Cinecon hosts ‘Pop-Up’ classic film festival at El Segundo’s Old Town Music Hall on April 6

• March 16, 2025

The Cinecon Classic Film Festival hosted its 59th annual celebration at the Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo in 2023.

Because of the success of the event, Cinecon will host its first “Pop-Up” day at the OTMH on Sunday, April 6, which will include a full day of rare television shows and film.

All proceeds will benefit the non-profit organizations.

“After the wonderful experience of having Cinecon at Old Town in 2023, I knew that I didn’t want the relationship between us to drift into memory,”said Stan Taffel, a professional motion picture archivist and president of Cinecon. “Bringing this special day of rare programming to El Segundo once again links our festival with one of the greatest venues for classic cinema. It was meant to be.”

The “Pop-Up” opens at 9:30 a.m. with a selection of shorts, followed by a restored screening of 1944’s “Song of the Open Road,” starring Jane Powell, Edgar Bergen, and W.C. Fields.

The previously unavailable 1973 featurette “Zukor: A Man of our Century,” will then be screened at 11:30 a.m. The 25-minute film explores the life of the legendary Paramount Pictures co-founder Adolf Zukor as he celebrated his 100th birthday that year.

After a lunch break, Stirling Yearian will accompany the French silent film from 1929, “The Seamstress,” on the Mighty Wurlitzer organ, which marks its 100th birthday in 2025, beginning at 2:20 p.m.

Richardo Montalban and Bert Lahr star in “The Fantasticks,” a television show from 1964, will be screened beginning at 4 p.m. This will be followed by the Anna May Wong-starring 1929 silent film “Pavement Butterfly,” at 5:10 p.m., and a new Paramount restoration of “The Mountain,” from 1956, starring Spencer Tracy, Robert Wagner and Claire Trevor, at 7 p.m.

The OTMH was built in 1921, and decades later became home to the 1925 Mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ, with its 2,600 pipes.

Bill Coffman and Bill Field refurbished the organ, which they purchased from the Fox West Theater in Long Beach, and reopened the music hall as a movie theater in 1968.

When Bill Field died at 80 years old in 2020, volunteers took over operating OTMH including James Moll, Danny Tokusato and Angie Hougen, to keep the theater open almost every weekend throughout the year.

“We are pleased to be the venue for Cinecon’s latest collection of film rarities spanning from the 1920s to the 1960s,” Hougen said. “It promises to be a memorable day and we hope that our South Bay neighbors take advantage of this unique opportunity.”

Last year, an effort was launched to raise $100,000 for new seats, which are around 50-years-old.

James Moll, an award-winning filmmaker and longtime music hall volunteer and boardmember, said the new seats will be installed “late summer.”

“Thanks to matching gifts from generous donors, we did reach our $100,000 goal,” Moll said.

The OTMH will also celebrate the 100th birthday of the Mighty Wurlitzer throughout year, Moll said, by “showing many more silent films than we usually do.”

“Our July through December schedule in particular will feature 100-year-old films, like the war epic ‘The Big Parade,’ and ‘The Phantom of the Opera,” Moll said.

The theater is located at 140 Richmond St.

For more information, visit OldTownMusicHall.org, or for tickets visit cinecon.org.

​ Orange County Register 

LAFC shut out by Austin FC for 3rd straight loss

• March 16, 2025

LOS ANGELES — The scoreline couldn’t have surprised anyone.

For the fourth straight match to begin the Major League Soccer season, Ilie Sanchez and his new Austin FC teammates played to a 1-0 finish, doing just enough to wind up on the good side of that outcome Saturday afternoon at BMO Stadium.

For Sanchez, who joined Austin as a free agent after captaining the Los Angeles Football Club in 2024 and helping the club win its lone MLS Cup in 2022, the contest marked a homecoming to a place he admirably represented the past three years.

Before, during and after the contest, Sanchez, 34, interacted with people throughout the announced crowd of 22,111 at BMO Stadium.

With a quarter hour remaining, Sanchez played peacemaker and asked the 3252 supporters in the north end to keep calm after LAFC midfielder Timothy Tillman mixed it up with Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver in the box. The Spaniard played 85 minutes, a season high, before taking in the final moments with his teammates on the sidelines.

“Ilie’s a great guy,” Long said. “We all love and respect him here, so wishing him nothing but the best.”

