dropdown menu, select “High Schools,” select “University High,” click on the video fram UHS ATHLETICS LIVE, check both channels.
Summer camp dates, times, and costs as well as how to register/pay on Uni’s Webstore can now be found on our online flyer or dedicated Summer Camps page.
Click the image to view the full flyer.
Camps are open to all student-athletes enrolled at Uni for 2021-2022. They are recreational, and entirely voluntary. Daily attendance supports athletic development but is not required. Participation in camps is not offered for credit and is not a prerequisite for equal access to participate in athletics during the school year.
All participants must be cleared through the Athletics Office prior to participation.
Below you will find direct links to helpful Athletic Department websites and resources and what to expect on each. If you have not already done so, please check them out.
Weekly blog with updates, announcements, news, and highlights; You can subscribe to receive the post via email
Coming Up
Uni 2021 Signing Event
On Wednesday, May 12 at 1:15 p.m. we’ll be celebrating THIRTEEN Trojans who have committed to collegiate athletics at a four-year college or university. Two household members are invited to join this Spring signing day celebration in the main gym. Photos to follow next week!
A very special congratulations to the following student athletes:
Stewart Campbell, water polo, UC Irvine
Evan Chien, golf, UCLA
Victoria Holmes, girls volleyball, UC Davis
Laurel Jin, diving, Yale
Mollie Kessler, soccer, University of Chicago
Rithvik Krishna, tennis, UC Irvine
Collette Lowengrub, cross country & track, UC Riverside
Emily Markus, girls tennis, Milikin University
Marta Meinardi, triathlon, University of Denver
Myla Rodrigues, soccer, Iona College
Gabriella Souza, soccer, Domenican University of California
Noah Sperling, baseball, Columbia College of Missouri
Mya Wang, lacrosse, UC Berkeley
Playoff Games
We’re gearing up for Spring Season playoffs, which begin next week for boys soccer, girls soccer, and girls tennis. Locations will be determined by bracket announcements and coin flips as noted below. Detailed playoff information can be found on the left-hand side of each sport’s page at cifss.org.
BOYS SOCCER (bracket live on Sat., May 8 at 9am, pre-flips for second round: Wed, May 12)
Game times: 3 or 5pm
First Round: Thursday, May 13, 2021
Second Round: Saturday, May 15, 2021
GIRLS SOCCER (bracket live on Sat., May 8 at 9am, pre-flips for second round: Tues, May 11)
Game times: 3 or 5pm
First Round: Wednesday, May 12, 2021
Second Round: Friday, May 14, 2021
GIRLS TENNIS (Pairings released on Monday, May 10 at 11am)
Game time: 3pm
First Round: Friday, May 14, 2021
Highlights
Girls Soccer, Tennis, & Boys Soccer top the PCL
Uni Boys Soccer (D1) Tied for 2nd place in League
Uni Girls Soccer (D1) 1st place in League
Uni Girls Tennis (Open Div.) 1st place in League
Boys Golf
The Uni Boys Golf Team defeated Laguna Hills on Tuesday at home and Northwood on Wednesday at Oak Creek to remain undefeated for the season. The team posted an impressive (season best) 188. That is only 8 over par as a team! The team was lead by senior Captain Steven Li who shot a 2 under par 34 at Oak Creek Golf Course.
Today, the team will travel to Rancho San Joaquin to play Woodbridge HS. Woodbridge HS will be out to avenge their loss to Uni earlier in the season when they were without their number one player. Uni will look to stay perfect 3-0 for the week. Wish them luck!
Go Trojans!
Girls Volleyball
Girls Volleyball held a recogniition event for their seniors on Friday, April 30th. Without a 2020-2021 season due to the pandemic, the program made sure these ladies were honored for the committment across the years!
A message from all the Senior players .. though we did not have a season this year, it was a fun night to get together, make new memories, [and] have a scrimmage…
CIF Updates
Boys/Girls Track & Field Championships have been approved. We hope to see a Trojans to compete on June 5th!
University HS 2020-2021 Athletic Signing Day Event: Confirmed!
