Leland swimmers steal the show at the Fairfield Relays


By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

Last weekend, the Leland High School swim teams took time out of their busy league schedules to enjoy a road trip, compete in a non-league relay meet at Fairfield High School, and, apparently, ruin any chance of ever receiving a repeat invitation. Upon arriving in Fairfield, the Chargers couldn’t keep quiet, winning, to the dismay of their competitive hosts, every division they had entered in the meet.

Leland competed against approximately 20 other schools in up to five divisions including varsity and junior varsity, boys and girls, and a co-ed division, teaming each school’s most dominant swimmers from both sides of the gender block. However, the Chargers opted to enter just four of the five events, avoiding participation in the junior varsity boys division, which according to girls coach, Mike Haake, they probably would have won anyway.

“These relay meets are like a huge chess game,” explained Haake. “The coaches try to look over their personnel and place the swimmers in the most strategic races in order for their teams to win.”

Typically, relay meets allow each swimmer to compete in a specified number of races, thus limiting the possibility of a meet’s premier swimmer from dominating the team results as well as individuals. At the Fairfield relays, swimmers were allotted three races, maximum. As a result, as the day ground on, opposing teams were forced to forfeit races.

“In big relay meets there comes a point where you’ve used everybody you’ve got and you aren’t necessarily racing any of your top guns in the final races,” said Haake. “But for us, with such a deep team, we are able to hang in there.”

Officially, the Leland girls won firsts in three of seven relays, one second, two thirds, and one fourth, finishing with one more than enough points to win, beating their closest opponent, Benicia High School, 97-96.

The Chargers, who had a bye in Blossom Valley Athletic League, Mount Hamilton Division, competition last week, hope to do more than hang in there as they continue their way toward another MHAL championship and hopefully, if you’re a Charger fan, a run at CCS Championships in both individual and team events.

Leland’s next challenge will surface Friday at Independence High School, where Leland will again offer up the talents of both the boys and girls swim teams.

Pioneer swim teams show heart in quest for CCS, compete well without 2003 graduates

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

Behind the caring tutelage of veteran coach Gordie Smith, Pioneer High School’s boys and girls swim teams have quietly climbed to 2-1 starts, challenging perennial powerhouses such as Leland and Santa Teresa high schools to a friendly competition, winner taking the Blossom Valley Athletic League, Mount Hamilton Division titles.

“We’re swimming pretty well,” explained a busy Coach Smith, who spends his free time coaching a year-round aquatic club at Gunderson High School. “I think some of our success can be attributed to the fact that most of our kids are involved in some sort of year round swim club.”

On paper, the Mustangs, despite boasting the year-round dedication of athletes and coaches, are suffering the effects of the big graduation of a successful swimming class in 2003, including that of Coach Smith’s talented offspring, Lauren, who has moved on to compete at the University of California at Santa Cruz.

“A lot of the young kids have really stepped up this season,” said Smith. “We don’t have one big star but we’re very deep; more of a top-to-bottom team.”

So deep in fact that, though still in the early stages of the season, the Mustang girls 200-yard freestyle relay team has already qualified for CCS competition. The team consists of sophomores April Hamm, Whitney Feezor, and Elizabeth Heartland, in addition to junior Angela Ngyuen,

Pioneer also returns a male team that narrowly missed qualifying for the 200-yard freestyle relays in 2003. And the emergence of sophomore Kevin Vondervan might make this team even better. Last year’s team consisted of juniors David Grometer, Greg Karis, Chris McAuliffe, and Chance Vermilyea. However, past accomplishments will be challenged as Coach Smith comes closer to his decision on who will represent Pioneer in their best event.

Most recently Pioneer faced Santa Teresa on March 24. The Mustangs split, winning the boys meet 103-67 while the girls suffered their first loss, finally falling 104-79. For the boys, Vermilyea shone, winning the 100- and 200-yard freestyle events. Since returning to the water after spending all winter in the gym, playing a reserve role on the Mustang basketball squad, Vermilyea has been improving steadily and reassuming his role as a mainstay on the Mustang swim team.

Next up for Pioneer is a dual meet at Mount Pleasant High School on April 2.