Ending a difficult mix of eight MLS and CONCACAF Champions Cup matches in 26 days with its first defeat of the year at home, LAFC struggled to create quality chances or work through Austin’s packed midfield and low block, which Sanchez anchored deep in the midfield.

“We prefer to play lots of games in multiple competitions,” LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said. “It is a challenge we took on and it’s physically very demanding for our players, and mentally as well. So it’s there, but again, we like that. We love that. It’s not an excuse, but I think it’s very clear to see.”

Austin took the lead 12 minutes in when the visitors scored the first goal of the year against LAFC at BMO Stadium.

Opening 2025 with four clean sheets here, the Black & Gold fell victim to an Owen Wolff corner kick that found Guilherme Biro’s head one step in front of the penalty spot. Covered by midfielder Mark Delgado, the Brazilian fullback barely had to move as he redirected the perfect cross underneath the right hand of a diving Hugo Lloris, whose clean sheet streak concluded at 372 minutes.

While Austin (2-2-0, 6 points) made the most of its lone shot on goal in the first 45 minutes, LAFC’s attempt to break down the stingy Austin defense in front of Stuver fell short.

At full time, Stuver made three saves to Lloris’s two.

Each side put three shots on goal, and LAFC dominated possession by a 2-to-1 margin as Austin was happy to deny Cherundolo’s group transition opportunities while bogging things down.

After scoring three times in eight days, Denis Bouanga was denied a score despite a game-high six shots, including each on-target attempt for LAFC.

LAFC’s best opportunity in the first half came in the 26th minute when Turkish Designated Player Cengiz Ünder, who earned his debut start on the right wing and became the first Turkish-born player in Major League Soccer, hit a left-footed curler that turned just wide of the far post.

Ünder managed one more near-chance before exiting in the 63rd minute for David Martínez, who was one of three players Steve Cherundolo brought on at that moment as LAFC searched for a spark that never materialized.

“We had a ton of the ball but just didn’t find a way to get that first goal,” LAFC captain Aaron Long said. “I think a first goal would have changed a lot for us, but having that 1-nil lead really allowed them to sit in that low block, bunker in, and stop us in our transition game.”

For the first time this season, LAFC did not get on the board, as Austin snapped a six-game winless streak against their hosts since 2022.

If there’s good news for Long and his teammates coming off three straight losses — the defeat in Columbus on Tuesday still allowed them to advance in the CONCACAF Champions Cup — it is that for the first time this year they won’t have to prepare for a midweek match.

“We would have loved to end this big block on a win and come out with nine points,” Long said. “That was our goal going into this big block, so a little bit of a bitter taste in our mouth, but finally we can hit the league with a couple days off, and a lot of preparation not feeling like we’re running on E.”

Since starting at Colorado on Feb. 18, LAFC went 4-4, winning four of five at home.

The congested schedule, however, returns the first two weeks of April with the two-leg CONCACAF quarterfinal series against Inter Miami. Meanwhile, LAFC (2-2-0, 6 points) visits Sporting Kansas City next weekend and heads to a first-ever contest at San Diego FC on March 29 during a stretch of four away dates over the club’s next five matches.

Said Cherundolo: “If you’re losing games because you’re a little fatigued and your chance creation is down in the moment but you know the solutions and know they’ll be there next week, it’s not too concerning.”

​ Orange County Register 

Jack Draper upsets Carlos Alcaraz, will face Holger Rune in Indian Wells final

• March 16, 2025

INDIAN WELLS — Jack Draper toppled two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, 6-1, 0-6, 6-4, on Saturday to reach the BNP Paribas Open final.

The 13th-seeded Draper will face 12th-seeded Holger Rune on Sunday (2 p.m. PT). Rune beat fifth-seeded Daniil Medvedev, 7-6, 6-4, in the first semifinal for his 150th tour-level victory.

In the women’s final on Sunday, top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka will play 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva at 11 a.m. They won semifinal matches Friday night in chilly conditions.

Draper ended Alcaraz’s 16-match winning streak in the ATP Masters 1000 event in the desert. The 23-year-old English left-hander – set to break into the top 10 in the world for the first time Monday – won last year in Vienna and Stuttgart for his lone tour titles. He’s 2-3 against Alcaraz.