We’re excited to recognize our 12 (and counting!) Trojans who have signed a NLI (National Letter of Intent) or received “preferred walk-on” status or a partial scholarship to compete in their sport at a four-year college/university.
Details to be released soon!
2021 Athletic Summer Camp Offerings Available Tuesday, May 4
We understand families are eager to learn more about UNI’s athletic summer camp offerings in order to finalize summer plans. And, we’re thrilled to be able to say: They ARE happening (following IUSD and CDPH Guidelines for Youth Sports).
Given the volume of athletic events — with sixteen sports happening at once! — during this condensed Spring season and the additional time and effort our coaches are putting in to ensure safety alongside competitive and enriching athletic experiences, we needed a bit more time to get the schedule set.
By Tuesday, May 4th, families will be able to view our Summer Camp Brochure online.
Until then, please visit our dedicated Summer Athletics Camp page for an overview of participation requirements and the payment-registration process. In preparation for summer camp, new athletes and returners are encouraged to set up their athletic clearance accounts beginning Friday, April 30th. (You will not be able to do so before this date.)
Thanks for your patience and interest!
Uni Athletics
2021-2022 Sports Interest Forms
If you/your student is interested in playing a certain sport next year, visit our Virtual Family Night page. Under each sport in the alphabetical accordion list, you will find a Google Form. Fill it out to express your/his/her interest. The contact information provided is accessible to the Head Coach if they wish to create an email distribution list. (It is not a registration form for sports classes.)
Sports Highlights & News
Boys Golf
The Boys Golf Team started with year, as with many things this year, with some uncertainties. We didn’t have a place to play our matches or have our team practices. There was a time when we felt we won’t even have a golf season. But through our perseverance and the cooperation of Strawberry Farms Golf Course, the Boys Golf Team was off and running.
This year’s team is anchored by 4 year returning starters and this year’s co-captains, Steven Li and George Lu. We also added a senior coming back “home” to his home school of Uni from Sage Hill – Evan Chien. Evan will be moving on to play golf at UCLA next year and we are lucky to have him help our team this year. The team will also received solid and invaluable contributions from Junior starter Jacob Fox.
The team is currently undefeated at 6-0 with 2 solid wins against Northwood (191 – 231) and Irvine High School (197 – 223) this week. Next week the team has 2 matches…Laguna Hills at home and Woodbridge at Rancho San Joaquin Golf Course.
We are looking to defend our PCL Title and CIF Title!
Girls Soccer
The OC Register released this week’s CIF-SS high school girls soccer polls as selected by the CIF-SS Girls Soccer Advisory Committee. That’s right…our Trojans made the top ten in Division 1!
DIVISION 1
1. Harvard-Westlake
2. Mater Dei
3. Santa Margarita
4. Villa Park
5. Santiago/Corona
6. Los Alamitos
7. Newport Harbor
8. Temecula Valley
9. San Juan Hills
10T. Pacifica
10T. University
Boys Volleyball
Follow them @uniboysvolleyball
Uni Pep Squad Tryouts
Follow Uni Pep Squad @unipepsquad
Swim & Dive
The OC Register reports that CIF-SS swimming champoinships will be held at Santa Margarita High School in May.
CIF-SS swimming, diving championships to be held in Orange County in May
By DAN ALBANO | dalbano@scng.com | Orange County RegisterPUBLISHED: April 28, 2021 at 2:03 p.m. | UPDATED: April 28, 2021 at 6:41 p.m.
he CIF Southern Section has scheduled its swimming and diving championships for Orange County in May after receiving clearance from public health officials.
The largest section in the state announced on Wednesday, April 28 that the championships have been approved by the Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA) to be held at Santa Margarita High and the Marguerite Aquatics Center in Mission Viejo, respectively.
Section commissioner Rob Wigod stated the diving championships will be held May 20-21 at the Marguerite Aquatics Center. The recently-renovated facility is home to the Mission Viejo Nadadores’ club and hosted a FINA Diving Grand Prix in the spring of 2019.
The swimming championships will be held at Santa Margarita’s 50-meter pool on May 25, May 27 and May 29. The meet will feature timed finals for the top-16 qualifiers in each event, meaning there will not be prelims.
