Feb 19, 2004

Courtney Monsees reaches high rank in swimming nationals
Leland swimmer will compete in the Olympic trials in June

By Miranda Schultz
Sports Editor

Courtney Monsees, a freshman at Leland High School, just returned from Orlando, Fla., where she competed against over 200 swimmers in the National Competition.

Her best rank was 34th out of about 210 people in the 200-meter individual medley, but she also competed in the 50-, 100-, and 200-meter freestyle events.

Monsees, 15, was among the younger of the competitors, the average age being about 19 or 20. To qualify, each competitor has to make a certain time in the 200-meter individual medley. “It’s something like 2:21:08, which is pretty difficult to get,” says Monsees, “I just try and stay focused and train every chance I have.”

Monsees swims for Leland, but trains and practices daily, from 5:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. at Santa Clara Swim Club, which is well known for its production of Olympic medalists. Since George Haines founded the club in 1951, Santa Clara Swim Club has produced 33 gold medals, 12 silver, and nine bronze.

This year, Monsees gave water polo a shot at Leland, and even though she excelled at the sport, plans to focus on swimming. She made the cut for the Olympic trials back in June, and it was by chance, she was only going for the Senior Nationals cut, but her time in the 200-meter individual medley set her up to compete for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team in Long Beach this July. Monsees’ mother Sandra is very proud of her daughter’s efforts.

“We were thrilled to see she had made the Olympic cuts, surprised, and so proud of her,” said Sandra. “She had been swimming incredibly, winning all events in her age group, for the past six months prior to the Janet Evans meet in July. Then she decided to go for her Senior Nationals Cut, and she made the cut for the Olympic Trials instead!”

Monsees is very humble about her success, “Swimming is something I’ve been doing since I was 3, and I never thought I’d really take it this far, but I did and I want to keep going as far as I can,” she says.

Former Leland soccer player sets sights on hometown team

By Miranda Schultz
Sports Editor

Isaias Bordales, Jr., former Leland soccer standout, is in the midst of his week-and-a-half-long tryout with the San Jose Earthquakes. Bordales, 24, has been a member of the Los Angeles Galaxy since 2001, and is a former player at San Jose State University.

Bordales was a sure star in his Leland days, under current Head Coach Dave Gold, receiving many top-notch awards, including a 1998 Parade Magazine All-American, a four-time selection to All-League first team, a 1998 recipient of the Gordon Leland Most Outstanding Senior Athlete Award, was named 1998 Senior for the Year by the San Jose Mercury News, and Player of the Year by KICU-TV’s (channel 36, San Jose). He was also inducted into theSan Jose Sports Hall of Fame along with former San Francisco 49ers Head Coach Bill Walsh and gold medal swimmer Pablo Morales.

With all of these accomplishments, how is one not to make or take it as far as possible? While attending San Jose State University after graduating from high school, Bordales showed his ability as a star athlete once again. After redshirting his freshman year, Bordales dominated as the team’s leading scorer in 1999 (11g and 3a), helping SJSU to a 20-1-1 record, and an appearance in the NCAA tournament.

He was named Co-Freshman of the Year, and was a first-team all-conference selection for the Western Athletic Conference.

In little time, Bordales made his name known among MLS scouts and coaches, soon earning his way to becoming a first-round draft pick (11th overall) in the 2001 Super Draft, with the Los Angeles Galaxy. During his rookie year, Bordales was the Galaxy’s most reliable rookie, appearing in 12 games and racking up 270 minutes.

An ACL tear in 2002 disabled Bordales from the 2002 season, and after reconstructive surgery and nine-and-a-half months of rehab, he is playing to his full potential.

“I’m able to do everything I was ever able to do,” says Bordales.

Unfortunately, the Galaxy coach considered Bordales would be better off going down to “A” League with a team in Syracuse, N.Y., where he would get more playing time. Instead of following his advice, Bordales decided to try out for the San Jose Earthquakes.

“It’s going to be tough,” he says, “They have everyone returning from last year. The main thing is to just go out there and play like I know how to play.”

He hopes to hear something within the next couple of weeks. He is passionate about soccer, and wants to play regardless of what team he’s on.

“If I don’t make it, I’m going to go play with the team in Syracuse. I won’t be disappointed. I really just want to play at the best level possible. I’m not ready to give up on it yet,” says Bordales.

