May 10, 2007

SPORTS

Pioneer softball bests rival Leland 2-0, goes home with Silver Cup

Mustang Ashley McMahon scores twice on hitless plays, Charger offense musters three hits in loss

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

A 2-0 win over Leland on May 3 gave the Pioneer softball team some bragging rights and the coveted Silver Cup trophy during the second round of the Almaden Series.

Leland starting pitcher Lindsay Truan picked up the loss during a 2-0 win for Pioneer on May 3, despite allowing just one hit over seven innings. Photos by Diego Abeloos

Pioneer head coach Ernie Garcia and Leland head coach Joe Gron established the series as a way to give both teams some added incentive during Mt. Hamilton Division play.

Both coaches chipped in for the large silver trophy this year, which goes to the winning team after each league game. Both Gron and Garcia will also be working together as coaches for the San Jose Strikers softball travel team this summer and have become good friends and respected adversaries throughout their respective tenures in the Blossom Valley Athletic League.

The win was a breath of fresh air for Garcia, whose team (3-9 in league play) lost the first match-up for the Silver Cup to Leland by a score of 6-3 on April 3. “It feels really good,” Pioneer head coach Ernie Garcia said of the win. “We knew that this was one of our big rivalry games and it seems like we always step up, both teams. When we created this, we knew it was going to be a battle and we own it now, so they’ll have to get it back from us next year.”

Garcia added that while there may be some light-hearted kidding about Pioneer’s win during the summer, when both men will be coaching Strikers softball teams, there’s also a healthy amount of respect for each other.

“We respect each other as coaches and we know how to separate the high school (competition) from our travel teams,” Garcia said. “I’m excited to be coaching with him and it’s always good to play against good competitors in Joe and Leland.”

Offense was in short supply for both squads but Pioneer managed to score twice—once each in the second and fourth innings—without putting the bat on the ball.

Pioneer got on the scoreboard with its first run when an attempted steal of third base by Ashley McMahon resulted in a wild throw into left field by Leland, allowing her to score easily for a 1-0 lead.

McMahon was at it again in the fourth inning, drawing a leadoff walk before ending up at third base with two out. A wild pitch then sailed over catcher Jessica Talaugon, allowing McMahon to score once more to give the Mustangs a 2-0 lead.

Garcia credited McMahon with some heads-up baserunning in the win.

“Both times, those runs were because of her,” Garcia said McMahon. “She basically created those runs on her own.”

Garcia also credited his starting pitcher, Alyssa Walker, with a clutch performance. Walker went the distance to pick up the win, striking out 13 and allowing just three hits.

Pioneer’s Danielle Clough connects with a Lindsay Truan pitch during a 2-0 win for the Mustangs on May 3.

“She pitched a very good game and hit her spots,” Garcia said of Walker.

As for Leland, Gron said the game came down to a rough performance at the plate for the Chargers.

“We just didn’t show up at the plate,” Gron said. “…That’s basically, to me, what cost us the game. We weren’t aggressive at the plate.”

Still, Gron credited his starting pitcher, Lindsay Truan for pitching Pioneer tough despite picking up the tough luck loss. Truan allowed just one hit through seven innings.

As for a possible postseason scenario, Gron said he believes his team has a chance to earn an at-large bid at the end of the regular season, despite dropping to 4-8 in league play. Still, Gron said he’s looking for his team to better its chances at a postseason bid with some crucial wins this week to close out the season.

Leland will finish the season with games against Mt. Pleasant on May 8 (a score was not available at press time) and Leigh on May 10.

“The automatics are basically a done deal,” Gron said. “…We’re lined up right now to make the playoffs, by the way I’ve calculated it and the way I see it. But, we need to win at least one of the last two games to give us a decent power point rating going into the (CCS seeding) meeting.”

Pioneer boys’ volleyball ends season as Santa Teresa Division champs

Mustangs finish at 8-1; head coach Howard Gibson retires from coaching

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

The Pioneer boys’ volleyball team wrapped up the 2007 season last week, posting a win over Gunderson on May 3, which gave the Mustangs an 8-1 league record and, even better, a Santa Teresa Division title in hand.

