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T he C oast News
JUNE 3, 2022
Sports Poway student exits National Spelling Bee By City News Service
REGION — The lone San Diego County contestant in the 2022 Scripps National Spelling Bee was eliminated in the third round Tuesday. Mihir Konkapaka misspelled antiphonal, an adjective meaning sung, recited, or played alternately by two groups. The sixth grader from Poway Unified School District Connect Academy spelled it antifinal. Mihir began Tuesday’s competition in National Harbor, Maryland, by correctly spelling gypsophila, any of various plants of the genus Gypsophila in the pink family. In the second round, he correctly answered the multiple-choice word meaning question, “What is a reprisal?” selecting, “an act of retaliation, as for an injury or other harm.”
The 11-year-old qualified for the national bee by winning the San Diego Union-Tribune Countywide Spelling Bee on March 17. His winning word was sabreur, a noun meaning one who fences with a light dueling sword.
USA Surfing sets O’side as official training ground By Staff
OCEANSIDE — USA Surfing has chosen Oceanside as an official training ground for USA Surfing. The designation comes on the heels of USA Surfing’s junior team trainings in Oceanside, as the team of teen surfers prepare to defend USA’s team Gold Medal at the International Surfing Association (ISA) World Junior Surfing Championship in El Salvador.
Oceanside was the host city for the 2015 ISA World Jr Surf Championships — the site of USA’s first-ever team Gold Medal. USA Surfing head coach Ryan Simmons coached the 2015 team to victory and is looking for a repeat in 2022. Simmons saved the U.S. flag from that victory and brings it to every practice as a reminder of the legacy and inspiration to go for Gold in El Salvador. Oceanside is also the host city for USA Surfing Championship competition for adult shortboard, longboard, SUP and Para Surfing June 14 through June 18. “Oceanside has a vibe, multiple great surf breaks, and an authentic community that surfers have loved for decades,” said USA Surfing CEO Brandon Lowery.
PACIFIC RIDGE volleyball players Brandon, left, and Justin LeBlanc will attend Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore this fall to pursue careers as pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons. Courtesy photo
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By Steve Puterski
CARLSBAD — A pair of local volleyball standouts are forgoing a collegiate athletics to focus on careers in medicine. Twin brothers Brandon and Justin LeBlanc, who will graduate this year from Pacific Ridge School in Carlsbad, have a dream to chase, but it’s not on the volleyball court. The LeBlancs plan to become pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons and will begin their journey into medicine at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. And while they won’t be playing volleyball in college, their prep sports careers are still intact —
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on the sand with the U.S. National under-19 and under-23 teams. Also, the two will compete in the World Championship trials this month in Hermosa Beach. The drive to become surgeons stems from when four-year-old Brandon was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a disorder related to an electrical problem with the heart. Justin doesn’t have full capacity in one lung due to being born prematurely. The twins spent time in the newborn intensive care unit after heart murmurs led to Brandon’s diagnosis. The condition prevented Brandon from typical activities as a toddler. But after surgery and recovery, he was able to keep up with his brother, Justin. However, sports are rigorous and their mother, Sharon, said it was touch-and-go on whether the boys would live an active life. The LeBlanc boys were often kept on the sideline to avoid Brandon going into cardiac arrest, Sharon said. They also walked and talked later than their peers, which made their early years a challenge. “It’s a huge, tremendous growth they’ve had,” Sharon said. “It was very difficult. It was really a challenge. We didn’t know if Brandon was going to survive.” Those early years left an indelible mark on the boys, who would later find success on the volleyball courts. The two ventured into
volleyball thanks to their sister, Lauren, who was also a standout player. The brothers took to the sport, although early on the wins were few and far between. After winning their first match at a tournament when they were 8, Justin said it was like he “conquered the world.” “I felt like it was the highest moment of my life,” Justin said with a laugh. The two were four-year starters at Pacific Ridge, with Brandon as an outside hitter and Justin at setter. As the LeBlancs enjoyed success, the college recruiters started to take notice and they were offered several Division I opportunities, but the drive to save lives was more important. After earning good grades, the twin brothers did their research and found Johns Hopkins as the best university to study biology before advancing to medical school. However, they will continue their participation with Team USA’s beach volleyball program. “We talked with my surgeon, and other surgeons, and they all said Johns Hopkins,” Brandon said. “It was the first place in which cardiothoracic medicine was practiced and developed. We always kind of knew that our goal was to become pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons and set our mind to accomplish that goal.” The boys are also ambassadors for Rady’s Children’s Hospital and raised roughly $550,000 for last a give-a-thon last Christmas, Sharon said.
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