Texas

The sharp tongues at OCC recently talked their way to victory at the Southwestern Invitational Tournament at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. The college’s speech, debate and theater team brought home gold against other community college representatives from Arizona, Kentucky, New York, Texas and California Feb. 2. This was the school’s fourth consecutive victory at the tournament. The college’s only individual event champion was Blake Longfellow of Newport Beach for Novice After Dinner Speaking.

Richard Dunn Corona del Mar High boys tennis senior standout Garrett Snyder, ranked sixth in Southern California in the boys 18s and a top-50 player nationally, has signed a national letter of intent with the University of Texas, he announced Friday. Snyder, a third-year varsity player under CdM Coach Tim Mang, selected Texas over USC and UC Santa Clara. "It was hard to say no to USC," Snyder said. "I just felt Texas was the place for me. I think (the Longhorns)

Newport Harbor High senior girls soccer standout Amy Burlingham, a Parade Magazine All-American last season, has verbally committed to compete next fall for the University of Texas. A first-team All-CIF Southern Section Division II performer last season, when she was the Sea View League Player of the Year as a junior, she chose the Longhorns after also visiting Cal, UCLA, Washington and Virginia. Burlingham, a speedy forward, was a second-team All-CIF choice as a sophomore.

ROUND ROCK, Texas — Both Taylor Holiday and Scott Gorgen finished what they started Saturday to help the Anteaters win the game Coach Dave Serrano called the biggest in the program's history. But despite a 3-1 triumph over storied Texas, the No. 4 national seed, in the winner's bracket game of the NCAA Regional at the Dell Diamond, Serrano and some of his players were quick to point out that nothing is finished quite yet. The win put the Anteaters (42-15-1), ranked No. 9 in the most recent Baseball America poll, in the driver's seat in the double-elimination regional format.

Newport Harbor High's Aaron Peirsol, the 200-meter backstroke silver medalist in the 2000 Olympics, and currently ranked No. 1 in the world in the 200 back, will swim for the University of Texas next year after signing his national letter of intent. Peirsol, who won the gold medal and set a meet record (1:57.13) in the 200 back at the FINA World Championships in Japan in July, said there were several schools in the running before he went down to the wire and chose the Longhorns.

UC Irvine baseball coach Dave Serrano said he is much happier to be getting on a plane than a bus to venture to an NCAA Regional this season. He is clearly eager to expose what he calls "Anteater Baseball" to an audience that may not have seen it before. He got his wish to a degree, when the No. 9-ranked Anteaters (40-15-1) were shipped to Round Rock, Texas to square off against host Texas (44-15), Wake Forest (33-27) and Brown (27-19) in the four-team, double-elimination tournament that begins Friday.

FRISCO, Texas ? The SoCal Blues girls' 15-and-under team, which features Newport Harbor High's Gillian Hogan and Costa Mesa resident Elizabeth Eddy, captured a national crown at the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships at Pizza Hut Park Sunday. The Blues defeated the Fire of New Jersey on penalty kicks, 5-3. Hogan scored for the Blues in the 57th minute and the Fire answered in the 66th. After the teams went scoreless during the rest of regulation and overtime, the Blues took the title on penalty kicks.

COSTA MESA — The Orange County Fairgrounds Arena was quiet Friday morning, belying the strength and aggression of the massive 1,400- to 1,800-pound American bucking bulls complacently chomping down on a champion's breakfast: fresh hay. The bulls — whose names include Hippy Music, 9-11 Ground Zero and the less than-friendly sounding (and looking) Pit Boss — are competing in the Professional Bull Riders Anaheim Invitational that started Friday and continues at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Honda Center in Anaheim.

Jeanne Parquette Wertman of Dallas, Texas formerly of Irvine, California passed away peacefully in Dallas, Texas  on February 5, 2013 at the age of 94.  Jeanne was preceded in death by the love of her life husband of 63 years, Howard “Buck” Wertman and her son, Michael Everett Wertman.  Jeanne was born December 14, 1918, in Ashland, Ohio.  She graduated from Oberlin College with a degree in Physical Education.  She taught Physical Education at...

It was the NAIA women's volleyball version of the immovable object vs. the irresistible force. Irvine's Concordia University, 24-0 and ranked No. 2 in the nation, played host to the University of Texas-Brownsville, 20-0 and ranked No. 1, Thursday night at CU Arena. The teams know each other well, their last meeting coming in the NAIA national championship match last season and one in which Brownsville came out on top. Concordia went into last year's title game having won 36 matches in a row. Thursday, the Eagles' winning streak was a more modest 24 straight, while Brownsville had won 29 in a row, going back to their regular-season loss last season to, of course, Concordia.

