Loyola spring sports in contention for big playoff runs

Cub swimming
Loyola is a perennial national aquatics powerhouse, and this season is no different from those that preceded the 2018 campaign. The Cubs are 7-0 in dual meets and 6-0 in the Mission League. Loyola has dominated in each of its Mission league victories, having swamped its conference foes by an average score of 120-34. The Mission League prelims are scheduled for Monday and the conference finals will be held on Tuesday at the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center. The Cubs will be a contender for the CIF Southern Section Division I title. The CIF prelims are slated for May 10 at Riverside City College.

Loyola golf
The Cub link squad will be vying for a seventh consecutive CIF Southern Section Central Division title at the team championship tournament docketed for May 14. After an Easter break trip to the Monterey Peninsula, where Loyola defeated Stevenson School of Pebble Beach at Poppy Hills and Carmel at Quail Lodge Golf Course, the Cubs headed to the Coachella Valley on April 6th and 7th to play in the prestigious 44-team Champions Invitational at Terra Lago Golf Course. Despite highly windy conditions, Loyola managed to secure a fourth place finish in the two-day tourney that included the best prep golf teams in the West. The Cubs won the first two Mission League tournaments with ease. The third conference tournament will be played on May 1.

Cub volleyball
No league team had challenged Loyola's dominant volleyball program for many years until Alemany pressed the Cubs in a hotly contested five-set match won by the Big Blue (25-23, 25-17,19-25, 23-25, 20-18) in Mission Hills on March 15. Loyola (16-1, 9-0 in Mission League) will host the Warriors in a rematch at Leavey Gynasium on Tuesday. The first serve is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

After closing out conference play, the Cubs will travel to Newport Beach to take on longtime power Corona del Mar on May 3. The matches against Alemany and Corona del Mar are critical for seeding in the CIF Southern Section Division I playoffs which get underway on May 8. Loyola is currently ranked third in the CIF Div. I coaches poll, and Corona del Mar is in the fourth position. Alemany is ranked ninth. The Cubs are the reigning prep volleyball National Champions.

Loyola lacrosse
The Cubs' two-time defending US Lacrosse Southern Section champion lacrosse squad is undefeated in Mission League competition. On April 10 and April 17, respectively, Loyola defeated its toughest conference opponents, Harvard-Westlake (9-7) and Chaminade (9-4). The Cubs downed San Clemente, 6-3, on the road on Thursday. The Mission League semifinals are scheduled for April 24. Loyola is currently ranked third in the Southern Section behind arch rival Palos Verdes and San Juan Capistrano St. Margaret's.

Cub track & field
On Thursday Loyola's track & field team suffered a seismic dual meet defeat, 74-53, at the hands of Harvard-Westlake in Studio City. It was only the fourth dual meet setback the Cubs have suffered in 30 years. Loyola will compete in the Mt. SAC relays today and tomorrow. The Mission League prelims are slated forApril 30 at Occidental College.

Loyola baseball
It has been a maddeningly up and down season thus far for the Loyola varsity baseball team. The Cubs (10-10, 3-6) were swept by Alemany in a three game Mission League series last week. Loyola will have to regroup in a hurry if it hopes to qualify for the playoffs. The Cubs play at Palos Verdes Peninsula tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. in a non-league tilt. Loyola has a three-game series against Mission league rival Chaminade next Tuesday (home), Wednesday (away) and Friday (home).

Loyola senior Brayden Utley will play football for Baylor
Loyola senior BRAYDEN UTLEY was a stalwart two-way lineman on Loyola's varsity football team last fall. It was announced yesterday that Utley has decided to continue his football career at Baylor University of the Big 12 Conference. His brother, Noah '16, is a lineman at Army West Point.