Pioneer’s Taylor Luebkeman, shown here in a match earlier this season, and the rest of the Pioneer boys’ volleyball team helped make head coach Howard Gibson’s final season one to remember by winning the Santa Teresa Division title with an 8-1 record this season. Photo by Dan Miranda

Still, the only thing missing, said Pioneer head coach Howard Gibson, is a CCS Playoff bid. To that end, the Mustangs lost out on a chance at an automatic CCS bid, at least in part, when Live Oak decided against placing a volleyball team in the BVAL’s Santa Teresa Division, leaving the other four teams—including Pioneer—three games short on a 12-game schedule. In turn, CCS took away the automatic bid to the Santa Teresa Division winner, placing it instead as an at-large bid in the Mt. Hamilton Division.

Gibson, however, said he accomplished the next best thing when his Mustangs played Leland in a friendly scrimmage on May 7.

“Everything came to fruition,” said Gibson of the 2007 season, which saw the Mustangs go undefeated after dropping a league-opening loss to Sobrato on March 13. “…All in all, it was a lot of fun. We enjoyed ourselves. Everything I tried to do for the kids, including this last little get together with (Leland), all kind of put the season together.”

A CCS bid aside, Pioneer will also lose out on another key component to the 2007 season in none other than Gibson himself, who has decided to retire from coaching after seven years in the school’s volleyball program. Gibson spent the first three years of his coaching career at the varsity level, before moving onto the frosh/soph team to help his son, Shane—a former player—coach the young upstart Mustangs.

Gibson said he made his decision largely because of the team’s seniors, who will also be leaving the program after the season. Gibson coached several of the seniors on the current roster since their freshman season, spending two years at the frosh/soph level before moving up with his players to the varsity level the past two seasons.

Still, Gibson said he’s not feeling any hint of sadness about the situation. Instead, he said he feels a sense of completion, knowing that he got his players through their four years in the program while accomplishing several team goals along the way.

“A couple of years ago, when my son was coaching, he felt very sad because he was leaving his team, which hadn’t been completed yet; they had only become juniors, not seniors yet,” Gibson said. “With my situation now, I have six players that I’ve (coached) all four years, and I don’t feel that twinge of leaving as much as I feel a happiness in completing what my desire was, which was to do well, win whatever division we ended up in and also to play as many games as possible.”

As for Gibson’s final hurrah—a close 3-0 loss in a scrimmage at Leland—the soon-to-be former head coach of the Mustangs said playing longtime counterpart and friend in Leland head coach Jason Hilbert was a near perfect way to bid a fond farewell.

“It’s a lot better feeling to lose to a friend in a fun, comfortable match than to go out against a Homestead, or a Bellarmine, and really have it put to us,” said Gibson, who noted that several players on both teams are also close friends. “…Coming here and playing with Jason (Hilbert) and the Leland boys was a lot more fun for us to end our season.”

High School Sports Schedule

Leland High School
Friday – Boys’ tennis BVAL Singles/Doubles Tournament at Mt. Pleasant, 4 p.m.

Saturday – Boys’ volleyball CCS Quarterfinals at Independence, time and opponent TBA
Saturday - Swimming League Finals, time and site TBA

Monday – Boys’ tennis BVAL Singles/Doubles Tournament at Mt. Pleasant, 4 p.m.

Tuesday – Boys’ volleyball CCS Semifinals at Independence, time and opponent TBA

Wednesday – Softball CCS Playoffs begin, times and sites TBA
Wednesday – Baseball CCS Playoffs begin, times and sites TBA

Thursday – Boys’ volleyball CCS Finals at Independence, time and opponent TBA

Pioneer High School
Friday – Boys’ tennis BVAL Singles/Doubles Tournament at Mt. Pleasant, 4 p.m.