Robert Lawrence Evans, 73, of Newport Beach and Scottsdale passed away on October 5, 2012. Bob was born in Lubbock, Texas on June 28, 1939. He was the son of Lawrence Evans and Mildred Evans Sandlin. He played four years of varsity tennis at Hardin Simmons University, graduating with a BA in Political Science. In 1987, he co-founded WEK Enterprises, a Ca. based manufacturer of garment-dyed sportswear. He is survived by his wife, Joey, his sons Sean and Brandon of Natick, Ma., their wives Linsey, Beatrice and grandchildren: Tess, Tyler, Robert, Sophie, Molly and Lucy.

Mr. and Mrs. William Halladay of Corona del Mar joyfully announce the marriage of their son, Benjamin Paul, to Natalie Erin Empfield, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Donald I. Empfield, Jr. of San Antonio, Texas. The wedding was held on March 31 at the University United Methodist Church, followed by a reception at The Austin Club in Austin, Texas. The couple spent their honeymoon in Negril, Jamaica, and reside in New York City. Natalie is currently studying at Columbia University, pursuing an advanced degree in family practice nursing.  Ben works in Executive Business Operations at Pfizer, Inc. and is pursing an MBA in Finance and Accounting at Fordham University.

FOUNTAIN VALLEY - As two high school freshmen, much may not be expected of Corona del Mar High's Henry Gordon and Newport Harbor's Reese Stalder in the boys' 18 doubles division of the 110th Annual Southern California Junior Sectional tennis tournament. As two good friends who happen to both be good doubles players, too, maybe Gordon and Stalder will take people by surprise. By the end of the summer, though, only one of them will still be living in Newport-Mesa. Gordon, who was an integral part of CdM's run to the CIF Southern Section Division 1 title match this spring, said Saturday that he is moving to Texas to attend the John Newcombe Tennis Academy.

Jason Smith has stepped down as the baseball coach at Costa Mesa High after one season, said Jim Kiefer, the boys' athletic director, on Thursday. Kiefer said Smith resigned last week because Smith plans to relocate his family to Texas. Under Smith, the Mustangs finished in last place in the Orange Coast League with a 2-13 record. Costa Mesa, which went 4-20 overall, missed the CIF Southern Section playoffs for the second straight season. Kiefer said Costa Mesa plans to hire a coach in the summer.

Obituary Knipp, Kirk Barnes Born Feb. 17, 1959 Hoag Hospital, Newport Beach. Died Feb. 21, 2012, Fort Worth, Texas. A victim of melanoma, but his suffering was short lived. He grew up in Costa Mesa, attending Prince of Peace Lutheran School through 6th grade, and then attended public schools. He graduated from Costa Mesa High School with high scholastic recognition. He ran with the Cross Country Championship Team during his last two years.     In his senior year he received an appointment to West Point Military Academy.

The Goldenrod 6 may become the Longhorn 6 if the owner of the Corona del Mar chicken flock moves out of state. Michael Resk said escalating tension with his neighbor has made him contemplate moving "the Ladies" he's kept for 18 months at his home on Goldenrod Avenue. He is looking at moving to Texas or another local home because he fears for the safety of his hens after he found rock salt, which is potentially toxic to the birds, spread about his yard. He also said a pipe was removed from the ground at his home.

A new university study released this week confirms what many here already know: Orange County has some of the most congested freeways in the nation. California can boast — or loathe — that it has nine of the 10 most clogged stretches of freeway in the country, with a majority in Los Angeles County. But just take a short drive southbound on the San Diego (405) or Santa Ana (5) freeways to the O.C., and the situation isn't much better. According to the study by an institute at Texas A&M University, parts of the 405, 5 and Costa Mesa (55)

A game at Dodger Stadium and two trips to Texas are among the highlights of the nonconference portion of the UC Irvine baseball schedule, which was released Tuesday. Following the annual Alumni Game on Feb. 4, Coach Mike Gillespie's Anteaters open the 2012 campaign at the RBI Tournament, which will be played at Minute Maid Park and the RBI facility in Houston, Feb. 17-19. UCI's home opener is against UNLV Feb. 20 and its first home weekend series is against Washington Feb. 24-26.