CIF-SS announced this week that they are prepared to go forward with Section Championships for the following Season 2 Team Sports:
Baseball
Boys/Girls Basketball
Boys/Girls Lacrosse
Boys/Girls Soccer
Softball
Boys/Girls Team Tennis
Boys Volleyball
Boys/Girls Dual Meet Wrestling
Boys/Girls Swimming/Diving (added to list)
CIF is working to secure approvals from various county health departments to ensure they can conduct championship events involving student-athletes from all 8 counties within Southern Section. More information will be forthcoming for the following individual sports:
Boys/Girls Golf
Boys/Girls Individual Tennis
Boys/Girls Track & Field
Unfortunately, Section Championships for Boys/Girls Individual Wrestling will not be conducted this year.
Coaches will provide athletes with home spectator passes for households (1 pass per athlete for each level).
Each “household” (two spectators max.) only needs 1 pass.
Tickets are to be shown upon request; meaning they will not need to be presented at the gate but should be carried when attending home contests in the event supervising Administrators need to manage capacity.
(Spectator policy: California Department of Public Health guidelines limits spectators to two members of an athlete’s family. We have or are in the process of issuing passes for our families to show if asked. All league high schools have to limit visiting spectators by venue. Athletic contests in our stadium allow for visiting fans but our other fields / pool deck do not. Please check with your child’s coach before traveling to an away contest. We will make adjustments as regulations change. Individual coaches will have the most updated information and you can reach out to our athletic office.)
Uni Spectator Policy for Indoor Sports **REVISED APRIL 22**
Beginning Friday, April 23rd, Uni will no longer be using the Spectator Google Form to check in home or away spectators for indoor sporting events. Instead, each athlete on the home and away roster (provided by Coaches) will be allowed 2 household spectators. Supervising staff will continue to check in spectators at the door. Student spectators are NOT permitted.
Spectators will be admitted entry to Uni’s gym 10 minutes prior to the following start times to allow the previous game’s spectators to exit:
4:00pm JV Boys 5:30pm Varsity Girls 7:00pm Varsity Boys
3:15pm JV Girls 4:30pm FS Boys
4:00pm FS & JV Boys Volleyball 5:15pm Varsity Boys Volleyball
4:00pm Wrestling
Once inside, the bleachers have been marked with stickers so each household remains socially distanced, and masks will be required at all times indoors.
Weekly Testing for Indoor Sports
Weekly testing conducted by Hoag began this week for our indoor sports (boys and girls basketball, boys volleyball, and wrestling). Students DO NOT need to re-register for each testing day.
Insurance companies are billed for weekly testing; HOWEVER according to the Cares act, the insurance company must waive all copays and deductibles – so patients do not pay anything out of pocket.
Please contact the athletics office should an issue arise.
Spring 2021 Return to Play Requirements
Informed Consent and Transportation permission is required for Spring 2021 athletic participation.
Every athlete with a parent/guardian MUST:
Read IUSD COVID-19 Reopening Guidelines/Informed Consent Letter
We understand families are eager to learn more about UNI’s athletic summer camp offerings in order to finalize summer plans. And, we’re thrilled to be able to say: They ARE happening (following IUSD and CDPH Guidelines for Youth Sports).
Given the volume of athletic events — with sixteen sports happening at once! — during this condensed Spring season and the additional time and effort our coaches are putting in to ensure safety alongside competitive and enriching athletic experiences, we needed a bit more time to get the schedule set.
By Tuesday, May 4th, families will be able to view our Summer Camp Brochure online.
Until then, please visit our dedicated Summer Athletics Camp page for an overview of participation requirements and the payment-registration process. In preparation for summer camp, new athletes and returners are encouraged to set up their athletic clearance accounts beginning Friday, April 30th. (You will not be able to do so before this date.)
Thanks for your patience and interest!
Uni Athletics
2021-2022 Sports Interest Forms
If you/your student is interested in playing a certain sport next year, visit our Virtual Family Night page. Under each sport in the alphabetical accordion list, you will find a Google Form. Fill it out to express your/his/her interest. The contact information provided is accessible to the Head Coach if they wish to create an email distribution list. (It is not a registration form for sports classes.)
