SPORTS

Richardson, Gomez win early events

Pioneer earns track title, seeks more spoils before moving up in class at BVAL meet May 13

By Karl Laucher
Staff Writer

Due to technicalities, Pioneer High School’s boys track and field team will not officially clinch the Blossom Valley Athletic League West Valley Division championship until today’s BVAL division championships are settled at Evergreen Valley High School.

But barring a return of the Ice Age by 2:30 p.m. today, the Mustangs can boast of the first championship track championship in the 40-year history of Pioneer. Led by undefeated middle distance runner Sean Lopes and weightman Rolando Gomez, the Mustangs crushed all six opponents in dual meets and figure to do more damage in the West Valley finale.

Due to be promoted to the Santa Teresa Division next year, Pioneer will get a chance to start measuring up in the BVAL championship meet Thursday, May 13 at Mount Pleasant High.

Leland High School, meanwhile, will have to consider a possible demotion for 2005 after participating in the top-tier BVAL Mount Hamilton championship today (Thursday), also at 2:30 p.m. The Charger boys, despite reliable Alex Ramon in the distance runs, were winless for 2004, and the Leland girls won only two of six, meets.

Divisional trials action was held Tuesday, except in the case of some field events which were staged as individual finals. In the West Valley division competition at Evergreen Valley, the Mustangs took both of the boys individual tiles with Gomez winning the shot with a toss of 45-feet, 10 inches, far off of his best of 47-10. Teammate Armando Apolinar was third at 41-9. And in the long jump, Pioneer’s Harold Richardson took top honors at 20 feet, 4 inches with fellow Mustang Kyle Brookmeyer right behind at 19-11.

In the girls action, Pioneer senior Brittany Carter tossed a career best 104-3, despite falling twice in a dicey discus ring, but finished as runner-up by just three inches to Landy Pola of Evergreen Valley.

The BVAL Mount Hamilton also held several finals in field’s events among its trials on Tuesday at Independence High School. Earning a division medal and a berth in the BVAL championship were freshman high jumper Dana McKenzie, who placed fifth with a 4-foot-8 effort, and junior shot-putter Blake Ferras who placed sixth with a toss of 44-7.

Pioneer wrapped up the boys dual meet title on April 29 by defeating Evergreen Valley High 80-47 at San Jose City College with junior Steven DeLay leading the way with four victories. De Lay won at the 800, 1600, and 3200 meters and also ran a leg on the winning 4x400 relay team. Senior Sean Lopes, an 800-meter specialist (holding the second-best time in the Central Coast Section at 1 minute, 54.11 seconds), showed his speed with wins at 200 and 400 meters. Gomez continued unbeaten in the shot and discus, uncorking a toss of 160 feet, 6 inches in the discus to move into a fifth place in the CCS rankings.

Adding a lump onto the Mustangs’ winning total was Richardson, who won the high jump at 6 feet (a tie for 16th in the CCS rankings), placed second at 100 meters and also ran a leg on the winning 4x100 relay team.

Although, teamwise, the Leland Chargers struggled all season, Ramon, a state qualifier in cross country, delivered again with wins at 1600, 3200 and 800 meters in his final dual meet, held at Independence High on April 29, but the Chargers went down 105-31. Ramon’s sixth place effort of 9:38.81 at 3200 meters in the Top Eight Invitational at Los Gatos High last month currently ranks 15th in the CCS.

The Leland High girls, meanwhile, did an about face after losing he first four dual meets, by finishing with a two-meet winning streak, culminating with a 67-65 win over Independence. Leading the way for the Chargers again was sophomore Connie Wang, who won the 1600, placed second at 800 and anchored the winning 3200 relay team. McKenzie won the high jump at 4-foot-11, and then a few days later, jumped 5-0 at the Carmel Invitation to placer her among the top 25 in the CCS.

Richardson, Gomez win early events

Pioneer earns track title, seeks more spoils before moving up in class at BVAL meet May 13

By Karl Laucher
Staff Writer

Due to technicalities, Pioneer High School’s boys track and field team will not officially clinch the Blossom Valley Athletic League West Valley Division championship until today’s BVAL division championships are settled at Evergreen Valley High School.