“It was a strange match in all honesty,” Draper said “Carlos came out a little flat, I sensed that. I had a chance in the first game of the second, and he came up with an ace. … What happened to him happened to me, I got tight, I had low energy.

“Against the top players in the world, they can change their momentum very quickly. I got lost out there for 25 minutes, but in the third, I was really proud of my competitiveness, my attitude and I somehow managed to get over the line.”

Alcaraz, seeded second, missed a chance to become the youngest player to win three consecutive singles titles at any ATP Tour event – and just the third to do it at Indian Wells. The 21-year-old Spanish star won in Rotterdam in February for his 17th ATP Tour title.

The 21-year-old Rune, from Denmark, snapped a seven-match losing streak in semifinals. He’s 2-2 against Medvedev.

“It means everything,” Rune said. “The job is not over yet, but it feels amazing. Playing Daniil is one of the toughest challenges for me on tour. I managed to beat him the first time (we played), but we know each other well. I obviously had the right tactics, but it was still so difficult because he puts in great effort and is super solid. So, I’m very proud of myself.”

Rune has four ATP Tour titles. His biggest victory came in Paris in 2022 in another ATP Masters 1000 tournament.

Medvedev won the last of his 20 ATP Tour titles in 2023. The 29-year-old Russian lost to Alcaraz last year in the Indian Wells final.

​ Orange County Register 

Lady Claypoole closes from last for 11-1 upset at Santa Anita

• March 16, 2025

Trainer Richard Baltas’ fifth win in the past eight runnings of the Santa Ana Stakes was a surprise as Lady Claypoole and jockey Tiago Pereira rallied from last on the far outside to win at 11-1 odds Saturday at Santa Anita.

A 5-year-old mare bred in Ireland, Lady Claypoole ($25.40) won her third race in a row and first at the stakes level, taking the $100,000, Grade III Santa Ana by 2 1/2 lengths over Mrs. Astor, with Starry Heavens third and heavy favorite Kathynmarissa fading to fifth in a field of seven fillies and mares.

The 1 1/4-mile race, starting on the turf hillside, was clocked in 2:01.40, the slowest of six runnings of the Santa Ana at this distance.

Baltas won the Santa Ana with favorites Goodyearforroses in 2017, Madam Dancealot in 2018 and Elysea’s World in 2019 and second betting choice Going to Vegas in 2021. The Santa Ana wasn’t run in 2020.

“She has been getting good,” Baltas said of Lady Claypoole in a TV interview. “(Pereira) gets her to settle. He’s (given) three perfect rides. You have to give a lot of credit to him.”

The upset helped to produce a two-day carryover in the Santa Anita pick-six, adding more than $218,000 to the Sunday pool.

​ Orange County Register 

Los Alamitos baseball scores three runs in sixth to beat Long Beach Wilson

• March 16, 2025

LOS ALAMITOS – The Los Alamitos baseball team scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to propel the Griffins to a 5-3 win over Long Beach Wilson in a nonleague game Saturday afternoon.

The Griffins, who improved their record to 7-0-2, did not play a particularly sharp game. They committed four defensive errors that led to three runs for Wilson and left numerous runners on base.

Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Griffins put together a rally against Bruins left-handed reliever Cooper George. Los Alamitos loaded the bases with two walks and a single with one out.

Los Alamitos designated hitter Sutton Dennino, who struck out in his two previous at-bats, stepped up and ripped a single into center field that brought in James Reveles and Devin Porch from third and second, respectively, giving the Griffins a 4-3 lead.

Dennino, a senior, spoke about his approach during that pivotal at-bat.

Despite 2 Ks early in the game, Los Alamitos DH Sutton Dennison hit the go-ahead 2-run single in the bottom of the 6th inning to propel the Griffins to a win over LB Wilson and remain undefeated @SoCalVarsity @BeachVarsity @LosAlBaseball pic.twitter.com/hh3cruzsLH

— Chris Camello (@Chris_Camello) March 15, 2025

“It was huge,” Dennino said of his clutch hit. “These guys (Wilson) came at it today, they were battling. All I was doing was going up there, get a good pitch to hit, stay confident, not stress too much, and drive it the other way. Luckily, I did that and got the team a big hit.”

RELATED: Press-Telegram baseball Top 10 rankings

Los Alamitos added another run later in the inning. Senior outfielder Wyatt Joyce hit a triple down the left-field line that drove in pinch-runner Logan Wyler from first base, giving the Griffins a 5-3 lead.