Also…
Future Trojan athletes and their families are encouraged to checkout Sword & Shield, Uni’s official news publication. Page 9 and 10 of the Online Edition – March 2021provide great coverage of this year’s Fall sports and an overview of Spring sports underway. Check it out!
Highlights & Sports News
Girls Lacrosse
The Girls Lacrosse program is having a fantastic season! Five league matches, five wins! That’s right: Girls Lacrosse is undefeated in league play!
After a challenging preseason series of matches, the ladies have settled in and found their groove. League play began right after Spring Break, and the girls took to the field for two dominant wins over Irvine (19-3) and Laguna Hills (17-0). The girls then played away, at Portola. That game proved be a very important one: although the team won, they fell behind early on and had to rally on the field to come from behind and earn a well deserved victory (12-9). The mental toughness and fortitude showed, and carried over to the next league match against Woodbridge. Always an entertaining match, both teams played well, and Uni secured the league victory (11-8).
Lastly, just yesterday, Uni faced Beckman. Both teams were undefeated coming into the match and the excitement in the stadium was palpable. Led by Mya Wang (Sr., 7 goals on the night), the offense grabbed possession of the first draw and scored the first goal of the match. The team never looked back as they would not surrender that lead at all, only extending it from 9-7 at halftime to win, 18-14! Without the help of stalwart defensive play led by Seniors Caroline Mumm, Dani Hernandez, and Sasha Slepchenkova, Beckman would have stayed in the match. But that trio created numerous takeaways that allowed the team to control every facet of the match. It was a huge win and very well deserved!
The ladies are back in action against their final league opponent, Northwood, next week. Please congratulate the players if and when you see them on an incredible season thus far!
Football
Tim Burt of OC Sports Zone covered the departure of teachera and Head Football Coach, Chris Hernandez
Uni football coach Chris Hernandez resigns and will move with his family to South Dakota
University High football coach Chris Hernandez said Friday night he has resigned as the Trojans head coach after one full season and a partial abbreviated schedule. The Trojans were 0-10 in 2019, his first full season.
The Trojans cancelled their varsity season in the abbreviated spring season in March after two losses due to injuries.
No replacement has been made.
“My wife and I had planned when we retired in 20 something years to move there,” he said Friday night. “It was between South Dakota and a few other states. But during the pandemic, we had more time than ever to talk and really talk about the way things were going and we just felt like, ‘what are we waiting for?’ We said, ‘let’s just go now. Why do we want to wait that long to start living the life we want?
“We have two young boys, an 8-year-old and a 4-year-old and we’re thinking and looking where the market is right now and thinking they’re never going to be able to afford a home here. Probably around August is when we were like, ‘we’re really doing this.’”
Hernandez said he has been able to get a teaching job in South Dakota and expects to be coaching high school football.
Hernandez made the announcement Friday night at the end of the year recognition event.
“My family and I will be leaving California at the end of the school year and will be moving to the great state of South Dakota,” Hernandez said in a letter to the families of the players.
“Our vision has always been to leave California years down the road when we retired, but during the pandemic, we came to the conclusion that we don’t want to wait more than 20 years to to start living out that vision. We are committed to raising our two sons in a state we love and will hopefully live in until we are called home.
“While we are excited for our new adventure, I am disappointed that I will not be around to see the players we invested in reach their ultimate goals. I have always believed that the success of a team will be seen years after they graduate from high school. These are young men at Uni who have grown into real men during my time there and that is why I coach.”
Hernandez thanked the administrators at University High.
Hernandez said there is potential at Uni.
“I really do believe the seniors really have a group of guys who are strong and have a good core group and they understand the culture that I was trying to create,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez said he will miss his players.
“I think they were surprised, they were shocked, we hugged,” he said. “I told them I loved them, that’s something I said from day one. I’m going to miss them and I’m going to root for them.”
Hernandez said he will continue to teach at University through this semester and will lead the Trojans in the weight room in preparation for next season.
