Laguna Beach grad honored Special Olympics Orange...

Laguna Beach

grad honored

Special Olympics Orange County will honor the achievements and

excellence of U.S. Olympians and Special Olympics athletes today with

its third annual celebration dinner, ‘Olympians on Parade,’ at the

Disneyland Hotel.

The highlight of the event is the Parade of Champions with U.S.

Olympians escorted by Orange County Special Olympics athletes.

This year’s U.S. Olympians honored include Laguna Beach High

graduate Dain Blanton, who won a gold medal in men’s beach volleyball

at the 2000 Games in Sydney.

Other Olympians to be honored are Paula Weishoff of Huntington

Beach, a 1984 silver medalist and 1992 bronze medalist in volleyball;

Orange County resident Bruce Furniss, 1976 gold medal, men’s

swimming; Tim Shaw of Newport Beach, 1976 silver medalist, swimming,

and 1975 Sullivan Award winner; Dwight Stones of Irvine, 1972 and

1976 bronze medalist, high jump; Joe Vargas, 1980 and 1984 Games,

water polo; Debbie Green-Vargas, 1980 Games and 1984 silver medalist,

women’s volleyball; Bob Horn, 1956 and 1960 Games, water polo; Cliff

Meidl, 1996 and 2000 Games, kayaking, and flag-bearer at 2000 Games;

Jan Palehikoff, Southern California Special Olympics vice president,

sports programs and community affairs, 1976 and 1980 Games, rowing.

Breakers rank

third in poll

Continuing to grace the CIF-Southern Section Division II boys’

volleyball poll, Laguna Beach High comes in at No. 3 in this week’s

rankings.

The rankings were released Monday by the Southern Section office

in Los Alamitos.

Laguna again trails Valencia of Valencia and Santa Barbara --

which are ranked Nos. 1 and 2 -- in the poll.

Corona del Mar is right behind Laguna at No. 4, and fellow Pacific

Coast League member Tesoro is ranked seventh.

A fourth league member, Northwood, received ballots in the voting,

but failed to break the Top 10.

The Division II boys’ volleyball rankings: 1. Valencia/Valencia;

2. Santa Barbara; 3. Laguna Beach; 4. Corona del Mar; 5. Santa Ynez;

6. Canyon/Canyon Country; 7. Tesoro; 8. Arcadia; 9. San Luis Obispo;

10. Dos Pueblos.