Players of the Week

Kelly Harrison
Sport: Leland softball
Position: Pitcher
Class: Senior

Harrison pitched four games in two days in the Charlie Miguel Tournament over the weekend. She pitched a total of 30 innings and racked up 31 strikeouts and a .021 ERA. She gave up 10 hits and walked three. She was named MVP pitcher of the tournament.

Head Coach Joe Gron says, “This is probably the best four game pitching performance that I have ever witnessed at this level. She pitched all three games on Saturday, basically back to back, and it was like she got stronger in every game. It was a pretty incredible performance in my eyes.”

Chance Vermilyea
Sport: Pioneer swimming
Class: junior
Position: 100- and
200-yard freestyle

Vermilyea, known widely as a multi-talented waterman and all-league water polo player, recently returned to the water after spending the winter running around the gym playing basketball for Coach Joe Berticevich and the Pioneer basketball team. However, Ver-milyea’s absence left a giant hole in the Pioneer swimming program. Last week, the junior made up for time lost, winning the 100- and 200-yard freestyle events in a dual meet versus Santa Teresa.

“It’s great to have him back,” commented Pioneer swimming Coach Gordie Smith.
The Pioneer victory moved the Mustang’s record to 2-1 in Blossom Valley Athletic League, Mount Hamilton Division, competition.

Two Chargers, two Mustangs named to all-star football game

Two players each from the Leland and Pioneer high school football teams have been selected to participate in the annual Charlie Wedemeyer North-South All-Star Classic football game set for Wed-nesday, July 21 at San Jose City College.

Leland will be represented by Blossom Valley Athletic League Santa Teresa division Most Valuable Player Michael Day and offensive lineman Scott Glicksberg, the Santa Teresa division’s Most Outstanding offensive lineman. The 275-pound Glicksberg has accepted a scholarship to UCLA. Day, the top ground gainer in the Central Coast Section, has not received an offer and is expected to play football at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo next fall as a walk-on.

Wearing his Pioneer helmet in the all-star event will be running back Jeremy Landucci, named the Most Outstanding offensive back in the BVAL’s top-level Mount Hamilton division. Landucci will be joined by fellow Mustang Armando Apolinar, who was named the team’s most outstanding offensive lineman. Both Landucci and Apolinar are expected to continue their football in the fall at community colleges.

For more information on the all-star game, sponsored by the Almaden Rotary Club, go on line at www.youthclassic.org.

—By Karl Laucher

Leland boys tennis team takes MHAL by storm

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

The Leland High School tennis team isn’t supposed to be as good as they were last year. But don’t tell them that. Thus far, Leland, which continues to improve with each match, has found something to feel good about no matter what the outcome. Positive attitudes and team camaraderie have paid off with a 4-0 record in Blossom Valley Athletic League, Mount Hamilton Division play.

Leland bounced back from a non-league loss at the sure hands of Alameda High School March 24. On March 30, Leland creamed Oak Grove High School under sporadic, light showers on Leland’s home turf.

According to Leland Coach Jory Segal, the Chargers may have been inspired by one play in particular from last week’s Alameda match. On that day, the Leland squad watched as Steven Richards picked his opponent apart after stunning him with a massive return on serve spanking the ball down the right sideline.

“I have never seen a shot hit that hard in a high school tennis match,” said Segal of her players’ impressive effort. “The kids were so excited.”

Surely the excitement carried over to Tuesday’s match versus O.G. which Leland won handily six matches to one.
Leland’s Eric Banks played especially well in his number-two doubles match versus the Eagles. An improved volley allowed him and his partner Rand Owen to secure another victory for themselves as well as the Charger team.

Next for the Leland is a match at Mount Pleasant High School on April 1. The undefeated Chargers aim to hone their skills through the rest of league on the way to, what they hope is, another successful run in the CCS tournaments.

Last season Leland sent all seven of their top players into CCS competition, three coming from singles and four from doubles. However, only the top three singles players and the top two doubles tandems will move on from the Blossom Valley Athletic League, all divisions included. Leland’s work remains cut out for them.

High school sports roundup

By Miranda Schultz
Sports Editor

The Pioneer softball team lost 1-0 to Mt. Pleasant on Tuesday and are 1-2 in the league and 6-4 overall in the BVAL Mt. Hamilton Division. Head Coach Brian Thompson says, “We’re just trying to stay positive. We’re leaving a lot of runners on base, not doing the little things to knock in the runs.”