But barring a return of the Ice Age by 2:30 p.m. today, the Mustangs can boast of the first championship track championship in the 40-year history of Pioneer. Led by undefeated middle distance runner Sean Lopes and weightman Rolando Gomez, the Mustangs crushed all six opponents in dual meets and figure to do more damage in the West Valley finale.

Due to be promoted to the Santa Teresa Division next year, Pioneer will get a chance to start measuring up in the BVAL championship meet Thursday, May 13 at Mount Pleasant High.

Leland High School, meanwhile, will have to consider a possible demotion for 2005 after participating in the top-tier BVAL Mount Hamilton championship today (Thursday), also at 2:30 p.m. The Charger boys, despite reliable Alex Ramon in the distance runs, were winless for 2004, and the Leland girls won only two of six, meets.

Divisional trials action was held Tuesday, except in the case of some field events which were staged as individual finals. In the West Valley division competition at Evergreen Valley, the Mustangs took both of the boys individual tiles with Gomez winning the shot with a toss of 45-feet, 10 inches, far off of his best of 47-10. Teammate Armando Apolinar was third at 41-9. And in the long jump, Pioneer’s Harold Richardson took top honors at 20 feet, 4 inches with fellow Mustang Kyle Brookmeyer right behind at 19-11.

In the girls action, Pioneer senior Brittany Carter tossed a career best 104-3, despite falling twice in a dicey discus ring, but finished as runner-up by just three inches to Landy Pola of Evergreen Valley.

The BVAL Mount Hamilton also held several finals in field’s events among its trials on Tuesday at Independence High School. Earning a division medal and a berth in the BVAL championship were freshman high jumper Dana McKenzie, who placed fifth with a 4-foot-8 effort, and junior shot-putter Blake Ferras who placed sixth with a toss of 44-7.

Pioneer wrapped up the boys dual meet title on April 29 by defeating Evergreen Valley High 80-47 at San Jose City College with junior Steven DeLay leading the way with four victories. De Lay won at the 800, 1600, and 3200 meters and also ran a leg on the winning 4x400 relay team. Senior Sean Lopes, an 800-meter specialist (holding the second-best time in the Central Coast Section at 1 minute, 54.11 seconds), showed his speed with wins at 200 and 400 meters. Gomez continued unbeaten in the shot and discus, uncorking a toss of 160 feet, 6 inches in the discus to move into a fifth place in the CCS rankings.

Adding a lump onto the Mustangs’ winning total was Richardson, who won the high jump at 6 feet (a tie for 16th in the CCS rankings), placed second at 100 meters and also ran a leg on the winning 4x100 relay team.

Although, teamwise, the Leland Chargers struggled all season, Ramon, a state qualifier in cross country, delivered again with wins at 1600, 3200 and 800 meters in his final dual meet, held at Independence High on April 29, but the Chargers went down 105-31. Ramon’s sixth place effort of 9:38.81 at 3200 meters in the Top Eight Invitational at Los Gatos High last month currently ranks 15th in the CCS.

The Leland High girls, meanwhile, did an about face after losing he first four dual meets, by finishing with a two-meet winning streak, culminating with a 67-65 win over Independence. Leading the way for the Chargers again was sophomore Connie Wang, who won the 1600, placed second at 800 and anchored the winning 3200 relay team. McKenzie won the high jump at 4-foot-11, and then a few days later, jumped 5-0 at the Carmel Invitation to placer her among the top 25 in the CCS.

Leland golf team advances to CCS finals

By Miranda Schultz
Sports Editor

The Leland golf team will advance to CCS finals as a team after their total score of 407 in BVAL team finals on Tuesday. BVAL Mt. Hamilton division individual playoffs were on Monday, and two of Leland’s players, Gary Beene and Michael O’Connor, qualified for individual play.

Leland was matched up against Willow Glen and Pioneer on Tuesday, and won over Pioneer by seven strokes while Willow Glen was left very far behind.