University High School wishes Coach Chris Hernandez the best of luck with his relocation. In the short time he led the Trojan football team, he made a lasting impact. It’s been a pleasure to work with him and he will be missed.
We are beginning our search for a new head coach immediately and are committed to finding the best possible candidate. The athletes, students, parents, and University HS community deserve strong leadership to grow our program and make it a positive and competitive experience.
Tom Shrake, UHS Athletic Director
CIF-SS Championships Update
CIF-SS announced this week that they are prepared to go forward with Section Championships for the following Season 2 Team Sports:
Baseball
Boys/Girls Basketball
Boys/Girls Lacrosse
Boys/Girls Soccer
Softball
Boys/Girls Team Tennis
Boys Volleyball
Boys/Girls Dual Meet Wrestling
CIF is working to secure approvals from various county health departments to ensure they can conduct championship events involving student-athletes from all 8 counties within Southern Section. More information will be forthcoming for the following individual sports:
Boys/Girls Golf
Boys/Girls Swimming/Diving
Boys/Girls Individual Tennis
Boys/Girls Track & Field
Unfortunately, Section Championships for Boys/Girls Individual Wrestling will not be conducted this year.
Coaches will provide athletes with home spectator passes for households (1 pass per athlete for each level).
Each “household” (two spectators max.) only needs 1 pass.
Tickets are to be shown upon request; meaning they will not need to be presented at the gate but should be carried when attending home contests in the event supervising Administrators need to manage capacity.
(Spectator policy: California Department of Public Health guidelines limits spectators to two members of an athlete’s family. We have or are in the process of issuing passes for our families to show if asked. All league high schools have to limit visiting spectators by venue. Athletic contests in our stadium allow for visiting fans but our other fields / pool deck do not. Please check with your child’s coach before traveling to an away contest. We will make adjustments as regulations change. Individual coaches will have the most updated information and you can reach out to our athletic office.)
Uni Spectator Policy for Indoor Sports **REVISED APRIL 22**
Beginning Friday, April 23rd, Uni will no longer be using the Spectator Google Form to check in home or away spectators for indoor sporting events. Instead, each athlete on the home and away roster (provided by Coaches) will be allowed 2 household spectators. Supervising staff will continue to check in spectators at the door. Student spectators are NOT permitted.
Spectators will be admitted entry to Uni’s gym 10 minutes prior to the following start times to allow the previous game’s spectators to exit:
4:00pm JV Boys 5:30pm Varsity Girls 7:00pm Varsity Boys
3:15pm JV Girls 4:30pm FS Boys
4:00pm FS & JV Boys Volleyball 5:15pm Varsity Boys Volleyball
4:00pm Wrestling
Once inside, the bleachers have been marked with stickers so each household remains socially distanced, and masks will be required at all times indoors.
Weekly Testing for Indoor Sports
Weekly testing conducted by Hoag began this week for our indoor sports (boys and girls basketball, boys volleyball, and wrestling). Students DO NOT need to re-register for each testing day.
Insurance companies are billed for weekly testing; HOWEVER according to the Cares act, the insurance company must waive all copays and deductibles – so patients do not pay anything out of pocket.
Please contact the athletics office should an issue arise.
Spring 2021 Return to Play Requirements
Informed Consent and Transportation permission is required for Spring 2021 athletic participation.
Every athlete with a parent/guardian MUST:
Read IUSD COVID-19 Reopening Guidelines/Informed Consent Letter
Uni will no longer be using the Spectator Google Formto check in home or away spectators for indoor sporting events.
Instead, each home and away athlete on the roster (confirmed by the Head Coach) will be allowed 2 household spectators.Supervising staff will continue to check-in spectators at the door. High School student spectators are NOT permitted.
Spectators will be admitted entry to Uni’s gym 10 minutes prior to the following start times to allow the previous game’s spectators to exit. Standard start times for each event are listed below:
4:00pm JV Boys Basketball 5:30pm Varsity Girls Basketball 7:00pm Varsity Boys Basketball
3:15pm JV Girls Basketball 4:30pm FS Boys Basketball
4:00pm FS & JV Boys Volleyball 5:15pm Varsity Boys Volleyball