Against Mt. Pleasant, pitcher Andrea Castillo had a no hitter going into the seventh inning, then gave up a walk and one hit. “She pitched great,” says Thompson. The girls play Leland on Thursday.

After winning the Charlie Miguel Tournament over the weekend, the Leland softball team is keeping up the momentum. They beat Santa Teresa 3-2 in 8 innings on Tuesday.

Head Coach Joe Gron says, “Our offense has been doing great, we’re hitting the ball well and pushing runs across the plate.” In the game Tuesday, there were eight hits and runners on every inning, Gron says, “We’re doing a good job putting the pressure on the other team.”

Pitcher Kelly Harrison pitched the full eight innings, striking out eight, allowing six hits and two runs, one of which was earned. Megan Finney, Veronica Perotta and Erin George each had one RBI, all scored in the top of the eighth inning. Liz Perez went 2-4 and Ashley O’Brian went 2-3.

At the Charlie Miguel Tournament Perez and Jamie Vranich were named to the all tournament team, while Harrison was named MVP after pitching all four games of the tournament.

The first game over the weekend was a 3-0 victory over Pioneer, Vranich had two RBI and O’Brian had one. Perez scored all three runs.

In the 2-0 victory over Carmel High School, Harrison pitched a one hitter and had eight strikeouts.

Against Burlingame High School, Christina Saenz hit a two-out double in the top of the eighth inning, driving in two runs and securing a 3-1 win. Harrison had 10 strikeouts and allowed four hits.

The championship against Valley Christian High School was a 6-1 blowout, Leland had 14 hits, Saenz, Perez, Vranich and Ashley Adams all had multiple hits while Harrison struck out seven and gave up three hits.

The girls are now 11-3 overall and 1-1 in the BVAL Mt. Hamilton Division and play Pioneer on Thursday.

The Leland boys volleyball team beat Leigh High School and Westmont High School last week and now have an overall record of 11-5 and are 6-1 in the BVAL Santa Teresa Division.

In both games, the boys were victorious after three games. Against Leigh, sophomore Scott Lucas had six kills.

Head coach Jason Hilbert says, “We’re still playing really well as a team, but the real test will be against Willow Glen, our archrival. If we win that, we’ll be tied for first place in the league. That game is really going to be about who ever wants it more.”

The Pioneer boys volleyball team beat Gunderson in three games on Tuesday, despite losing two of their top senior players, Ricky Messmann, outside hitter, and another due to academic ineligibility. Messmann, out for the season with a broken leg, was the kill leader for the team.

“I think we might struggle without those players, but the guys coming off the bench are doing really well so that’s a plus,” says Head Coach Tim Korring, “It’s definitely possible for us to surprise a few teams if we come together and play as a team, which has been our biggest weakness so far.”

The boys are now 3-4 in the BVAL Santa Teresa Division and 5-5 overall. They play Oak Grove on Thursday at Oak Grove.

Strong performances by Tyler Scurti in the 50-free and 100-fly and Spencer Hammaker in the 200-IM and 100-free allowed the Leigh boys swimming and diving team to continue its undefeated season in the BVAL Mt. Hamilton Division after beating Independence 114-60.

Leigh girls swimming and diving team defeated Independence 93-82. Lyssa Shimamoto led the diving portion and also put in a strong performance on the 200-free and 200-medley relay.

All swimmers mentioned swim at the Almaden Swim & Racket Club.
This week Leigh takes on Santa Teresa.

—Contributed by Sally Eccles

Sports Schedules

Leland High School

Thursday 4/1
Baseball vs. Mt. Pleasant 3:30
JV @ Mt. Pleasant 3:30
Golf vs. Piedmont Hills @ Los Lagos 3
JV vs. Lincoln @ Spring Valley 2:15
Boys lacrosse @ St. Ignatius 4
Softball vs. Pioneer 3:30
JV softball @ Pioneer 3:30
Boys tennis @ Mt. Pleasant 3:15
Boys volleyball @ Willow Glen 5/6 (JV, V)
Badminton @ Independence 3:30

Friday 4/2
Girls lacrosse vs. Menlo/Atherton 3:30
Boys swimming @ Independence 3
Girls swimming @ Independence 3
Track and field @ Los Gatos HS 3:30

Saturday 4/3
Track and field @ St. Francis HS 3:15
Boys volleyball @ Willow Glen ALL DAY