While at SJSU, he studied psychology, and has one year left to graduate. In his spare time, he helps his father coach the Aptos High School varsity boys soccer team. Which happens to be Leland’s first opponent in the CCS tournament on Feb. 18.

Gold admits being a little worried about Bordales giving his father pointers, “He knows a lot about our team, he trains with us when he comes into town, so of course he’s going to tell his dad everything he knows,” says Gold, “We’ll just have to switch it up a bit and throw some new stuff their way.”

Players of the Week

Alain Stycznski
School: Leland
Sport: Soccer
Class: Senior

Stycznski has 10 goals and 7 assists for the season. He had the assist against Pioneer last week, which gave Leland the BVAL Mt. Hamilton Division championship. He is a starter this season for the Chargers and he is one of the teams leading scorers.

“What’s remarkable is the fact that he hasn’t played since his freshman year, he plays lacrosse also. He decided to come back this season and he’s getting better every game,” says Head Coach Dave Gold, “He’s a big strong boy with a good first touch.”

Gina Biviano
School: Pioneer
Sport: Basketball
Class: Senior

Pioneer senior Gina Biviano has been the most significant player on a Mustang team that has secured the 2003-2004 STAL League Championship. Biviano leads the Mustangs in scoring, averaging 14.6 points per game, and assists, with 51 on the year.

This week, Biviano helped Pioneer secure the STAL Championship with a close win over Independence on Tuesday.

“She’s [Biviano] the team leader,” said Pioneer Coach Blaine Hashimoto. “She does our job [coach’s job] on the floor, when we can’t do it from the sideline. It’s so great to have a player like that on our team.”

Versus Independence, Biviano connected for 13 points, mostly coming in crucial situations. Biviano also dished out an assist to junior Camille Brown in the closing minutes of the game that helped put the game out of Independence’s reach.

“She stepped up tonight [versus Independence],” said Hashimoto. “She kept the team pumped up.”

Sports Schedules

Pioneer High School

Thursday 2/19
Girls basketball vs. Oak Grove 6/7:30 (JV, V)

Friday 2/20
Boys basketball @ Leigh 6/7:30 (JV, V)
Wrestling—1st CCS match @ Independence

Saturday 2/21
Boys soccer—CCS Quarterfinals 12 p.m., Valley Christian HS
Girls Soccer—CCS Quarterfinals 2 p.m., Valley Christian HS

Tuesday 2/24
Boys basketball—CCS begins
Girls basketball—CCS begins
Girls soccer—CCS Semifinals @ Milpitas HS (time TBA)

Wednesday 2/25
Boys soccer—CCS Semifinals @ PAL-SJ (time TBA)

Leland High School

Friday 2/20
Girls basketball vs. Piedmont Hills 5:30/7 (JV, V)
Boys freshman basketball vs. Santa Teresa 3:30
Boys basketball @ Willow Glen 6/7:30 (JV, V)
Wrestling—CCS finals @ Independence 8 a.m.

Saturday 2/21
Girls soccer—CCS Quarterfinals, Santa Clara HS 12 p.m.
Boys soccer—CCS Quarterfinals Santa Clara HS 10 a.m.
Wrestling—CCS finals @ Independence 8 a.m.

Tuesday 2/24
Girls basketball—CCS begins
Boys basketball—CCS begins
Boys soccer—CCS Semifinals @ PAL-SJ (time TBA)

Thursday 2/26
Girls soccer—CCS Semifinals @ Milpitas HS (time TBA)

Mustang, Charger wrestlers plan assault on CCS hierarchy

By Karl Laucher
Staff Writer

Wrestling in the Central Coast Section championships is an honor not to be diminished by one’s won-lost record once the action begins. The three entries from Pioneer High School and two from Leland High School already have earned their stripes as grizzled and conquering combat veterans.

We salute this quintet of CCS contenders: Pioneer’s Jeff Terry, Armando Apolinor, and Nick Esposito and Leland’s Greg Edwards and Jeremiah Harvey. We salute them now because none of the above is ranked in the top five by The California Wrestler online newsletter.

Another competition, of course, is another golden opportunity, and the CCS Championships, set for Friday and Saturday at Independence High School, provides a dramatic stage for elevated performances.

