May Madness is underway with spring sports championships

May Madness has arrived in the form of spring sports championships. Get ready to enjoy the best of high school competition in Southern California as the 2022-23 school year comes to a close.

Let’s take a sneak preview of what’s to come:

Track

Southern Section: The section championships and Masters Meet take place the next two Saturdays at Moorpark High. No one should be more fired up than Rodrick Pleasant of Gardena Serra, because Moorpark was the site where he ran a state-record 10.14 seconds in the 100 meters last season. From distance star Sadie Engelhardt of Ventura to hurdler Davis Davis-Lyric of Upland, the competition is going to be fierce.

City Section: Get ready for records to be broken on May 18 at El Camino College with an all-star cast that includes 400-meters runner Dijon Stanley of Granada Hills, sprinter Jordan Coleman of Granada Hills and the Carson girls’ sprint crew of Reign Redmond, Ta’Ahjan Fann, Christine Gray and Kaitlyn Williams.

The state championships are May 26-27 at Buchanan High in Clovis.

Boys’ volleyball

Southern Section: It will be Newport Harbor taking on Corona del Mar on Saturday at Cerritos College in the Division 1 final after Corona del Mar handed Loyola a rare defeat on its home court.

City Section: The finals are Saturday at Cal State Northridge. Chatsworth, led by Blake Pohevitz, is the favorite, though defending champion Palisades can’t be overlooked.

Baseball

Southern Section: No. 1 Sherman Oaks Notre Dame got through its opening game of the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs 1-0, but there’s a long way to go in trying to reach the championship game on May 20 at Blair Field in Long Beach. The Knights and No. 2 Santa Margarita look like the teams to beat.

Oliver Boone will start on the mound for Notre Dame on Tuesday against Bonita.

(Nick Koza)

City Section: The final is set for May 27 at Dodger Stadium. There are three prime contenders in the Open Division: Granada Hills, Palisades and Lake Balboa Birmingham. All have demonstrated outstanding pitching and strong defense.

Softball

Southern Section: Norco and Los Alamitos are considered the top teams in Southern Section Division 1, with the championships May 19-20 at Deanna Manning Stadium in Irvine. Can a pitcher get hot in the playoffs? That’s the big question over the next two weeks.

City Section: West Valley League champion Granada Hills, led by sophomore pitcher Addison Moorman, is the clear favorite to win the City title and was seeded No. 1 on Saturday. The championships will be May 19 at Birmingham and May 20 at a site to be finalized.

Golf

Southern Section: The team championships are May 15 at seven different courses, with Division 1 at Cross Creak Golf Course. The individual final is May 18 at River Ridge Golf Club’s Vineyard Course.

City Section: Defending champion Turner Osswald is back for his junior season, preparing to take on challenges from a group of Palisades golfers when the final takes place on May 17 at Harding Golf Course.

Lacrosse

Southern Section: The championships will be held Friday and Saturday at Downey. Loyola is seeded No. 1 in Division 1 boys with Corona del Mar No. 2. Both have advanced to the semifinals. For girls, top-seeded Santa Ana Foothill has advanced to the final and will face L.A. Marlborough.

City Section: Palisades won the boys’ and girls’ championships on Wednesday.

Swimming

Southern Section: Santa Margarita boys’ and girls’ teams won Division 1 championships and Rex Mauer of Loyola set a national record in the 500 freestyle.

City Section: San Pedro’s boys’ team and Granada Hills’ girls’ won City titles on Saturday at Valley College.

Girls’ beach volleyball

Southern Section: The first-ever team finals were held Saturday in Long Beach, and Manhattan Beach Mira Costa defeated Redondo Union in Division 1. Irvine Crean Lutheran won Division 2.

City Section: Taft won the City Section title.