SPORTS

Pioneer’s Gomez gets seventh at state finals in discus

Gomez, with a throw of 173 feet, 9 inches, places one spot shy of medal

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

Pioneer’s Rolando Gomez unleashed several quality throws during the qualifying round of the California State Track Meet on June 3. Gomez finished eighth in qualifying with a throw of 173 feet, 9 inches before placing seventh in finals on June 4 with a throw of 173 feet, 2 inches. Photos by Dan Miranda

Pioneer discus thrower Rolando Gomez qualified with an eighth-place finish at the California State Track Championships on June 3 before settling for seventh place the following day.

During the finals at the state meet, held at Sacramento City College on June 4, Gomez’s best throw reached 173 feet, 2 inches, good for seventh place among the day’s competitors and one spot shy of receiving a medal. Saugus High School’s Matt Swarbrick received the final medal in the event, placing sixth with a throw of 181 feet, 9 inches.

“I’m glad because I gave it all I got,” Gomez said. “It wasn’t enough to get a medal in sixth place, but I did all I could.”

Gomez received a foul on his first try at the finals, pulling his throw slightly to the left at the end of his delivery. The throw curved in mid-flight to the left and landed outside of the boundaries for a foul. With his competitors consistently reaching throws in the 180s, Gomez said he began to press for better throws.

“It threw me off,” Gomez said of receiving the foul on his first throw. “I always try to get a good first throw to get me settled. … That (the foul) threw me off, and I started to rush my throws trying to get into the 180s.”

In his second throw, Gomez topped out at 165 feet, followed by a shorter throw of 159 feet, 2 inches. Gomez finally reached the 170s in his fourth throw, getting a distance of 173 feet, 2 inches. But in his final two throws, Gomez could not top that mark, getting throws of 166 feet, 10 inches and 166 feet, 7 inches to complete the event.

Despite missing out on a medal, Gomez said the experience of returning to the state meet was a reward in itself.

“It was really cool,” said Gomez, who failed to qualify for finals last year after throwing a distance of 160 feet, 11 inches. “It was my second time, so I wasn’t as nervous as last year. It was just cool to be able to reach finals.”

Gomez, a senior who will head to San Jose State University in the fall to play football, finished the qualifying round of the state meet in June 3 by taking the eighth spot (out of nine), his best throw coming on his first try with a distance of 173 feet and nine inches.

“I was ready for this day,” Gomez said after getting eighth place during qualifying on June 3. “I was practicing all week, so I came in ready and I wasn’t really nervous. I just did what I had to do.”

Gomez came into the state meet as the Central Coast Champion in the discus, having reached the finals with a throw of 174 feet and seven inches at the CCS Finals on May 27 at Los Gatos High School.

Despite the accolades from being crowned CCS champion in his event, Gomez said he and assistant track coach Bill Gregg worked hard on refining his throwing form throughout the week leading up to California State Championships.

“The thing he worked on a lot was getting his feet down, not stepping in the bucket, getting quick,” said Gregg.

“We didn’t really work on distance, we worked on quickness and explosion, and it paid off today (at qualifying round June 3). Actually, in practice he was getting high 180s to 190. But it’s the event, and everyone kind of gets butterflies.”

Gomez said his success at the discus event wouldn’t have been possible with the help and encouragement of both Gregg and his family. Gomez said Gregg, a volunteer coach for Pioneer who also served as an assistant coach on the football team, spent countless hours helping him with his throwing form and in other aspects of the discus event throughout the season.

“Coach Gregg has helped me a lot,” Gomez said. “He doesn’t have to coach me because he’s a volunteer coach, so it’s special to me. … If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be doing as well. He and my mom encourage me to go out there and do my best.”

Gomez isn’t quite finished with track however. On June 12, he heads to Folsom for the 46th annual Golden West invitational, his final event as a high school track athlete. The invitational pits the state’s best track athletes against each other one last time.

Behind the Lens

Almaden’s local athletes captured in stride by creators of johub.com

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

If you see a pair of men running around a Little League field capturing the action with cameras, chances are, they have a picture of your son or daughter.

Kevin Jones and Kevin Hubbard of www.johub.com create SportsArt posters of local athletes in action, such as this one of Little Leaguer Jake Reeve.

Why?
Maybe it’s because Kevin Jones and Kevin Hubbard are no strangers to the Almaden sports scene. They both coach Pop Warner Football in the area and are also intimately involved in coaching Almaden Little League (Jones also serves as vice president). But the pair also serve a different purpose — to provide action photos and posters of local athletes to parents or anyone else who wants one.

