SC surfer Nat Young scores stellar 9.33 wave in heat win in Australia | Local Roundup

Santa Cruz’s Nat Young won his opening heat with one dominant ride at the World Surf League’s Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro, the season opener on the Challenger Series, at Snapper Rocks in Queensland, Australia, on Saturday.

Young scored waves of 9.33 and 4.67 for a two-wave total score of 14.00 in Heat 6 of the Round of 64. Callum Robson of Australia produced a 12.10 total for second and also advanced.

Alister Reginato (11.00) of Australia took third and Rafael Teixeira (9.70) of Brazil took fourth, and both were eliminated. Reginato tied 33rd overall and earned 700 points, and Teixeira tied for 49th and earned 600 points.

Young’s 9.33 was the highest scored wave in the round. He opened his 30-minute heat with a pair of 3s in 1- to 4-foot surf and said he was having flashbacks to 2023 in the event, when he endured another slow start to his heat.

“I just knew I had to sit there and be patient,” said Young, in a post-heat interview with the WSL. “Alister had priority. A good wave came. He kinda had to go just because he hadn’t ridden a wave yet, and, then, the one behind it was very groomed out, really nice pace. It just felt like I could do my surfing on it. The wave went forever. I kept looking up and it was standing up for more. I was like, ‘OK,’ another turn, look again, another turn. It just felt nice to get that wave, for sure.”

He caught the wave with seven minutes left in his heat and climbed from third to first. He pulled off 10 backhand hooks on his stellar ride.

Young’s 14.00 total was the seventh highest behind Brazil’s Deivid Silva (16.60, Heat 3), Australia’s Dakoda Walters (15.16, Heat 8), France’s Charly Quivront (15.00, Heat 5), Australia’s Jacob Willcox (14.83), Japan’s Hiroto Ohhara (14.40, Heat 7), and Barbados’ Josh Burke (14.33, Heat 1).

Young used a Channel Islands Flyer Spine-Tek board in his heat. He hadn’t ridden the board until arriving in Australia.

“I knew when I first surfed on it it was magic,” Young said.

Young competes against France’s Quivront and Marco Mignot, and Australia’s Mikey McDonagh in Heat 3 of the Round of 32 when action resumes.

The competition window runs through May 4.

High school baseball

Scotts Valley 5, at Alisal 4; 8 inn.: Lukas Bloom scored the winning run on Jacob Pauka’s double in the eighth inning of the Falcons’ nonleague victory Saturday.

Scotts Valley finished with 11 hits. Jack Sanders had three hits, including a double, and two RBI. Clayton Pryor had three hits, a walk, stolen base, and scored three runs, and Jack Abel went had two hits and drove in a run.

Bloom also earned the win after pitching 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. He relieved freshman Bryce McDonnell after 5 2/3 innings.

Scotts Valley (10-7, 6-5) hosts Soquel (13-6, 7-4) on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.

At Harbor 6, Milpitas 4: The Pirates rallied for the nonleague victory to deliver coach Joseph Allegri his 200th career win Saturday.

Harbor (13-9-1, 4-7) plays at Aptos (10-7-1, 8-2-1) on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.

At Santa Cruz 5, The King’s Academy 4: The Cardinals won their nonleague game Saturday.

Hughson 4, at Soquel 0: Gabe Virgallito, C.J. Claydon, Conner Corlett, and Sam Crane had hits for the Knights in their nonleague loss Saturday.

Bryce McDaniel recorded five strikeouts over seven scoreless innings and earned the win for the Huskies (22-2). Virgallito gave up three unearned runs in the sixth inning and took the loss.

Soquel (13-6, 7-4) plays at Scotts Valley (10-7, 6-5) on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.

Evergreen Valley 4, at MVC 1: Carter Wright doubled and scored the Mustangs’ lone run in their nonleague loss Saturday.

Tyson Shaw and Brady Cortez also had hits for MVC.

Isaac Konnick earned the win and Chase Bauen took the loss.

MVC (3-19, 2-15) plays at St. Francis (17-4, 14-3) on Tuesday at 4 p.m.

Girls lacrosse

At Stevenson 9, Scotts Valley 7: Sofia Niklaus scored seven goals in the shorthanded Falcons’ narrow loss Saturday.

Scotts Valley played without substitutes and nearly avenged their 15-7 loss to the Pirates on April 12.

Skylar Dufour had an assist for the Falcons. Niklaus had seven draw possessions, four draw controls and caused three turnovers, Dufour had four draw possessions and five draw controls, and Dillon Fiorita had two draw controls.

Goalie Jordan Stirling made four saves for the Falcons (8-2), who host Carmel on Thursday.

Men’s track and field

Payton Jordan Invitational: UC Santa Cruz junior Eric Anderson took second in Section 2 of the 1,500 (3:45.77) and 11th in the 5,000 (14:26.21) during the Payton Jordan Invitational at Stanford on Friday.

Banana Slugs junior Aaron Hillberg took first in Section 2 of the 800 (1:53.62), and senior teammate Holden Spencer took fourth (1:54.50).

UCSC competes in the Coast-To-Coast Conference Outdoor Championships in Salisbury, Maryland, on Friday and Saturday.

Women’s track and field

Payton Jordan Invitational: Saucony’s Vanessa Fraser, a Scotts Valley High and Stanford alumna, took fourth in the 5,000 (15:33.37) at the Payton Jordan Invitational at Stanford on Friday.

Reporting Scores

Coaches are encouraged to report scores and highlights to sports@santacruzsentinel.com following games. Please include your name and contact number in the email.