Monday 4/5
Boys lacrosse vs. Bellarmine 4/5:30 (V, JV)

Tuesday 4/6
Baseball vs. Willow Glen 3:30
JV @ Willow Glen 3:30
Golf vs. Branham @ Eagle Ridge 3
Softball vs. Independence 3:30
JV softball @ Independence 3:30
Boys tennis @ Leigh 3:15
Boys volleyball @ Gunderson 5/6PM (JV, V)
Badminton vs. Gunderson 3:30

Wednesday 4/7
Boys lacrosse vs. Acalanes 4/5:30 (V, JV)
Boys swimming vs. Leigh 3
Girls swimming vs. Leigh 3
Track and field @ W.V. College 3:30

Pioneer High School

Thursday 4/1
Badminton vs. Gilroy 3:30
Softball @ Leland 3:30
JV vs. Leland 3:30
Boys tennis vs. Branham 3:15
Boys volleyball @ Oak Grove 6/7 (JV, V)

Friday 4/2
Swimming and diving vs. Mt. Pleasant 3
Baseball @ Independence 3:30
JV baseball vs. Independence 3:30

Monday 4/5
Golf vs. Leigh TBA

Tuesday 4/6
Badminton vs. San Jose 3
Softball vs. Santa Teresa 3:30
JV softball @ Santa Teresa 3:30
Boys tennis vs. Overfelt 3:15
Boys volleyball vs. Westmont (6/7 (JV, V)

Wednesday 4/7
Swimming and diving vs. Piedmont Hills 3

Track and field roundup

Pioneer’s Sean Lopes wins four events, builds for peak performance at 800 meters

By Karl Laucher
Staff Writer

Pioneer High School senior Sean Lopes already is a big man on campus. He is an outstanding three-sport athlete, Associated Student Body vice president and was the homecoming king.

It appears he’s just getting warmed up. Lopes’ prowess as a leader and an athlete showed signs of reverberating beyond the borders of the campus as he registered a unique four-victory performance, the centerpiece of a feast the Mustang boys made out of their Andrew High School counterparts last week. Final score: Pioneer 104-9.
The Pioneer girls also ruled over Hill, 87-30, as Camille Brown (100 and 400 meters), Elizabeth Bolender (800 and 1600 meters) and Brittany Carter (shot and discus) scored double wins.

Pioneer faced Lincoln High at San Jose City College on Wednesday (March 31) and will not return to Blossom Valley Athletic league action again until April 22.

Leland High School had a bye last week. The Chargers are at Mt. Pleasant High School today (Thursday), 3:30 p.m., and host Piedmont Hills High School on Thursday, April 8 at West Valley College.

While Pioneer’s Mustangs must, for this season, participate in the weakest of the BVAL’s three divisions, all athletes who engage in timed or measured events can compare themselves to others throughout the region, and, maybe most importantly, can gauge their own progress.

Lopes definitely was in charge of the proceedings as he romped home first in the 200-, 400-, 800- and 1600-meter races versus Hill. It was a day to remember, but what matters most to the 6-foot, 157-pound Lopes is that he clicked off a 1-minute 57-second effort at 800 meters a few weeks earlier at the K-Bell Relays in Los Gatos.

That time is less of a tenth of a second behind his best effort of 2003 when he placed fifth in the BVAL championships. This year’s BVAL championship meet is set for May 13 at Mount Pleasant High School.
Pioneer track Coach Mark Krail calls Lopes “our team leader and best athlete,” adding that “he’s a bulldog of a competitor who doesn’t like to lose.”

Lopes, a top-15 finisher in the BVAL cross country championships in the fall and a second-team all-BVAL honoree as a soccer player in the winter, says he feels ahead of his game because he has been working harder on building speed, as opposed to endurance. A typical workout will include some stair running and hopping for warm-up, and then a series, middle-distance bursts of 500, 400, 300 and 200 meters with just one minute to rest in between.

He intends to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo next year to study architecture. Look for Sean Lopes to design something exciting.