Saturday - Swimming League Finals, time and site TBA

Monday – Boys’ tennis BVAL Singles/Doubles Tournament at Mt. Pleasant, 4 p.m.

Wednesday – Baseball CCS Playoffs begin, times and sites TBA
Wednesday – Softball CCS Playoffs begin, times and sites TBA


*JV or frosh/soph team plays at opposite site of varsity at the same time

For more information about Leland and Pioneer sporting events, go to:

Pioneer Athletics: http://www.phsathletics.com/
Leland Athletics: http://www.lelandathletics.com/
Blossom Valley Athletic League: http://www.bval.org/

High School Scoreboard

May 1
Leland softball 4-2 win vs. Westmont
Leland boys’ volleyball 20-25, 27-25, 25-22, 20-25, 15-8 loss at Leigh
Leland boys’ lacrosse 15-2 loss vs. Bellarmine

Pioneer badminton 9-6 win at Branham
Pioneer boys’ volleyball 25-22, 25-21, 25-21 win vs. Prospect
Pioneer softball 2-1 win at Leigh

May 2
Leland baseball 5-3 win vs. Willow Glen
Leland boys’ lacrosse 11-5 loss vs. Menlo-Atherton

Pioneer baseball 13-12 loss at Piedmont Hills
Pioneer girls’ lacrosse 14-5 win vs. Woodside

May 3
Pioneer boys’ volleyball 23-25, 25-18, 25-21, 25-17 win at Gunderson
Pioneer badminton 9-6 win vs. Lincoln
Pioneer girls’ lacrosse 14-5 loss vs. Menlo School

May 4
Leland boys’ tennis 4-3 loss vs. Gunn in CCS Round of 16 Team Playoffs
Leland baseball 6-0 win vs. Leigh

Pioneer baseball 18-13 win at Westmont
Pioneer girls’ lacrosse 8-5 win vs. Leland

Almaden Heat wins 10U PAL Interleague Championship

Every spring, the Almaden Valley Girls Softball League (AVGSL) participates in the PAL Interleague Softball Tournament along with the other PAL softball leagues from East Valley, South San Jose and West Valley.

The PAL Tournament gives many local players their only opportunity to play tournament-style games while traveling to different fields and playing against teams from other leagues.

From left, front row: MacKenzie Savage, Dianna Koo, Merritt Fowler, Farrah Masouris, Courtney Fetter, and Kendra Ferguson; middle row: Olivia Fuqua, Dominique Chan, Kendra Chow, Breanna Bersuch, Megan Lippi, and Salena Seeley; back row: coach Alex Ashtar, coach Pete Fuqua, head coach Ken Chow, and coach Paul Lippi.

This year, Almaden had seven 10U (age 10 and under) and six 12U (age 12 and under) teams participate in the tournament, including the Almaden Heat, which managed to grind through a very tough bracket, defeating strong teams from East Valley, West Valley and South San Jose to bring home a championship.

In the first game, the Heat fell behind 2-0 against a hard throwing pitcher from East Valley. However, the Heat broke through in the third inning on a single by Olivia Fuqua and a double by Megan Lippi to drive in Almaden’s first run. As the game wore on, the Heat was able to generate some offense, and the defense provided support as well, including a key play in which Lippi caught a popup and threw to first baseman Courtney Fetter for a double play. Fuqua and Kendra Chow shut down the East Valley Senshi’s attack with solid pitching to preserve a hard fought 5-2 win.

“These girls showed a lot of maturity, stayed focused and never gave up,” said Heat coach Ken Chow.

Two days later, the Heat faced three games in a row in order to get to the interleague championship game.
Facing West Valley’s top team, the Hot Shots, Chow started the scoring in the first inning with a double to left field, went to third base on a passed ball and scored on a single by Lippi, putting the Heat up 1-0. In the third inning, the Heat broke the game open by scoring four runs, which started when Breanna Bersuch led off with a single, followed by a bunt single by Dominique Chan, and capped off by a two-run single by Merritt Fowler. The Heat controlled the rest of the game, resulting in an 11-6 win.

