Corona

Shirley Neben of Corona del Mar, CA, died peacefully, surrounded by family on December 25, 2012. She was preceded in death by her husband, Marvin. She was born on July 7, 1927 in Painesville, OH. Shirley attended Ohio State University. Shirley and Marvin married in 1947 and lived in Cleveland, OH. In 1963 they moved the family to Los Angeles, then Anaheim, and Corona del Mar, CA, where they resided for 40 happy years. After her husband's death, Shirley moved to Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA. Shirley spent time working in her husband's law office and volunteered for the Women's Division of the Jewish Federation and the Cancer Society.

Just five days after the season ended for his Corona del Mar High boys' water polo team, senior Reid Chase was on a plane for Singapore. Chase headed overseas for training, prior to the inaugural FINA Youth World Championships in Perth, Australia. When he arrived down under, he discovered that he would be trying something new at the tournament for Team USA, coached by former Newport Harbor head man Jason Lynch. Lynch had Chase guarding at two meters, something he rarely did in high school.

Kelsey Humphreys just got back from a special trip in Louisville, Ky. One day she watched the women's volleyball Final Four inside the KFC Yum! Center. The next day she competed in the same arena, on the same court. As one of 24 senior girls, Humphreys played in the Under Armour High School All-America Volleyball Match on Dec. 14. Talk about an experience for the Corona del Mar High setter. "It was a real cool atmosphere," Humphreys said. "[Fans] didn't fill the arena as much as they did for the NCAA semifinal matches [between Oregon and Penn State, and Texas and Michigan]

CORONA DEL MAR - Two little girls emerged from the Corona del Mar High crowd with a huge cardboard cutout of Coach Ryan Schachter's head. When they greeted Schachter near the scorer's table before halftime, his facial expression didn't resemble the smile on the cutout. Schachter wasn't too happy with how his Sea Kings played the first half of the Battle of the Bay against Newport Harbor. They trailed by as many as 13 points, before going into the break down eight. "We didn't look good," he said of his Sea Kings, who usually do look good under Schachter whenever they play the Sailors.

When Allen Hardison sifted through letters from NCAA Division I universities for soccer five years ago he never thought his life would end up where it is now. He never dreamed he would playing in a college football bowl game in New Mexico on Saturday. But that's where his life is now, as a kicker for the University of Nevada. His dreams have changed from the ones he had while playing soccer at Corona del Mar High, from which he graduated in 2007. "To say that I had a dream of playing in the NFL when I was growing up, I would be lying," Hardison said in a telephone interview from New Mexico, where the Wolf Pack (7-5)

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.

SANTA BARBARA - Want a sure-fire way to boost the confidence of a high school girls' water polo team? Send them on the road, way north on Highway 101, to begin the season. Take away three of their starters for the weekend, girls regarded as some of the best prep players in the nation. Oh, subtract another starter for a game, too. Then have that team beat one of the top teams in CIF Southern Section Division 1. It happened Saturday, and Corona del Mar was that team coming back down Highway 101 with so much confidence.

CORONA DEL MAR - The first time Deondre Bryant crashed onto the Corona del Mar High basketball court, he cut open the bottom of his chin. Three minutes into the second quarter of Tustin's third game in the Beach Bash tournament, Bryant bled. He left the game, then walked toward the Tustin bench and waited for the athletic trainer. No matter how many times the trainer wrapped a large Band-Aid underneath Bryant's chin, the bleeding never seemed to stop. The Band-Aid never seemed to stay on, either.

GRIFFITH, SHERYL COBERLY Born February 26, 1936, Los Angeles, CA died November 28, 2012 in Corona del Mar, CA. Sheryl was raised in Los Angeles, attended Marlborough and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley where she was affiliated with Kappa Kappa Gamma. She loved sports, especially beach volleyball, tennis and body surfing. Gardening and laughing were two of her favorite pastimes. Her love of animals, particularly dogs, horses and wolves was well known. Surviving are her greatest joys: three loving children, a wonderful daughter-in-law, outstanding son-in-law and six fabulous grandchildren.

Newport Harbor High graduate Maddy McLaren, Corona del Mar senior Cassidy Papa and Newport Harbor sophomore Carlee Kapana have helped the United States women's water polo youth national team win its group at the FINA Youth World Championships in Perth, Australia. Team USA went 2-1 in Group C. The Americans defeated India, 34-0, and Hungary, 8-6, before losing to Italy, 10-9. Hungary and Italy also finished 2-1 in the group but Team USA won tiebreakers to win the group. McLaren, who now plays at UCLA, has scored twice in the three games so far. Papa has scored once and Kapana has seen time in goal.