The Bruins (5-5) tried to put together a rally in the seventh inning. They got two hits off relief pitcher Logan Anderson, but the right-hander struck out George to end the game with the potential tying run at first base. Anderson earned a save for the Griffins.

Los Alamitos coach Scott Talanoa wasn’t thrilled with how his team played at times, especially the errors and leaving many runners on base, but thought it was a good test.

Los Alamitos High baseball head coach Scott Talanoa talks about the comeback win over LB Wilson, overcoming errors and numerous RISP, the clutch hit late in the game from Dennison and the great pitching of Jack Lorenz @BeachVarsity @SoCalVarsity @LosAlBaseball pic.twitter.com/8uxxeuLQQK

— Chris Camello (@Chris_Camello) March 15, 2025

“I think it’s a good builder for us right now,” Talanoa said. “We’ve played some good competition and we’ve been behind before, and the guys all know we need to get that next guy to the plate. We left nine guys on base, in scoring position with less than two outs, so it’s going to be a topic of conversation we’re going to have on Monday.

“We’ve been doing really well all year; I’d rather have this game now than have it in a league (game).”

The Bruins never retired the top two batters in the Griffins lineup. Porch went 1 for 1 with three walks, two stolen bases, and two runs scored, and junior Rowan Shelley walked in all four of his plate appearances and scored a run.

Los Alamitos senior right-hander Jack Lorenz pitched five innings with five strikeouts, allowed three runs (0 earned) on five hits.

Wilson took advantage of Los Alamitos’ fielding mistakes.

Trailing 2-1 in the fifth inning, the Bruins scored twice on a throwing error by first baseman Shelley. The errant throw allowed Gram Ludwig and Cade Miller to score from third and second, respectively, to give the Bruins a 3-2 lead/

Wilson coach Andy Hall spoke about the loss and how his team gave itself a chance to win.

Long Beach Wilson baseball head coach Andy Hall talks about the loss to Los Alamitos, how things got away from them in the 6th inning, but how well his team competed in this game against a good Los Alamitos squad @SoCalVarsity @BeachVarsity @LBWilsonBruins pic.twitter.com/sutYfGZ5mv

— Chris Camello (@Chris_Camello) March 15, 2025

“Los Al was not crisp defensively,” Hall said, “they gave us a few runs. I think we were opportunistic in getting those runs. Then a couple of miscues on defense that led to a couple of big innings for them…We told the kids, we’re going to win a lot more games where you don’t beat yourself, than when the other team comes out and beats you.”

Ludwig went 2 for 3 with a run scored and Miller went 1 for 3 with a run scored. Rudy Carlos Jr. went 1 for 3 with a double and a run scored for Wilson.

Wilson starter Ben Howard pitched 3 2/3 innings, allowed two runs (0 earned) on two hits, five walks and two strikeouts.

George pitched 2 1/3 innings and surrendered three earned runs on three hits, four walks and two strikeouts.

​ Orange County Register 

Clippers hope momentum takes them higher in the standings

• March 15, 2025

Clippers veteran point guard James Harden has never missed the postseason in his 16 years and currently has the fourth-longest streak in NBA history at 15, and he is not about to break that run.

“We don’t plan on it,” Harden said of the team’s chances of missing this season’s playoffs.

Yet, at their No. 8 standing in the Western Conference, the Play-In Tournament seems to be their destiny.

While the top six teams automatically qualify for the playoffs, teams 7-10 compete for the last two playoff spots in the Play-In Tournament.

Still, the Clippers could get a shot if they play more like the team that beat the Atlanta Hawks on Friday than the one that lost to the 18-win New Orleans Pelicans in the first game of its three-game trip this past week.

“We got 15 games left, so every game is important,” Harden told reporters after the Clippers’ 121-98 victory over the Hawks in Atlanta.

The Clippers (37-30) remain ensconced in eighth and the chances of moving ahead of No. 6 Golden State Warriors and No. 7 Minnesota Timberwolves, both 1½ games ahead of the Clippers as of Saturday, seem slim.

The Warriors, 38-28 going into Saturday night’s game against the New York Knicks, have won six straight and nine of their last 10. The Timberwolves (39-29) have won seven in a row.

The Clippers’ upcoming schedule will make the task even more difficult.