“It was a close match and I was getting nervous near the end,” says Leland Head Coach Adam Schiro. Beene has been Leland’s number-one player all season, but struggled in the beginning during BVAL team play on Tuesday.

“Beene struggled on the front nine, but played really well on the back nine. He felt he let his team down, but he showed a lot of heart playing down the stretch after a bad start,” says Schiro. Beene ended up shooting a 77.
Michael Rulfs was Leland’s last score in, an 83, which put Leland in the lead. “He didn’t play great at Corde Valle on Monday. It was nice to see him rebound,” says Schiro.

Leland’s scores were: Beene, 77; O’Connor, 80; Erich Wegscheider, 83; Justin Jio, 86; and Rulfs, 83.

Sports Schedules

Leland High School

Thursday 5/6
Baseball vs. Oak Grove 3:30
JV baseball @ Oak Grove 3:30
Golf—CCS entries
Softball @ Independence 3:30
JV softball vs. Independence
Track and field Mt. Hamilton League finals @ Silver Creek TBA
Boys volleyball @ Willow Glen 5/6p.m.
Badminton @ Gunderson 3:00

Friday 5/7
Girls lacrosse vs. Castilleja @ Menlo School 3:30
Boys swimming—CCS team play @ Independence TBA

Saturday 5/8
Boys swimming—CCS team play @ Independence TBA

Monday 5/10
Golf—CCS begins
Badminton league finals TBA

Tuesday 5/11
Baseball vs. Westmont 3:30
JV @ Westmont 3:30
Softball vs. Mt. Pleasant 3:30
JV softball @ Mt. Pleasant 3:30

Wednesday 5/12
Boys swimming/diving TBA

Pioneer High School

Thursday 5/6
Badminton @ Live Oak 3:30
Softball @ Oak Grove 3:30
JV softball vs. Oak Grove 3:30
Boys volleyball vs. Oak Grove 5/6p.m.

Friday 5/7
Swimming—Mt. Hamilton swim finals @ Independence
Baseball @ Piedmont Hills 3:30
JV baseball vs. Piedmont Hills 3:30

Saturday 5/8
Swimming—Mt. Hamilton swim finals @ Independence

Monday 5/10
Badminton league finals

Tuesday 5/11
Badminton league finals
Softball vs. Leigh 3:30
JV softball @ Leigh 3:30

Wednesday 5/12
CCS diving
Baseball vs. Lincoln 3:30
JV baseball @ Lincoln 3:30

High School Sports Roundup

By Miranda Schultz
Sports Editor

The Leland girls lacrosse team is currently second in the Pacific Athletic League with a record of 6-3. Head Coach Becky Crozier is happy with their standings; in the beginning of the season, she expected a top three finish in the league. The girls will compete in PAL playoffs on May 11.

Three players from the team tried out for the Pacific Region High School National Tournament Team and made it. Mona Meshabi, Hillary Gardner and Denise Yee will represent California, Nevada and Hawaii in a national lacrosse tournament in Pennsylvania on Memorial Day weekend. “This is a really great honor,” says Crozier. “No member of the Leland lacrosse team has ever been chosen, and no other team has more than two girls representing them, except for us.”

After having a bye on Tuesday, the Leland boys volleyball team spent last week putting a beating on Prospect, Leigh and Westmont. Head Coach Jason Hilbert says, “We are proud to be in the position of controlling our own destiny for a league title.”

The guys are currently tied with Oak Grove for first place in the BVAL Mt. Hamilton division. They will play their final game against Willow Glen on Thursday. “We are really excited about our final match against Willow Glen,” says Hilbert. “It is always a battle and neither team wants to lose that match. I don’t expect anything less this year. Willow Glen has a great atmosphere in their gym; their fans get loud and really support them. We’re looking forward to it.”

Hilbert says that sophomore Scott Lucas has really stepped up this season. “He’s really coming along and I’m looking forward to two more years of great volleyball from him,” he says.

The Pioneer baseball team is currently in second place in the BVAL Santa Teresa division, which is not something Head Coach Jake Hernandez is disappointed about. In the beginning of the season, Hernandez considered this team to be the most talented team he had on paper in his four years as head coach.

