Future Breaker breaks through

Unseeded Maria Sharapova, an original member of the Newport Beach

Breakers of World Team Tennis, upset top-seeded Elena Dementieva,

2-6, 6-7 (6-4), 6-2, Friday to reach the semifinals of the DFS

Classic in Birmingham, England.

It’s the first time Sharapova, a 16-year-old Russian, will play in

a semifinal at a Women’s Tennis Association tour event.

Sharapova, who will represent the Breakers when the World Team

Tennis begins next month, has defeated three seeds in as many days at

the DFS Classic, a tuneup for Wimbledon.

Ranked No. 139 in the WTA, Sharapova squares off against Japan’s

Shinobu Asagoe in one semifinal today. The final is scheduled for

Sunday.

UCI’s Turpin sits 24th

* TRACK AND FIELD: UC Irvine junior Annmarie Turpin is 24th among

27 competitors after the first day of the heptathlon at the NCAA

track and field championships at Sacramento State.

Turpin, the Big West Conference heptahlon champion, had a total of

2,946 points Friday. Georgia’s Hyleas Fountain leads with 3,684

points.

In Friday’s events, Turpin recorded times of 14.86 in the

100-meter hurdles and 26.51 in the 200 meters. She also cleared 5

feet, 3 3/4 inches in the high jump and put the shot 35-0 1/2. The

even concludes today with competition in the long jump, javelin throw

and 800 meters.

Joyce repeats honor

* VOLLEYBALL: Sage Hill School junior Kevin Joyce, a 6-foot-3

outside hitter, leads three Lightning players included in the boys

volleyball coaches’ All-Academy League selections.

Joyce is a repeat first-team pick, while juniors Macsun Frederick

and Julian Smith-Newman are second-team honorees. Joyce was the

leading hitter for Coach Merja Connolly-Freund, while Smith-Newman,

who shared the captain’s role with Joyce, triggered the attack at

setter. Frederick helped the Lightning contend for a CIF Southern

Section playoff berth, though it wound up fourth and missed the

postseason. The Lightning tripled its league victories from the 2002

season, going 6-8 against Academy foes.

Lightning recognized

* SOFTBALL: Sage Hill School sophomore Jessica Torino tops a list

of five Lightning softball players named All-Academy League by the

circuit’s coaches.

Torino, Sage Hill’s lone first-team selection, had six stolen

bases, six RBIs and scored eight runs in 10 league games to help the

Lightning finish third and reach the CIF Southern Section Division V

playoffs.

Coach Jim Percival’s squad is represented on the second team by

junior Katrina Redelsheimer, sophomore Alexa Shitanishi, as well as

freshmen Catherine Bailey and Meagan McCullough.

Redelsheimer had team highs against league competition in batting

average (.303), hits (10) and runs (nine), while also chipping in 14

stolen bases and five RBIs. She was also the Lightning’s No. 2

pitcher.

Dailey, the No. 1 pitcher, was 3-3 in league with a sterling 1.26

ERA. She also had seven RBIs and 11 steals against Academy

competition.

Shitanishi hit .296 in league with a team-best 19 steals, while McCullough posted a .273 average with seven RBIs and eight steals

against league foes.

Region 97 signups set

* AYSO: The final registration day for AYSO Region 97 fall soccer

leagues is scheduled Tuesday in Mariners School’s multipurpose room

from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Interested players born before Feb. 1, 1999, through age 18, are

eligible to sign up. New players to the region, or those who were not

registered last year, must bring birth certificates. First-time

players born on or before July 31, 1995, will participate in a skills

evaluation by one of four coaches.

Early registration fees are: $85 for the first player in a family,

$75 for a second player and $65 for each additional competitor. After

Tuesday, registration will cost $125 per player. There are no refunds

once a player is placed on a team.

Several volunteer positions need to be filled. The AYSO Region 97

office is located at P.O. Box 1848, Newport Beach, 92659. Interested

players can contact the registration line at (949) 642-6296.

Gold crush unbeaten

* SOFTBALL: The Pacific Coast Fastpitch softball 8-and-under Gold

Crush finished the season 18-0, beating the Red Hot Tamales, 11-4, in

the championship game.

The Crush jumped to an early lead on the bats of Lindsey Susolik,

Caroline Graham, Lotte Martin, Hattie Marshall and Pippa Saunders.

Strong pitching was provided by Martin, Marshall and Allyson Nisbett.

Alexandra Brinkman, Baret Yahn and Gretchen Tingler kept several

rallies going for Coach Brian Marshall’s team.

In 12- and-under action: Rene Mycorn had 10 strikeouts in the

championship game for the Bubble Trouble, which won the title. The

Bubble Trouble finished 10-6 and won their first two playoff games to

advance to the championship bracket.

Heather Van Hiel and Mycorn teamed up in the circle to in the

title game, while Lauren Tolfa and Elena Redelsheimer pitched for the

opponents.

All Bubble Trouble players reached base and scored at least one

run including Kate Baldoni, Elizabeth Cramer, Sydney Engel, Alix

Fitch, Sarah Folks, Katrina Gaar, Rene Mycorn, Brooke Petersen,

Lauren Pilz, Sasha Pozzuoli, Kellsie Soltero and Van Hiel.