Australia

Christina Hewko, a senior this fall at Corona del Mar High, scored twice in an 11-5 Team USA victory over the Australia "B" entry in a five-game girls water polo series Down Under, and scored in a final 6-5 loss to Australia "A" to wind up competition Sunday. In the 11-5 victory, Long Beach Shore's Lauren Silver led the U.S. offensive with three goals, while Elsie Windes, Courtney Matheson and Hewko each scored twice. A 2-0 spurt in the second quarter expanded the U.S. lead to 5-2 at halftime, and a 4-2 run in the third period put it on ice. In the final match of what was a 3-1-1 overall record for the U.S., Hewko and her teammates were within a 6-5 count entering the final quarter, but both teams went scorelesss in the final segment.

The American Eagles Baseball Club is currently looking for experienced baseball players of ages 15-21 to participate in the  2009 Great Barrier Reef Baseball Tournament in Cairns and the Major League Baseball International Academy   Tournamentin Surfers Paradise, Australia from July 28- August 11, 2009 .   Long-time UC San Diego Assistant Coaches, Mike Oseguera & Chad Addison, will coach the Eagles for the second time...

Director Baz Luhrmann loves lavish spectacle just for the pure giddiness of it all. It worked in “Moulin Rouge” but comes across as a bit silly in “Australia,” an epic wannabe set just before World War II that’s as contrived as Nicole Kidman’s Brit accent. As Lady Ashley, Kidman is laced up way too tight (and in desperate need of a sandwich) as she frowns and pouts upon her arrival at Faraway Downs, her husband’s cattle station. But a couple glimpses of the Drover (a very buff Hugh Jackman)

NEWPORT BEACH — The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia is from the land Down Under. It almost found itself going down into the Pacific Ocean Friday. The three-man crew wasn't too thrilled about having water coming into its keelboat. Another boat struck Australia's during the second round of round-robin action at the 41st annual Governor's Cup hosted by the Balboa Yacht Club. Fortunately for Australia, the team hitting it was the Southern Yacht Club of New Orleans.

East or West, who cares where the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia is because it is well, cruising. Jon English still has no clue where he is. That's the least of his concerns, because the weather, 75 degrees, this time of the year is paradise for the three-man crew and its coach. Back home it's winter and the last couple of days in Sydney have been blistering cold. So after wrapping up another day of regatta racing at the 41st annual Governor's Cup, Australia stays under the sun longer than the rest of the competition at the Balboa Yacht Club.

Harvey and Kathryn Takara of Kaaawa, Hawaii, announce the engagement of their daughter Natasha Takara of Redwood City, to Brad Harrington of Redwood City. Takara graduated from Hawaii Baptist Academy and Stanford University. The future bridegroom is the son of Bruce and Nancy Harrington of Newport Beach. He graduated from Corona del Mar High School and Stanford University. A June 22 wedding is planned in Oahu, Hawaii. Brock-Medland Katie Brock of Newport Beach and John Medland of Labrador, Queensland, Australia, exchanged wedding vows in Chapel by the Sea in Nandi, Fiji on Aug. 26. The bride is the daughter of JoAnn and Ray Brock of Newport Beach.

The U.S. men's national water polo team won its second consecutive game to place first in Group B at the FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Spain, with a 13-7 victory over Australia on Friday. The U.S. (2-0-1) never trailed and Australia got as close as 1-1 and 3-3. But the U.S. took a 5-3 lead at halftime and scored eight second-half goals to only four for Australia. UC Irvine graduate Ryan Bailey scored the first of his two goals to begin the scoring four minutes, 49 seconds into the game on a pass from captain Wolf Wigo.

USA MEN TOP AUSSIES MORAGA, Calif. — Tony Azevedo scored three goals as the United States senior men’s national water polo team defeated Australia, 6-4, at Campolindo High on Saturday night. Former Corona del Mar High and Cal standout John Mann scored a goal for Team USA, which led throughout the game by as many as four goals. Former UC Irvine star Ryan Bailey drew a five-meter penalty shot, which Azevedo converted. Team USA, which also split a pair of games with Croatia in recent weeks, will play Australia again today at 4 p.m. at Dos Pueblos High in Goleta.