Hernandez mentions senior pitcher Steve Miller as a standout, with a record of 6-1 on the season, as well as juniors, catcher Andrew Schulz and first baseman Steve Matos. “They are getting clutch hits at key times in the game and really being great team players,” says Hernandez.

The boys beat Independence 11-4 on Monday, and have a record of 14-8 overall. They have four more games before CCS playoffs begin and they are 1 ½ games behind Branham High School. Hernandez says, “If we win the rest of our games, which we are capable of doing, we’ll win the championship. We’re headed in a positive direction and making the best of everything.”

The Leland boys baseball team went 10 innings against Oak Grove on Tuesday. Oak Grove scored all five runs in one inning. A Leland error loaded the bases and was followed by a grand slam home run from an Oak Grove batter. The guys tied it up in the sixth inning and won in the 10th on a single by Gabe Castaneda. Oak Grove attempted a come back, but Leland shut them out, throwing out a runner at the plate in the bottom of the tenth.

Castaneda was 2-5 against Oak Grove with the winning RBI. Other contributors were Sean Conners, 3-5 with two RBIs and a double; Darren Gemoll was 2-3 with an RBI, a double and two walks. Jason Gustavson, Andrew Kim, Adam Lara, Damon Ronsville, and Ryan Smith each contributed a hit, and Lara knocked in an RBI.

The guys play Oak Grove at home on Thursday. They are still in first place in the BVAL Mt. Hamilton division with a league record of 10-1.

Pioneer golf doesn’t advance as a team, but four will compete for individual CCS

The young Pioneer golf team won’t advance to CCS as a team this season, but will send four of its top players to CCS finals next week. After BVAL Mt. Hamilton division individual play on Monday, Tom Garcia, Tony Ventimillo, Nolan Magiapinto and Alex Hunt will move on to CCS individuals.

Pioneer competed in a three-way match against Leland and Willow Glen on Tuesday to compete for the second team seed for CCS team play. The guys lost to Leland by seven strokes.

“It was a good match,” says Head Coach Myron Zaccheo. “We’re sending four guys on, so there is really nothing to complain about. The guys did great.”

Pioneer has no seniors, and Zaccheo is looking forward to the possible powerhouse team he could have in the next years. This was their first season competing in the Mt. Hamilton division of the BVAL.

CCS golf finals will begin on May 10 at Rancho Canada.

Jump In!

Local swim lessons and teams offer chance to work out and have fun

By Jim Booth
Special to the Times

It’s time to think about swimming. Not just because the days are getting longer and summer is approaching, but also because getting back in the water is a great way to work out and get in shape. Swimming is a lot of fun as well!

There is also a serious side to swimming. Drowning is now leading cause of death for children under 3 years old in California. Every one of those drowning incidents had one thing in common: There was no adult supervision. Infant and childhood drownings usually occur on weekend afternoons, after a long day at the pool, lake, or ocean when parents are distracted or just worn out.

There are two things parents can do. The most important thing is to always watch children near the water. The second: Put the child in swim lessons. Good swim lessons will teach a love for the water. Look for caring instructors who don’t force children or dunk them and who teach proper stroke and technique.

Infants can start as young as four months, but should always be with a parent. For this young age, it’s important that parents learn some good ideas on how to start in the water. Swimming is also a great year around activity that the whole family can enjoy together. The pool you pick should be clean and around 84-94 degrees; a comfortable temperature will help infants to relax.

Never use attached floatation devices. The false sense of security of floatation devices might encourage a parent to turn their back, plus they can cause bad swimming habits that are hard to break. To be safe, always get in the water with infants and small children and swim with them.

As your children grow, they will be developmentally ready for greater skills. By age 3 or 4, most kids can swim a decent crawl stroke and turn to breathe on the side. At 6 or 7 years old, they can consider a swim team to develop their strength and endurance, especially a recreation group that will focus on technique. Remember swimming should be fun!

Amazingly, statistics show that half of all American adults cannot swim, which means they miss out on a lot of fun and healthful exercise. It’s never too late to learn swimming!