Immediately after defeating the West Valley Hot Shots, the tired Heat team took on the South San Jose Sparks, jumping out to a quick 4-0 lead in the first inning, led by Courtney Fetter’s leadoff hit, followed by a double by Fuqua, singles by Lippi and Bersuch, and a double by Diana Koo for a 6-3 win.

The Heat finished off the long day by facing the West Valley White Devils for a berth in the championship game. After falling behind 1-0, the Heat team was able to rally for five runs behind the hitting of speedster Chan, Salena Seeley, Farrah Masouris and MacKenzie Savage. Not ready to give up, West Valley came back to pull within two runs before Fuqua closed out the game to preserve a 5-3 victory and a berth to the 10U championship game at PAL Stadium.

The next day, the 10U championship game pitted the Almaden Heat against the Baby Stunaz from East Valley. With a strong left-handed pitcher on the mound for East Valley, the Heat rallied to get on the board in the first inning when Fuqua got on base with two outs and Lippi launched a triple to right-center field for a 1-0 lead. Chan’s base running, as well as clutch hitting by Seeley and Ferguson led the Heat as they scored four more runs in the second inning. Trailing 5-0, the Baby Stunaz didn’t give up, scoring two runs in the bottom of the second inning.
The Heat countered quickly however, as Fuqua and Lippi each doubled to increase the lead to 9-2. Chow came in to preserve a 9-3 victory, only the second 10U PAL Interleague Championship by an Almaden softball team ever.

“I am so proud of these girls. They continued to execute our game plan of solid pitching and defense, along with timely hitting,” said Heat coach Ken Chow. “What impressed me most about this group is their teamwork and willingness to pick each other up when a teammate was down. The girls represented AVGSL softball very well.”

Heat assistant coach Pete Fuqua added, “These girls benefited from their hard work in practice. Like I told them, this is an experience that they will remember for the rest of their lives.”

Happy ending to rough regular season finish for Chargers

Leland boys’ volleyball headed to CCS Playoffs as No. 15 seed
despite three straight losses to end the regular season

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

The Leland boys’ volleyball team narrowly slipped into the postseason, grabbing the No. 15 seed (out of 16) in the CCS Playoffs after enduring arguably its most trying stretch to end the regular season.

Leland's Kenny Tran goes up for a hit at the net during a 3-0 loss to Willow Glen at the fourth annual Tiki Match on May 3.

The Chargers finished the regular season losing three straight—including the team’s annual Tiki Match by a 3-0 final to Willow Glen on May 3 to end league play. In doing so, Leland finished the regular season at 5-5, good for fourth place in the Mt. Hamilton Division.

The team’s spot in postseason play came after a lengthy debate during the league’s CCS seeding meeting, held immediately after the end of the regular season on Saturday, May 5. Leland’s spot in the CCS Playoffs also continued head coach Jason Hilbert’s streak of consecutive seasons in the postseason at six. Leland is set to face No. 2 seed Mt. Madonna in the opening round of CCS on Thursday, May 10.

“The guys worked really hard this year, so it was really good to get rewarded because I think we deserved it,” said Hilbert, who was recently named as a CCS Honor Coach for his contributions to the community and the team. “It’s definitely a sense of accomplishment because the goal each year is to get to CCS. You just feel good for these guys. It’s a second season now; the record doesn’t matter now.”

Still, Hilbert admitted he was nervous about his team’s prospects of making the postseason following a tough 3-0 loss at home to end the year at the fourth annual Tiki Match, a friendly rivalry match against Willow Glen that signals the end of regular season play for both teams.

“It was a little bit nerve-racking, and a little bit exciting in a strange way. Coaches are miserable people anyway. We love the highs and lows of it,” Hilbert said jokingly. “I was just hoping things would roll our way. …A break had to come to us sometime this year, and it did.”