They return home to face the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday followed by games against the league-leading Cleveland Cavaliers, the Memphis Grizzlies and the Oklahoma City Thunder, the top team in the Western Conference.

They can ill-afford another three-game losing streak, something they have done six times this season.

The Clippers, however, are encouraged by their recent play that has resulted in them winning five of their past six.

The Clippers rebounded after a disappointing loss to the Pelicans to post victories against the Miami Heat and Hawks. They displayed a renewed effort on defense, especially in transition, that had been missing lately.

“I think we did a good job,” Coach Tyronn Lue said. “I thought KD (Kris Dunn) did a good job setting the tone, not just for the game, but that third quarter. We came out defensively and we were all locked in.”

The Clippers had 14 steals and five blocked shots and limited the Hawks to 42% shooting from the field and 27.3% (9 for 33) from 3-point range.

As successful as the trip ended, Harden urged his teammates not to get ahead of themselves and keep checking the standings.

“The trip was good, could have been better,” Harden said. “Can’t look ahead, we have to take it one game at a time and focus on the next opponent.”

SIMMONS RETURNS

In six games with the Clippers, Ben Simmons has posted an eye-catching 29 assists with two turnovers. In his first game back after missing seven games because of a sore left knee, he had four assists, two steals and no turnovers against the Hawks.

His play hasn’t gone unnoticed by his teammates.

“I have to learn something from Ben,” said Harden, who had six turnovers in the first half Friday but none in the second.

Simmons, who signed a one-year deal with the Clippers on Feb. 10, told reporters in Atlanta that his playmaking is “just a feel in creating those reads and pushing the ball and guys are just getting to their spots. They make it easy for me.”

CHARLOTTE AT CLIPPERS

When: Sunday, 4 p.m.

Where: Intuit Dome

TV/radio: FDSN SoCal/570 AM

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County track and field: Aliso Niguel’s Jaslene Massey throwing herself into her new love

• March 15, 2025

Figure skating and throwing the shot put do not seem to have much in common.

Aliso Niguel junior Jaslene Massey is proving otherwise.

She threw the shot put 48 feet, 7 inches at the Irvine Invitational track and field meet March 8. That is the fourth-best mark in Orange County history.

That’s better than the 44-7.5 she threw at last year’s CIF State Championships for a third-place finish.

Not only did she win the shot put at the Irvine Invitational, she also won the discus competition with a mark of 143 feet, 11 inches. Last month she threw the discus a personal-best 146-8 in the Eagle Invitational at Santa Margarita.

Pretty good for a former figure skater.

Massey got into figure skating as a first-grader and competed in the sport until she entered high school. Her first events in high school were the high jump and the long jump; she qualified for the CIF-SS finals in the high jump as a freshman.

During her freshman year at Aliso Niguel, where Massey quickly established herself as a star volleyball player, Aliso athletic director Andrew Mashburn suggested that Massey would be a natural as a shot put and discus thrower.

The 5-foot-9 Massey qualified for the CIF-SS finals in the shot put her freshman year, followed by a third-place finish in last year’s CIF State meet.

She loves the shot put and the discus for a variety of reasons.

“There’s so much that goes into it,” Massey said. “The more I learn, the more I love it.”

Just above Massey on the Orange County girls shot put list is the 48-11.5 mark of Villa Park’s Susie Ray in 1980. The country girls record in the event is the 53-7.75  set in 1983 by Natalie Kaaiawahia of Fullerton High.

Aliso Niguel girls track and field coach Patricia Lusar is continuously impressed.

“Jaslene’s success comes from a lot of things,” Lusar said. “The part we sometimes forget is the straight amount of work she puts in. Between volleyball and track and lifting, she’s doing something all the time.

“Some people have the talent but not the drive. She has both.”

As for how figure skating relates to the shot put and discus …

“I love spinning,” Massey said, “so there’s a lot of that in both. It keeps the essence of skating going.”