There are many swim clubs within and around Santa Clara County. The question to ask is, “What ability is my child, and what can they accomplish?” Recreation swim teams give basic instruction; improve body coordination and increased cardiovascular fitness. Competitive swim teams offer improved efficiency in stroke development and helps get the kids in shape.

Water polo offers great water skills by learning to tread water more efficiently and develops team cohesion that greatly improves sense of belonging.

So plan to get involved this summer in one of these great programs. Everyone will get fit, feel better and thoroughly enjoy the water safely!

Local swim lessons: SwimAmerica, (408) 227-5884, Gunderson HS Aquatic Center, Pearl and Chynoweth, June-August, 3 years through adult, sjaoffice@aol.com; AVAC Swim School, 5030 Camden Ave., (408) 267-4032; Almaden Swim and Racquet Club, 6604 Northridge Dr., (408) 268-9556, asrc2@earthlink.net.

Local swim teams: Silicon Valley Aquatic Association, Recreation, Competitive and Masters, Gunderson HS Aquatic Center, (408) 227-5884, www.siliconvalleyaquaticassociation.org; Almaden Swim and Racquet Club, 6604 Northridge Dr., (408) 268-9555, www.asrc.org.

Local water polo: SJA Water Polo, Gunderson HS, girls and boys, age group and high school, 408-227-5884, Coach Andy King, kingoo10@hotmail.com.

Almaden Swim and Racquet Club’s swim team wins Raisin Invitational

The winning tradition lives on

By Miranda Schultz
Sports Editor

The Almaden Swim and Racquet Club (ASRC) team swam its way to first place at the Raisin Invitational April 17-18 in Kingsburg, Calif. The team has been attending this annual meet in the Central Valley since 1973. Seventy-seven swimmers and four coaches participated in the meet, along with the parents of 50 families in attendance.

The ASRC competitive swimming program includes all age groups and ability levels. The club also offers a masters swimming program. ASRC swimmers compete in a variety of dual and championship meets year-round.

Head Coach Jerry Macedo, who has been at the club since its inception in 1970, says, “This has been a wonderful club for many years. We combine fast swimming and good times, no pun intended. We’ve been here for 35 years and one of the best things is seeing the great kids that have come through our program.”

The team competes in one to two meets per month; some swimmers compete more than others because of ability or age. The team frequently enjoys barbecues together, also.

At the Raisin Invitational, the ASRC team was led by seven high point winners: Chase Kelsey, Sandra Soe, Stephen Shilling, Brandon Shilling, Spencer Hammaker, Christina Schilling and Jose Del Rio.

There were also many runner-up high point awards: Nichole Atkin, Kelsey Conrow,
Shana Flynn, Chris Hurko, Curtis Lord, Tyler Nollette, Jessica Safir, Sarah Safir, Lindsay Scannell, Tyler Scurti, Isso Shimamoto, Nicholas Soe, James Sonu and Aleksandra Vojvodic.

Jerry Macedo contributed to this article.

Players of the Week

Courtney Monsees
Sport: Leland swimming
Class: freshman

With the Leland girls’ swim victory over Santa Teresa on May 3, the Chargers captured at least a share of the MHAL championship and are favored to win the whole thing outright. And the Chargers owe much of that success to freshman Courtney Monsees, who accumulated 12 points in the meet, the most points possible.

Monsees, who has already qualified for Olympic Trials and is favored to win at least one event at the CCS finals later this month, has paced the Chargers all year long, remaining undefeated and undaunted by older competition.

“Meet in and meet out Courtney’s an automatic first-place winner,” said Leland Coach Mike Haake. “Other coaches avoid swimming their best swimmers against her to save their points. Her presence in a meet actually dictates the opponent’s strategy. Without a doubt she has established herself as the top athlete in the league.”


Kyle Woodruff
Sport: Leland baseball
Class: senior
Position: pitcher

The 6-foot-5-inch senior Kyle Woodruff has a record of 7-1, an ERA of 1.19, and has single handedly retired 55 batters in 53 innings for Leland baseball.

