Briefly In Sports

Smith wins half-marathon

Laguna Beach resident Cheryl Smith won the 19th annual Southern California Half Marathon on Saturday in Irvine.

Smith finished the 13.1-mile race in 1 hour, 17 minutes and 27 seconds. She was the top woman finisher by 4 minutes, 14 seconds.

Mario Macias of Alamosa, Colo., was the men’s winner in 1:05:33.

Smith, 29, won the Long Beach Marathon in October and has won the OC Marathon three times, including a women’s record of 2:38:38 in 2008. She has said she hopes to qualify for the 2012 Olympics in London.

The Southern California Half Marathon is considered a warm-up race for the Los Angeles Marathon and OC Marathon.

Three Breakers earn All-CIF football nods

Laguna Beach High senior Ethan Quirarte, along with juniors Austin Paxson and Chris Paul, have been named to the All-CIF Southern Section Southern Division team for football.

Quirarte was honored as a punter but also played fullback and linebacker for Laguna Beach. He had a key interception return for a touchdown in the Breakers’ 49-34 win against league rival Costa Mesa in Week 10, as the Breakers clinched their first league title since 2006.

Paxson, a quarterback, finished with 1,986 yards passing and 26 touchdowns, against just eight interceptions. He set several school records, including touchdown passes in a game, season and career.

Paul, a receiver and defensive back, was also the Orange Coast League MVP. He set records for catches and touchdownsin a game, season and career.

Laguna finished 5-6.

“” Matt Szabo