Clarice Ordaz might as well have been dreaming about a day when she got selected as the top dancer on the West Coast in a national competition and about getting selected to dance in a championship in Australia. But it’s not a dream. On Saturday, the 17-year-old will travel to Australia, where she’ll be performing among dancers from around the world. “I feel very privileged,” she said. “I couldn’t believe it.” Clarice is good enough to audition for the Juilliard School in New York, and is also trying to get into Chapman University.

Corona del Mar High twin seniors Stephania and Ioanna Haralabidis hope to help the Sea Kings win the CIF Southern Section Division 1 girls' water polo title in February. But over the weekend, the transfers from Greece earned another big title - and a gold medal. The Haralabidis sisters helped Greece's youth national team win the inaugural FINA Youth World Championships in Perth, Australia. Greece beat the United States, 8-3, in the semifinals before topping Hungary, 9-5, in the championship match on Sunday.

Former UC Irvine All-American Jeff Powers scored a pair of goals to help the USA Water Polo men's national team defeat Australia, 7-5, in the quarterfinals of the FINA World League Super Final in Almaty, Kazakhstan on Friday. Team USA will meet Croatia in a semifinal on Saturday, while Spain plays Italy in the other semifinal. Powers, a two-time Olympian, scored back-to-back goals in the second quarter to give the Americans a 5-1 halftime lead. Powers has been a member of the U.S. team in the previous two Olympics and is expected to compete in his third Olympics this summer in London..

COSTA MESA - Alexandria Kessinger wasn't a natural-born dancer, despite having an instructor for a mother. But at age 4 she decided she would dance. And that was that. "There's no holding her back," said Paula Kessinger, Alexandria's mother and owner of the Costa Mesa-based West Coast School of the Arts. Alexandria, 17, won three national dance competitions this year, and was named Dancer of the Year by one of the competitions. She is flying to Australia next month to represent the U.S. in the nine-day Showcase Dance Championship.

Editor’s note: This is the third of three parts. They danced to Jay-Z at the Winter Formal. They toured Balboa and Newport Islands. They gave PowerPoint presentations on Australia to faculty and staff, host families, the Kiwanis club and the student body at Estancia High School. They attended pep rally, water polo and soccer events. The Australian delegation from Hoppers Crossing Secondary College has been busy, and these visiting Aussie students have completed only Week 1 of their exchange program with Estancia High.

Clarice Ordaz might as well have been dreaming about a day when she got selected as the top dancer on the West Coast in a national competition and about getting selected to dance in a championship in Australia. But it’s not a dream. On Saturday, the 17-year-old will travel to Australia, where she’ll be performing among dancers from around the world. “I feel very privileged,” she said. “I couldn’t believe it.” Clarice is good enough to audition for the Juilliard School in New York, and is also trying to get into Chapman University.

The American Eagles Baseball Club is currently looking for experienced baseball players of ages 15-21 to participate in the  2009 Great Barrier Reef Baseball Tournament in Cairns and the Major League Baseball International Academy   Tournamentin Surfers Paradise, Australia from July 28- August 11, 2009 .   Long-time UC San Diego Assistant Coaches, Mike Oseguera & Chad Addison, will coach the Eagles for the second time...

Director Baz Luhrmann loves lavish spectacle just for the pure giddiness of it all. It worked in “Moulin Rouge” but comes across as a bit silly in “Australia,” an epic wannabe set just before World War II that’s as contrived as Nicole Kidman’s Brit accent. As Lady Ashley, Kidman is laced up way too tight (and in desperate need of a sandwich) as she frowns and pouts upon her arrival at Faraway Downs, her husband’s cattle station. But a couple glimpses of the Drover (a very buff Hugh Jackman)

NEWPORT BEACH — Will Ryan tried different throws, spinning one Frisbee after another through the air while running barefoot on the black asphalt parking lot at the Balboa Yacht Club. Ted Hackney laughed and threw some Frisbees too, and Sean O’Rourke messed around like a kid, as well. As the sun set Saturday, the crew from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia found a way to unwind. Today, they’ll try to spin the Governor’s Cup favorite on its head. Newport Harbor Yacht Club closed out round-robin action Saturday with a win to remain undefeated, 11-0, and on course to capture its second straight Governor’s Cup, the international junior match racing championships in its 42nd year.