“Woodruff continues to dominate on the mound,” says Head Coach Scott Gillis.

SPORTS BRIEF

Citywide youth track meet

On May 23, the City of San Jose Police Amateur Athletic Foundation will sponsor a track meet open to boys and girls born between 1990 and 1995. Track events include the 50-, 100-, 200-, 400-, 800- and 1600-meter runs and the 4X100. Field events include the standing long jump and softball throw. The event is at Evergreen Valley High School beginning at 10 a.m. Registration is free and is 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Call Kathy Carrillo for more information at (408) 369-3900, or e-mail her at Kathy.Carrillo@sanjoseca.gov.

Leland swimmers take two
Handle Pioneer, silence Santa Teresa,
amped for MHAL championships

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

They came, they saw, they threw on the goggles and conquered. Heading into the final week of Blossom Valley Athletic League, Mount Hamilton Division, dual meet competition, Leland High School’s swim teams hammered Pioneer High School and Santa Teresa High School in back-to-back meets on April 30 and May 3. With a little luck, the league championships meet May 7-8 may crown both Charger boys and girls champions.

Boys
At 6-1, the boys desperately needed the Pioneer and Santa Teresa victories to compete for a share of the league title this weekend. An April 7 loss to the Longhorns of Leigh High School currently renders Leland second place, however, if the Chargers win at Champs, the title is shared with the Longhorns.

Champs play the equalizer for teams that may have had one bad day throughout the course of the season. The team that finishes in first place after all dual meets remains champion no matter what; however, the Champs winner can share the league title assuming their dual meet record meets qualifications.

Last week, the Leland boys spanked Pioneer 117-61 and Santa Teresa 125-47.

Senior Zac Monsees continued his reign, winning all eight events he entered over the two meets. Monsees, who is headed to U.C. Berkeley to compete in both water polo and swimming next fall, is a heavy favorite for league championships and CCS championships to follow.

Leland’s Stephen Hoang won seven events in addition.

Girls
The Leland girls are sole owners of the MHAL championship for now. Heading into finals this weekend, the lady Chargers boast a perfect 7-0 record, unchallenged leaders of the MHAL. However, after blowing out Pioneer 122-48, they received a scare only beating S.T., who at 6-1 and in second place remains a threat in league, 102-83.

“It really could have gone either way,” said Leland girls Coach Mike Haake of the Santa Teresa meet. “Both coaches used good strategy. In the end, we just had superior depth.”

After falling behind early in the meet, the tides turned in Leland’s favor during the diving competition. Chargers Megan Wilson, Tiffany Ryan and Sherri Swanson finished first, second and fourth outscoring the Saints by nine points in the event.

“We knew first places weren’t going to win the meet,” continued Haake. “You can outscore an opponent dominating the places without winning first. That’s what we did to S.T. We took thirds, fourths, and fifths in nearly every event.”

In fact, Santa Teresa won five individual events to Leland’s three. But the damage was done.

Despite the strategy, Leland freshman Courtney Monsees took it upon herself to win two of those three personal events. Monsees took first places in the 200-yard freestyle and 500-yard freestyle.

Three lady Chargers named to Pacific Region High School National Tournament team
Ladies lacrosse continues successful season

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

Come Memorial Day weekend, three Leland High School lacrosse players will be doing more than roasting hot dogs and tipping back cold root beer. Hilary Gardner, Mona Meshabi and Denise Yee have been selected to represent Leland on the Pacific Region High School National Tournament Team and will travel to Pennsylvania at the end of May to compete in the national tournament.

The Pacific Region team represents the premiere lacrosse athletes heralding from California, Nevada and Hawaii. This is the first year Leland has had any players selected and, in fact, have the most players represented than any one school.

“It’s quite an honor and it’s very big news in the lacrosse world,” said Leland Coach Becky Crozier.

Currently the 6-3 Chargers are enjoying their finest season to date. Most recently, however, Leland fell to undefeated Menlo School May 3, 15-2. Next the girls face Castilleja High School at Menlo School on May 7. The game is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Castilleja is Leland’s final opponent before the playoffs, which begin next week at a time to be announced.