Hilbert said his team’s strength of schedule played in his favor when the deciding votes on CCS seeding spots were made. Leland played several top CCS teams during the preseason, including St. Francis, the No. 4 seed in this year’s CCS Playoff bracket. Hilbert added that the reason for his preseason scheduling didn’t simply come down to looking better at the CCS seeding meeting.

“I think we were playing at a higher level that if we played a cupcake schedule,” said Hilbert. “I think this is about getting better at volleyball, and not wins and losses. These guys are better volleyball players for being challenged (in the preseason), than if we were playing lesser schools.”

As for the team’s annual Tiki Match, the 3-0 loss gave the Willow Glen Rams a 3-1 series edge in four years of play. Despite the 3-0 final, scores for all three games were close, with Leland dropping games by scores of 25-20, 25-21 and 25-21. Leland’s Kenny Tran led the Chargers with 12 kills, while Willow Glen’s Tobin Chase contributed 10 kills and seven blocks en route to leading the Rams to an 8-2 league finish, good for second place in the Mt. Hamilton Division behind 9-1 Leigh.

Leland libero David Torrano hits the ball at the fourth annual Tiki Match on May 3. Photos by Dan Miranda

“The heart that they played with was amazing,” Willow Glen head coach Jef Wind said of his squad. “It was all about their heart.”

Wind credited his counterpart in Hilbert for preparing the Chargers for the match. In addition, Wind said, the prospect of entering Leland’s gym, knowing that the Chargers needed a win to end the regular season, was not a pleasant thought.

“They knew what we were doing the second we set up,” said Wind, whose team picked up the No. 10 seed in the CCS Playoffs. “(Hilbert’s) guys read our guys as the plays were happening. They were well coached, and coming into this gym is one of the scariest gyms for Willow Glen because we keep playing these guys. It’s always a battle.”

Hilbert said that while he was disappointed with the loss, he was also pleased with how the Tiki Match turned out, with Leland’s gym packed to the brim with fans, friends and family from both squads. Both Wind and Hilbert are friends off the court and together coach the Central Coast Volleyball Club in the summer, which includes several players from both teams on the roster.

“It was disappointing for us, but you’ve got to love the atmosphere,” Hilbert said. “The fans were amazing on both sides. I wish we would’ve come out on top, but Willow Glen’s well coached and their guys executed.”

SPORTS ROUNDUP

Leland swimmers surge to Mount Hamilton titles

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

Leland swam its way to victory at Independence High School on May 5, capturing both boys’ and girls’ titles at the Mount Hamilton Division League Finals meet.

The Charger squads edged out their closest competitors by 27 points apiece, decided by the outcomes of the 100-yard breaststroke and 400-yard freestyle relay in the waning moments of the event.

“It was really very close in both divisions,” said Leland head coach Mike Monsees. “It looked like Live Oak had us going into the final day on the boys’ side.”

In Live Oak’s first year competing against Blossom Valley Athletic League schools since re-alignment, pitting the perennial pool power against rival-Leland, the Acorns were up after building a 50-point lead in the boys’ diving event.

While Leland’s boys had dominated dual-meet action earlier this season, they had done so without a proven diver.

Live Oak capitalized in the finals, setting the stage for Shayan Moazeni and Leland’s 400-yard relay team.

Moazeni entered the final 100-yard breaststroke event with Leland teetering on a tie with the trailing Acorns. His second-place finish split Live Oak contenders and robbed them of the points needed to pull ahead.

Moazeni, Tim Jen, Jonathan Lie and Raymond LaRochelle then proceeded to surge to a third place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay, enough for the overall victory.

“Our big wins were the freestyle sprints,” said Monsees.

Jen and LaRochelle snatched first-place medals in the 50 and 100-yard freestyle events, respectively. Charger Ken Barcos meanwhile, finished second in the 50-yard freestyle event.

In girls’ action, Leland stopped Santa Teresa for the win.

Senior Emily Chortek played savior, finishing third in the crucial 100-yard breaststroke event.