Scott Glicksberg, who won honors and a scholarship to UCLA after playing football for Leland High School in the fall, poses with some of his College Park Rugby Club teammates after a victory over Los Altos High School at Watson Bowl in San Jose on Saturday. Most College Park players attend Bellarmine, where Glicksberg played football, wrestling and rugby before transferring to Leland as a senior. A 275-pound offensive lineman on the gridiron, Glicksberg will attend UCLA on a football scholarship. College Park is sponsored by the San Jose Seahawks Rugby Football Club, which also offers mini rugby for children ages 5-13.

For more on the Seahawks call club president Brian McDonald at 994-0157 or e-mail McRugby@earthlink.net.

—By Karl Laucher

Leland senior revved up for sprint-car campaign

Michael Trimble of Almaden ‘emancipated’ to challenge faster company

By Karl Laucher
Staff Writer

Michael Trimble, formerly suppressed teen-age race car driver, has been emancipated. Yes, he’s a free man now. Free to smoke wheels with the masters of the speedway.

Emancipation, in this case, means Trimble, age 17, can legally race with drivers age 18 and over. It takes a court order to be emancipated because drivers at the wheel of dicey 700-horsepower racing machines obviously need to prove they have a grip on the value of life as well as a high degree of skill.

Not to worry. Trimble, a senior at Leland High School has been motor racing since age 7, claiming a pair of National quarter-midget racing championships before he graduated into the helter skelter mini-sprint competition.

He’s now ready to go pro having been declared legally competent by a Circuit Court judge in Indiana last fall to participate in the US Auto Club’s (USAC) diverse program of professional events. He will race both the 600 cc (engine size) Mini Sprint and the 360 cubic inch Sprint Car on the asphalt this year beginning Saturday at the Las Vegas Bull Ring.

Trimble, who already has more hours in a racing cockpit than many grizzled veterans, expects to be at the throttle for at least 15 USAC races plus at least another 30 more in the micro-sprint division. His goals this year appear to modest. “I’m just trying to learn everything I can,” he said. “I want to do the best I can from what I know.”
Like most racers, he will admit to be a glutton for speed and the rush of competition. “It’s the best feeling you can ever have, for me at least,” he said.

Young love may indeed take exotic twists, but of course passion is the driving force of the universe, is it not?
Trimble races under the banner of Trimble Motorsports, funded primarily by Sharp Precision, a machine shop owned by his father, Chuck, who has been involved in racing, mostly as an owner, for more than two decades.

Their sprint-car season is expected to cost some $150,000 for expenses including the race car, parts, fuel, crew, travel expenses, etc. That is a bargain compared to the big leagues where one hundred and fifty grand is less than the cost of a weekend at Laguna Seca. But it could be a great investment if Michael proves to have the right combination of nitro, passion and dexterity.

If not, Michael plans to have all corner covered. He plans to get a college education, majoring in business.
Most of the mini-sprint and sprint-car racing takes place in the Central valley and points East. The closest Trimble Motor Sports will get to home asphalt oval action will be at the Madera Speedway April 24 and March 1, and again August 7 and 21. For more information on Trimble Motorsports go on-line at www.trimblemotorsports.com.

Sports Briefs

Join Santa Clara P.A.L. BMX
The Santa Clara P.A.L BMX would like to invite you to experience their facilities. Everyone is welcome and each person that signs up for his or her American Bicycle Association (ABA) membership will receive a free race. Riders have classes at every age and skill level. There are Novice, Intermediate, Expert, Cruiser, Girls and Girls Cruiser Classes.

The ABA has 60,000 active members racing in the United States and Canada. The sport is family oriented and offers children, parents and even grandparents an opportunity to participate in a fun, organized activity that is physically beneficial and offers character building and sportsmanship.
Racing is on the following schedule: Tuesdays—sign ups and practice from 6-7PM; Fridays—sign ups and practice from 6:30-7:30PM; Sundays—sign ups and practice from 11AM-12PM. Racing begins shortly after signups close.
For more information, call Michael Hughes, track operator at (408) 727-7538 or visit www.santaclarapalbmx.com.

Help Special Olympics Athletes
Special Olympics athletes could use your help as a coach. Have fun in a sports program and make new friends while you lend a helping hand.

Coaches are needed for our year-round program to assist teaching 17 different sports. No experience is necessary to coach. Just bring your enthusiasm and a sense of humor. You must be 16 or older or accompanied by an adult.
The next new volunteer orientation is Tuesday, April 13th at 7PM at the Hoover Community Center. The session lasts about an hour. For more information visit www.sonc.org.