Girls Get an Assist from Laguna Beach Restaurants
Laguna Beach's 14-and-under girls water polo team, which for the last several years has been among the top-ranking teams in the nation, is raffling off more than two weeks' worth of free local dinners to help pay for this year's trip to the Speedo Cup national championship.
The "Feasting in Laguna" fundraiser will feature $50 gift certificates to dine at 16 of the town's restaurants, from ethnic favorites such as San Shi Go, El Ranchito and Laguna Thai By The Sea to Tabu Grill, Nick's Laguna Beach, Lumberyard and Dizz's As Is.
Tickets are $5 and or five for $20. The winner need not be present at the drawing, which will be held at the Laguna Beach High School pool at 7 p.m. on Nov. 5.
The Speedo Cup, which is limited to12 girls' and 12 boys' teams invited to participate from throughout the country, is an elite water polo tournament held each fall in the Midwest. This year's championship will be played at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor from Nov. 7-9. The Laguna Beach girls' team took second place last year and first place in 2006.
Led by coaches Chad Beeler, Kayne Schroeder and Ethan Damato, the team placed second in a regional qualifying tournament at Newport Harbor High School to earn its berth at the national event. The team that will go on to Michigan will consist of Mackenzie Baldridge, Lexi del Toro, Chloe Glore, Brigette Kimbrough, Jenna Knott, Kate Magnuson, Alia Manetta, Sandonica Mwangi, Caroline Renezeder and Sydney Saxe.
Also expected to participate in the Speedo Cup this year are teams from Newport Beach, Santa Barbara and Commerce as well as teams from Texas, Connecticut, Florida, Washington and other states.
The girls' team, which must pay for its own transportation to Michigan as well as lodging during the tournament, will be selling the raffle tickets to help defray travel costs. Tickets will be available from any team member, or at the community pool from Monday through Thursday between 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. For further information, please contact Scott Baldridge at (714) 345-9909.
