Dana Hills’ spring athletic programs are settling in and finding more success.
The baseball program earned its first victory over Ocean View before losing a heartbreaker to Newport Harbor. Softball has been on a little skid following a dominant start to the season.
In boys lacrosse, the Dolphins are still going strong and are one win away from tying last season’s win total. Dana Hills track and field is gearing up to make a run, already notching some impressive performances early in the season.
Baseball
Dana Hills baseball went 1-1 last week, taking a win over Ocean View, 5-1, on March 4 and losing a close game to Newport Harbor, 3-2, on March 6. The Dolphins sit at 1-6 at this point in the season.
Despite only tallying four hits against Ocean View, the Dolphins scored the most runs they have in a game all season. Senior Tyler Baker led the way, going 1-for-2 with two RBI.
The team traveled to Newport Harbor, where the offensive struggles continued. The Dolphins managed only four hits and were held scoreless into the sixth inning.
The Dolphins still have time to improve offensively before league play starts against Capistrano Valley on Monday, March 24. Dana Hills hosted Servite on Tuesday, March 11, but results were not available at press time.
Softball
After a dominant start in which the Dolphins outscored their first two opponents, 26-5, the softball team hit a slight bump in the road, going 1-3 over its past four games.
JSerra and San Clemente shut out Dana Hills in back-to-back matchups, 6-0 and 3-0, respectively. The Dolphins were held to just six hits combined in those games.
The team bounced back against Woodbridge, 3-2, on March 7. Hailey Reed led the Dolphins’ offense, going 2-for-3 with a home run.
In its next matchup against Beckman, Dana Hills was shut out in dominant fashion, 10-0. The Patriots tallied 12 hits in five innings. The Dolphins’ defense committed four errors, which is uncharacteristic for the team to this point. Up until that game, the Dolphins had committed just three errors.
The Dolphins (3-3) traveled to Rosary Academy on March 12, but results were not available at press time. Dana Hills begins South Coast League play at Tesoro on Wednesday, March 26.
Senior Annie Ivarsson, shown competing in cross country, started her track and field season with a sixth-place finish in the girls 800-meter run at the Asics Track and Field Invitational on March 7-8 at Irvine High.
Boys Lacrosse
The Dana Hills boys lacrosse team (6-3) has been rolling this season and currently rides a three-game winning streak as the Dolphins move forward toward league play. The Dolphins are one win away from tying last season’s win total, a sign of a rapidly improving squad.
The team displayed its grit in its 9-7 win over Roosevelt on March 5. The Dolphins have two more games before jumping into league play against San Juan Hills on Thursday, March 20.
Dana Hills hosted Newport Harbor on Tuesday, March 11, but results were not available at press time.
Track and Field
Several Dana Hills track and field athletes had good first showings at the 45th Irvine Asics Track and Field Invitational on March 7-8 at Irvine High.
Senior Annie Ivarsson, a UCLA commit, had an impressive performance in the varsity girls 800-meter race, taking sixth place with a time of 2:21.19.
Senior Sydni Harden finished tied for second place in the girls varsity pole vault, at 11 feet, 4 inches. Sophomore Taylor Burton finished tied for fourth in the the varsity girls high jump at 5 feet and took ninth place in the varsity long jump at 15 feet, 10 inches.
Junior Kainoa Clemente took eighth place in both shot put and discus, throwing 42 feet, 6.5 inches in shot put and 140 feet, 2 inches in the discus competition. Senior Luka Rios finished the shot put competition in 18th place, at 39 feet, 2.5 inches.
Dana Hills’ first CIF-SS dual meet is against Capistrano Valley on Wednesday, March 19.