TOP SPORTING EVENTS: AUGUST 16-21
The Santa Barbara Foresters are stamping themselves as the team of the 21st Century in the 77-year-old National Baseball Congress World Series. They won their third NBC championship in the last six years last Saturday. They outpitched the Kenai Oilers of Alaska in a 1-0 victory that wrapped up a 7-0 run through the 32-team, double-elimination tournament at Wichita, Kansas.
It’s anybody’s guess who will win the premier U.S. polo tournament of the summer, the Bombardier Pacific Coast Open, which has been played for 100 years at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club. This summer’s first three high-goal tournaments produced three different winners – Audi (Robert Skene Trophy), ERG (Piaget Silver Cup) and Grant’s Farm (Lucchese America Cup). Jeff Hall’s eight goals led Grant’s Farm to a 13-9 victory over Lucchese in the America Cup final last Sunday.
The Pacific Coast Open starts Thursday, August 18, and will continue with games every Thursday and Sunday until the final on September 4.
The 2011 college soccer season gets off to an early start Saturday evening, August 20, with the annual exhibition match between UCSB and Westmont at Harder Stadium.
Two family-style running and swimming events are on the docket.
Thursday evening: The Westmonster 5K, a cross country run on the Westmont College campus, with a 1K run for the kids.
Sunday morning: The McConnell’s Ice Cream Endurance Events, several different running distances and a mile swim, at Goleta Beach.
Tuesday, August 16
Running / swimming – Reef & Run Summer Series (1k swim, 1-mile swim, 2-mile run, 4-mile run), Cabrillo Bath House, 6:25 p.m. Continues every Tuesday through September 13. reefandrun.org .
Wednesday, August 17
Running / swimming – Nite Moves Summer Sunset Series (1k swim, 5k run), Leadbetter Beach, 6 p.m. Continues every Wednesday through August 31. runsantabarbara.com.
Thursday, August 18
Running – Westmonster 5K cross country race, Westmont College, 6:15 p.m. westmont.edu.
Polo – Bombardier Pacific Coast Open at Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club: Lucchese vs. Piaget, 10 a.m.; Mansour vs. ERG, 1 p.m.; Grant’s Farm vs. Audi, 3 p.m.
Saturday, August 20
College men’s soccer – Westmont at UCSB, Harder Stadium, 7 p.m.
Sunday, August 21
Running/Swimming – McConnell’s Ice Cream Endurance Events (5K run, 10K run, children’s mile, mile swim, biathlon), Goleta Beach, 8:30 a.m. sbrunning.org.
Polo – Bombardier Pacific Coast Open at Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club: Lucchese vs. ERG, 10 a.m.; Grant’s Farm vs. Piaget, 1 p.m.; Mansour vs. Audi, 3 p.m.
RUNNING, WALKING, CYCLING
Saturday, August 27 – Santa Barbara Triathlon, long course (1-mile swim/34-mile bike/10-mile run), East Beach Bathhouse, 7 a.m. sbtriathlon.com.
Sunday, August 28 – Santa Barbara Triathlon, sprint course (500-yard swim/6-mile bike/2-mile run), East Beach Bathhouse, 7 a.m. sbtriathlon.com.
Sunday, September 4 – Pier to Peak Half Marathon, Stearns Wharf to La Cumbre Peak, 6:30 a.m. runsantabarbara.com.
Saturday-Sunday, September 17-18 –Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, Chase Palm Park to Carpinteria State Beach. avonwalk.org.
Sunday, September 25 – Carpinteria Triathlon (1.5K swim/40K bike/10K run or 0.5K swim/15K bike/5K run) Carpinteria State Beach, 7:30 a.m. carpinteriatriathlon.com.
Saturday, October 1 – Pacific Pride Foundation 10K AIDS Walk, Leadbetter Beach, 10 a.m. pacificpridefoundation.org.
Saturday, October 8 – Santa Barbara 5K Heart Walk, Chase Palm Park, 10 a.m. sbheartwalk.com.
Sunday, October 9 – Carpinteria Kiwanis Big Avocado 5K Run, Carpinteria Bluffs, 8 a.m. active.com.
Environmental Defense Center “Ride on the Wild Side” (100K, 30-mile, 10-mile), Leadbetter Beach, 7:30 a.m. edcnet.org.