“Santa Teresa had a very strong breaststroker, but Live Oak took first,” said Monsees. “It came down to relay points in the last event, and we won that.”

Leland took first with freshman Kelsey Nolan, Ariel Young, Amalia Graziani and Courtney Monsees swimming the 400-yard freestyle relay.

Nolan, Monsees, and Young are all qualified for CCS as well.

Monsees, arguably the most successful female swimmer in the history of the school, having broken every major individual record in the Chargers’ program, hopes to capture her third and fourth individual titles in the 200-yard individual medley and 500-yard freestyle events at the CCS Finals later this month.

The 400-yard relay team that earned the Chargers’ league title, meanwhile, hopes to set the school’s all-time mark at the finals.

“That would mean that we set all of the relay marks in the past three years,” said Monsees.

The standing relay marks were formerly held by three Central Coast Section teams fielded by the Chargers’ in the early 1980s.

CCS Honor Coach Gordy Smith leads Mustangs to third-place finish
When the water settled, Pioneer surfaced in third place in both boys’ and girls’ action at the Mount Hamilton Division League Finals on May 5.

“The teams that I thought ought to be ahead of us finished ahead of us,” head coach Gordy Smith said.

Of the boys, Ian McAlister, Evan Lineberry and Zack Zlotoff produced the most memorable races. McAlister became the league champion in the 100-yard freestyle event, while Lineberry qualified for CCS at the finals. Each swimmer has qualified for the Central Coast Section final meet in two events.

Others posting impressive performances were Brian Vosters and Brian Lopiccolo, members of Pioneer’s 200-yard medley relay team that qualified for CCS.

With McAlister, Lineberry, Zlotoff and Lopiccolo, the 400-yard freestyle relay squad also qualified for CCS.
On the girls’ side, Tessa Williams, Taylor Feezor and Molly Selfridge all qualified for CCS, along with all three relays, meaning Lexi York, Kim Atala, Natasha Eibach and Kailee Bentz will all pack swim caps for CCS as well.

“We’ve got some kids,” said Smith. “Tessa is only a freshman, but her times right now would have qualified for the CCS finals last year. Our relays are going to be close there, also. It’s hard to tell from year to year. We’ll just go out there and see what happens.”

McAlister’s 100-yard backstroke time also mirrors qualifying marks from a year ago.

Meanwhile, Smith was recognized by coaches and administrators in the Central Coast Section as the 2007 CCS Honor Coach for swimming this spring, after he was nominated by coaches in the Mount Hamilton Division following last season.

“Any award that is voted to you by your peers is a great honor,” said Smith. “From that respect, it is a great honor to be recognized like this.”

Leland golf captures Mount Hamilton Division crown with seven underclassmen
Leland golfers endured a learning experience at the Central Coast Section qualifying event on May 7, but it bodes well for next season, according to first-year Coach Justin Lippold.

The Mount Hamilton Division Champion Chargers, fielding a team that featured seven underclassmen and two juniors on a 10-player roster, could not keep it on the fairway Monday, and finished last in the tournament.

However, Lippold, a Leland graduate and Cinnabar Hills trainer, was enthused regarding the team’s performance throughout the season, and he expects success from the squad in the future.

“We hadn’t won league in several years,” said Lippold. “We went 14-2 and beat Leigh twice.”

Leigh also finished 14-2, but the title went to Leland, having beaten the Longhorns both times during the regular season.

In the qualifying tournament Monday, junior Nick Neri, a transfer, shot a team-low 77, but beyond him, the Chargers were not “on,” according to Lippold.

“It wasn’t our day Monday, but obviously the team showed tremendous potential down the road to become one of the better teams in Leland history,” said Lippold. “Next year I would expect us to be right back in the same spot, in terms of our performance in league.”

Leland will only lose senior Stephen Hall to graduation, described by Lippold as being consistently one of the Chargers’ top three performers.