The most highly-regarded of the locals is Terry, who placed third at 215 pounds in the recent Blossom Valley Athletic League Championships. “He is as strong as an ox, and can hang in there with the best of them,” said Pioneer Assistant Coach Grant Murdock. Terry won the Livermore Tournament in December and was a medalist in seven other tournaments (including the BVAL) this season.

The Mustangs’ Esposito at 162 pounds and Apolinor at 275 pounds and the Chargers’ Harvey at 191 pounds all placed fourth in the BVAL. Leland’s Edwards placed sixth in the BVAL at 173 pounds despite having to forfeit his last two matches due to a sprained ankle.

Leland had a third qualifier, Kris Pinula, sixth in the BVAL at 132 pounds, but he has been declared academically ineligible.

With 32 entries in each of the 14 weight categories, the battle for supremacy obviously will be fierce. The CCS represents more than 100 high schools, from San Francisco to King City.

Gilroy High School is the favored to win CCS team honors with four wrestlers ranked No. 1 and two ranked No. 2. Oak Grove High School, the BVAL champions, are rated eighth by The California Wrestler.

First round grappling begins at 9 a.m. on Friday with brackets filling to the quarterfinals. Consolation repecharge action begins on Saturday at 9 a.m. Championship bouts begin at 6 p.m.

Smashing international rugby action stirs emotional conflict

By Karl Laucher
Staff Writer

Thrilled as we were that rugby was getting a grand reception in a spectacular sports palace just a few gridlocks away from Hollywood, we nevertheless are humble when considering the state of the rugby football in the USA.
The action was the hottest thing since last year’s wild fires. Spectators roared with delight for two days, and were mostly astonished to see the traditional rugby football powers of England, Australia, New Zealand, France and South Africa occasionally being brought down to earth in thunderous fashion. Argentina, Samoa and Canada were among those who struck the mightiest blows.

The event was the USA International Sevens, the fourth of eight stops on the International Rugby Board’s eight-nation tour, and the first official IRB competition ever held in the USA. The previous IRB sevens tournament was held earlier this month in Wellington, New Zealand where back-to-back sell-out crowds of more than 60,000 greeted the 16-nation field.

Here, at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Argentina took the grand championship with a 21-12 win over England in the final, the Argentines winning all six of its matches in front of enthusiastic, but relatively paltry audiences of some 7,000 both Saturday and Sunday. The USA rugby teams won Olympic gold medals in 1920 and ‘24, but our star apparently has been sucked down a black hole known as inappropriate amateurism as the sport was never again held in the Games. The USA has been but an immature pimple on the world radar screen ever since. The USA Eagles looked woeful in losing to England (0-40), and Samoa (0-17) to open the action in Carson on

Saturday, but finished up some 30 hours later with wins over Uruguay (21-12) and Korea (29-22) to clinch eighth place on Sunday.

Seven-aside rugby is considered but a lighter and faster version of traditional 15-aside rugby, but either way the USA story is the same—too far from the alter to even be a bride’s maid.

We rugby aficionados are of course pleased that the USA Eagles found some sponsors—Team Roc and others—ready to absorb three years of potential losses (the USA Sevens are booked at the Home Depot Center for the next two years), but we should also work to help rugby find its rightful place in the American mainstream.

There was some angry talk at rugby social events about the “Media Mafia” and the gridiron “Football Mafia” in the U.S. that would deny rugby its inevitable day in the sun. We should point out that the Los Angeles Times and Fox Sports World television provided some outstanding coverage of the USA Sevens.

In the glow of the first-ever official international fixture in the U.S., it obviously was no time to be putting hits on those smaller than us. Like those paranoid Mafia pipsqueaks. We spectators had two great days, and so did Kenya, Korea, Fiji and all the other participating nations.

We’ll be really be pumped up for next year.

Note: Almaden Times writer Karl Laucher co-founded the Silicon Valley High School Conference in 1981, and coached high school boys for 15 years, including Leland High School in 1997. He also founded and coached the San Jose State University women’s team fall 1997 to spring 2002. For more information on the USA Sevens, see www.usasevens.com.

Sports Brief

Under-9 girls soccer tryouts

The Almaden Valley Wildcats, a girls under-9 class 3 soccer team in the Almaden Valley Youth Soccer League, is holding tryouts for players born between Aug. 1, 1995 and July 31, 1996. Tryouts are Feb. 22 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and on Feb. 25 from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Castillero Middle School. For more information, call Ron Richardson, Wildcats head coach, at (408) 997-6168.