NOTES

Servite’s 4×100 relay time of 40.98 seconds, recorded at the Redondo Track Festival on March 8, set an Orange County record. The previous record was 41.24 set by Trabuco Hills in 2018. …

Rosary’s 4×100 relay team produced a time of 46.82 seconds in a meet at Los Alamitos High for the third-best time in California this season and third best in Orange County all-time. …

The Orange County Championships are at Mission Viejo High on March 29. …

The Arcadia Invitational is April 11-12 at Arcadia High. …

The Mt. SAC Relays are April 18-19 at Mt. San Antonio College. …

CIF Southern Section championship competition begins with preliminaries in four divisions on May 10, including the Division 1 prelims at Trabuco Hills High and the Division 3 prelims at Yorba Linda High. CIF-SS divisional finals are at Moorpark High on May 17, the CIF-SS Masters Meet is May 17 at Moorpark High and the CIF State meet is May 30-31 at Buchanan High in Clovis.

TOP ATHLETES TO WATCH

BOYS

Devin Bragg, Los Alamitos, Sr.: Bragg was a CIF Southern Section champion in the 100 last season and finished sixth in the 100 at the CIF State meet. He ran a wind-aided 10.37 last year in the 100 and finished eighth in the 200 at the CIF State meet (21.97).

Max Douglass, Corona del Mar, Sr.: He established personal records in the 800 (1:56.48) and the 1,600 at the Irvine Invitational. Douglass finished third in cross country’s CIF State Championships.

Leo Francis, Santa Margarita, Sr.: He finished second in the 100 in the Mustang Round-Up with a personal-record of 10.76 and was first in the 200 (personal-record 21.51). He won the 300 hurdles at the Eagle Invitational in 38.54.

Alden Morales, JSerra, Jr.: His 800 time last season (1:49.91) is the sixth-best time in Orange County history. He has the ability to thrive in the 1,600, too.

Brandon Gorski, Mater Dei, Sr.: He cleared 6 feet, 8 inches in the high jump in the Mater Dei Invitational last month and went 23-8 in the long jump. He was a CIF-SS champion last year in the high jump with a mark of 6-6.

Benjamin Harris, Servite, So.: His 10.38 wind-aided time as a freshman at last season’s Arcadia Invitational grabbed everyone’s attention. Harris then finished fifth in the CIF State meet in the 100.

Jaelen Hunter, Servite, Fr.: Hunter ran the 400 in 46.84 seconds this past summer in the National Junior Olympics. If that was a high school meet, Hunter’s time would be the third-fastest 400 in Orange County history.

Dylan Jubak, Trabuco Hills, Sr.: Jubak is coming off of a cross country season in which he finished seventh at the CIF State Championships and logged a third-place finish at the Orange County Championships and a second-place finish in the CIF Southern Section finals.

Griffin Kushen, Tesoro, Sr.: His cross country season had several highlights, including first-place finishes at the Orange County Championships and in the CIF Southern Section finals, all of which could lead to an outstanding track and field season.

Evan Noonan, Dana Hills, Sr.: Noonan was the CIF State cross country champion this past fall, finished fifth at the Nike Nationals cross country event. Last track season he was a CIF-SS champion in the 1,600 and the state champ in the 3,200.

GIRLS

Holly Barker, Trabuco Hills, Sr.: Barker, who signed with Colorado, won the CIF-SS Division 1 cross country championship this past fall. Last track season she finished second in the 3,200 at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational.

Olivia Bettinger, Los Alamitos, Sr.: She qualified for the CIF State Championships in the pole vault last season, has a career-best clearance of 12 feet, 9 inches. She entered this weekend with a top clearance of 12-3.

Maliya Collins, Rosary, Fr.: Collins finished second in the Eagle Invitational’s 100 with a time of 11.93 and second in the 200 (24.48).

Jaslene Massey, Aliso Niguel, Jr.: Her shot put mark of 48-7 at the Irvine Invitational leads the state this season and is fourth-best in Orange County history.

Natalie McCarty, Newport Harbor, Jr.: McCarty was a CIF-SS champion last year in the 100 (14.76 seconds) and 300 hurdles (43.84). At the Irvine Invitational on March 8 she was fifth in the 100 hurdles, second in the 300 hurdles and was third in the high jump (5-2).

Anna Elise Packard, JSerra, Sr.: She won the 800 (2:09.69) in the Redondo Invitational on March 8. It is the second-best time in the state this season.

Keaton Robar, Newport Harbor, Sr.: Impressively comfortable at a variety of distances. She finished first in the 400 (59.26) at the Eagle Invitational and second in the 1,600 (5:06.48). In cross country this past fall, she finished eighth in the CIF State Championships.

