SPORTS
Justine Wong-Orantes (‘LAHS ’13)
Former Griffin (LAHS ’13) Justine Wong-Orantes has apparently won the starting libero spot on the US Women’s national volleyball team (at least for now) as those ladies move into the championship rounds play at the World Grand Prix Finals this coming weekend in China. Wong-Orantes, who capped an All-American career at Nebraska by leading the huskers to a national title last year, had three great matches against the Netherlands, Belgium and China as the Americans qualified for the Final 8. Check out the recap here.
WATER POLO – RACHEL FATTAL (’12)
In water polo, Rachel Fattal scored a goal as the US Women downed Australia 7-5 to advance to the semi-finals of the FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Team USA will now meet Russia in the semifinals on Wednesday at 2:30pm et/11:30am pt. The match will air LIVE on the NBC Olympic Channel and stream on Olympic Channel here.
WATER POLO – STEPHANIE MUTAFYAN (’13)
Recent Cal Berkeley graduate Stephanie Mutayan has been named one of 13 members of the United States womens water polo roster for the upcoming World University Games which run from August 18-30 in Taipei, Taiwan. Mutafyan, a driver, won a gold medal in 2015 at the FINA Junior World Championships.
Adam Wright — he’s not a former Griffin, but he is a Seal Beach native who hopped across the moat to play water polo at Wilson — has been named the head coach of both the UCLA womens and mens teams.
ENTERTAINMENT
Chance Perez (’15)
former Griffin showchoir member Chance Perez is one of the stronger competitotrs on ABC’s new summer talent show — Boy Band — which is quite similar to the old ABC/later MTV show Making the Band, but also to American Idol , The Voice etc. So far Perez has survived three live evictions. The OC Register did this report on him, and here is another set-up report , including on his last two shows – from July 13 and July 20.
Jenna Lea Rosen (’16)
Perez’ showchoir teammate and classmate Jenna Lea Rosen (LAHS ’16) — a multi award winning vocalist with the Los Al Show Choir — has been making a name for herself as a voice artist for some Disney animation series. Rosen performs multiple roles on the Emmy Award-winning Disney Junior series Sofia the First , is the speaking and singing voice for Shelly in “Cool Hand Fluke“, and in the Disney Channel series “Elena of Avalor” she is the voice of Ciela the pink Jaquin in “Flight of the Jaquins” which premieres on August 12 on the Disney Channel. She also gets some short on-air spots in two new commercials — look for the head banging girl in the passenger seat in this Chrysler spot and the girl in hoodie on the bus in this State Farm Insurance opus.