However, freshman standout Lauren Eum—the first girl in Charger history to make the boys’ varsity team—captain Mark Higashioka, sophomores Dan Schwartz, Jason Cheng, and Nick Giampaoli, and freshmen Michael Jones and Evan Droz all return with Neri.

“The whole year was kind of an alerting experience,” said Lippold. “The majority of the kids had never played in a competitive high school match in their whole lives. It was about getting used to it this season.”

Lippold said the Chargers cut their team average from approximately 215 strokes per to 200 by season’s end.

“It’s just about getting them comfortable,” he said. “We played two practice rounds, but then we started practicing a lot of short game, a lot of putting. We talked about course management and not the need to hit your driver on every hole.”

Sports Briefs

CV Strikers Boys U14  Soccer Tryouts Class III  
Division A Central Santa Clara Valley Strikers is holding tryouts May 5 and May 12 from 2-4 p.m. at James Lick High School, 57 N. White Road in San Jose. 

Players of all skill levels are welcome to join the fun, but must be born between Aug 1, 1993 and July 31, 1995. For questions and/or additional information, call Coach Omar Alvarado at 408-242-3835, or go to www.cvstrikers.org. 

Bay Area Starters Softball Program
Competitive "A" Ball Program has a few openings for 15U/16U 2007 Summer Roster.  Season begins May 15th upon the completion of High School Ball. Bay Area Starters' goal is to provided Talented, Committed, Hard Working Student/Athletes further opportunities to better their Softball Skills through training and aggressive work-outs, while introducing Age-Appropriate High School Athletes to the College Environment and Scouting Events. For more information, visit our website www.BayAreaStarters.com or e-mail BayAreaStarters@aol.com.

The 16th Annual Springtime Bike Tour of the South Santa Clara Valley is scheduled for Saturday, May 12, at the Paramite Corporation, 18735 Madrone Parkway in Morgan Hill. The 100 mile and 100 kilometer courses start at 6am - all other courses start at 7a.m. This family-oriented event includes refreshments at course beginning, six rest stops, and a BBQ lunch at the end. Entry fees are $45 before May 6 and $50 after. There are special family and tandem bike rates. Almaden Super Lions uses event proceeds to help the blind and visually impaired as well as other projects such as ‘Backpacks for Needy Kids” and holiday food baskets for disadvantaged families. For registration/information visit www.icareclassic.org or call Judy Froom – 782-6287.

Youth Compete in San José Track Meet to Qualify for Statewide Competition
Evergreen Valley High School will host the City-Wide Youth Track Meet on Sunday, May 20. Registration is from 8 - 9:30 a.m. followed by the Track Meet from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. This event is open to boys and girls ages 9 - 14 years old, born between the years of 1993 – 1998. There is no entry fee.

Events include: 50 Meter, 100 Meter, 200 Meter 400 Meter, 800 Meter, 4 x10 Relay Race, Standing Long Jump and a Softball Throw. The top two winners will be eligible to compete in the Hershey Nor-Cal State Track Meet on Saturday, June 16, 2007 at San José City College.

This event is sponsored by the City of San José Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department and the San José Police Amateur Athletic Foundation. For more information, please call City-Wide Sports at (408) 871-3826 or Judi Baxter, City-Wide Youth Track Meet Director at (707) 546-3986.

Sports Briefs: Sports Briefs listings are subject to the following fee structure: $25 per month, per publication for the Evergreen and Almaden Times; $10 per month, per publication for the monthly newspapers. Indicate publication placement at the time the listing/payment is submitted. Sports Briefs accepts checks – payable to Times Media, Inc – VISA or MC. To charge your payments call Sonia Pineda at 494-7000 x205. Be sure to reference your team/organization with your payment. Listings appear once payments are received. TMI sponsored events and full-proceed charity fundraisers exempted. Email, fax or mail listing text to: candy@timesmediainc.com 1310 Tully Road, Suite 107, San Jose, CA 95122. 408-494-7078 (fax) Limit 200 words. Questions? Call 494-7000 x225.

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