Julia Teven, Brea Olinda, Jr.: Teven was third in last year’s CIF State meet in the high jump with a clearance of 5-7. She cleared 5-6 to win the high jump at the Irvine Invitational last week. She also is adept at running the hurdles.

Justine Wilson, Rosary, Jr.: Last year she was second in her division in the CIF-SS finals in the 200 (wind-aided time of 24.04) and sixth in the 400 (55.95) in the CIF State Championships. Her times of 11.82 in the 100 and 24.31 in the 200 are second-best in the state this season.

Summer Wilson, Irvine, Jr.: Wilson finished third in the CIF State Cross Country Championships in the fall. Last spring she was a CIF-SS champion in the 3,200, won that event at the Orange County Championships and finished ninth at that distance in the CIF State meet.

​ Orange County Register 

Galaxy’s Isaiah Parente settling into a rhythm with expanded role

• March 15, 2025

With multiple injuries in the midfield, the Galaxy have had to get minutes from several unlikely places, including midfielder Isaiah Parente.

Parente spent the majority of the 2024 season playing with Galaxy II/Ventura County FC. He’s become a valuable fill-in so far with the first team, playing the full 90 minutes in each of the past two games, including Wednesday’s must-win CONCACAF Champions Cup game against Herediano.

“His previous coach in Columbus sent me a message when we signed him, said I really like this kid and he’s going to help you out,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. “I felt like last year in preseason he struggled a little bit just because I felt he was probably trying to show too much. His game is a game of simplicity and just being clean and moving and playing and keeping … a time-giver, a little bit like Mark Delgado was.”

The Galaxy (0-3) visit the Portland Timbers (1-2, three points) on Sunday.

“He moves the ball quick, he shows up and he plays. Over the course of last year, he settled in to the group,” Vanney said of Parente. “He was actually training really well at the end of last year and this year he came in and I wanted to see the guys that we brought in and I wasn’t sure exactly Isaiah was in terms of connection, playing forward, managing some of the defensive moments and things like that. In these last couple of games, he’s shown that he’s somebody who can help us, especially because nobody has stepped into that role next to Eddie (Edwin Cerrillo) and said, ‘This is my position and this what I do.’ And he has done that.”

“He’s a version of what we were getting from Mark (Delgado). He’s a balancer, he’s a guy who plays fast, gives his time to other people. He has a high level of field awareness, which allows him to play fast and find good positions, and he helps sort of the system function a little bit and that’s something we haven’t had in some of the games prior.”

Parente had a pair of assists in the Galaxy’s win over Herediano

Matheus Nascimento available

Brazilian forward Matheus Nascimento is in line to make his debut Sunday after recovering from a groin injury.

Nascimento, 20, joined the Galaxy from Botafogo in Brazil.  Even though he’s been with the team since the early days of preseason, he hasn’t logged much training time with the full group.

“He hasn’t trained a ton with us,” Vanney said. “He’s done a lot of training on the side, either to get fitness or because he was awaiting his visa, then he got injured and then he’s been recovering. He’s probably been in a total of five, six team training sessions.

“What I’ve seen? Pretty clean with his feet, he’s a guy who likes to come in and link up with the team. Looks good in the finishing areas. I just want to see as he goes, how dynamic he will be, how much he’s going to look to run behind the opposition. See how he physically covers the ground in an MLS game, things like that, that I’m not sure yet because I just haven’t seen him enough to have some of those ideas.”

Marco Reus’ availability uncertain

Reus went 90 minutes in last Sunday’s 3-0 loss against St. Louis City SC and was not available in Wednesday’s win against CS Herediano. His status for Sunday is uncertain, trending toward not being available.

“I won’t put him into a high-risk situation, for sure,” Vanney said of Sunday’s plan. “If that means limited minutes, maybe. If that means not all, possibly. I would certain rather make sure we’re playing the long game instead of any kind of short game. Good chance that he won’t be involved.”

More injury updates

Defender Miki Yamane will be available Sunday. … Vanney said forward Joseph Paintsil “should be coming back in the next week to two weeks.” … Vanney said defender Mauricio Cuevas is still two to three weeks “from getting back into the mix.”

GALAXY at PORTLAND TIMBERS

When: 1:45 p.m. Sunday

Where: Providence Park; Portland, Oregon

How to watch: FOX (Ch. 11), Apple TV (MLS Season Pass)

​ Orange County Register