“As long as we have been coaching together we have enjoyed taking photos of our teams in action ands providing the kids with some sort of digital art as a memory of the season,” Hubbard said. “We are used to working together and we draw from each other’s strengths.”

Three months ago, Jones and Hubbard began a new venture, starting up the Web site www.johub.com. Its main purpose is to provide families and friends pictures of their loved ones playing Little League baseball, softball or any other sport played in Almaden.

The idea of starting the Web site came from Jones, who wanted to find another way to help fund Almaden Little League. Sold on the idea, Hubbard created the Web site, offering action photos and SportsArt posters featuring several images of your favorite local athlete behind a colorful background for a nominal fee. All of the proceeds go directly to funding Almaden Little League.

“I came up with the idea this season when I decided not to coach for the first time in about 10 years,” Jones said.

“I wanted to concentrate on taking pictures and creating a Web site to post them so that the parents could access them. Once on the site, they would find the games that we photographed and they could purchase pictures of their kids. We set it up to return the proceeds of the sales to Almaden Little League. I mentioned to Hub (Hubbard) what I wanted to do, and he built the site.”

Although both men are veterans of taking action pictures, it’s the idea of SportsArt posters that present the newest venture in photography for the pair. The posters are arranged with four to five action shots of an athlete and range in size from 16 by 20 inches to 24 by 36 inches. Jones said the idea of the poster was to capture memories in action.

“They seem to capture the essence of the kid’s reason for playing sports — to have fun at it,” Jones said. “They will always have these memories on this poster that can be handed down to their kids. They (the posters) have been given as birthday presents and graduation gifts.”

Photography buffs
Both Jones and Hubbard have always had a strong interest in photography. Jones said he was interested in shooting events and making videos in his youth, his passion soon progressing to family albums and on to sporting events. When Hubbard moved in across the street from Jones six years ago, the men soon became friends after discovering similar interests in both photography and sports.

From that time on, the pair has teamed up not only in the coaching ranks of both Little League and Pop Warner, but also as providers of pictures and video for each of the teams they have coached. Soon after, the idea and moniker of www.johub.com was born.

“At the end of each season we would present the kids with some special effects pictures that we created and usually a highlight video of the season with music and special effects,” Jones said. “At the end of the credits on a video I put, ‘This has been a johub production.’ The name stuck.”

Although the venture is fairly new, Jones said the site was necessary in helping provide Almaden Little League with the funds needed to operate. Like snack shack and T-shirt sales, Jones and Hubbard hope that their site will become a fixture in not only the Little League community, but at middle school and high school sporting events as well, something both men also take pictures of. So far, the response to the site has been positive.

“The response from the community has been very enthusiastic,” Hubbard said. “I feel that providing a service that both benefits the local sports leagues and provides enjoyment for kids and parents alike is great for the community. We have heard from many parents that they appreciate the fact that we are out there shooting these pictures, as most don’t take pictures or admittedly can’t capture the action with their own cameras.”

Although Jones and Hubbard have cornered the market on sports action posters, they aren’t the only guys out there with a camera.

Mike Janes gets his start
Like Jones and Hubbard, Mike Janes began taking pictures of sporting events in part to provide his son Dave, a member of the Leland frosh/soph basketball team, pictures of his playing days. Janes said he has always enjoyed watching youth sporting events and wanted to capture the emotion of players in games with his camera.

“To see kids compete, improve, gain confidence and work as a team is a great feeling and one to share,” Janes said. “So I really try to capture the effort and emotion in my photos. The best of sports has nothing to do with winning or skill, so I also really try and get shots of everyone who plays, not just the best athletes.”

After taking some time off from his job at Apple, Janes began shooting his son’s basketball games and soon after, started his own Web site, www.mikejanes.com, posting action pictures of Leland sporting events, among other things. Janes now runs the Leland athletic Web site after receiving some requests and interest from parents, coaches and Leland Athletic Director Chris Hansen. Janes is also a member of the Leland Booster Club, which receives proceeds from the sales of his pictures on his own Web site.

“I received a lot of positive feedback from the parents and kids, and everyone said they wanted to share the action with their friends and family,” said Janes. He’s now taken more than 40,000 images in the last 18 months. “I launched www.mikejanes.com as a photo gallery for the community to enjoy and share.”

For Jones and Hubbard, the next phase is simple — keeps things going. Although the pair has discussed some new additions to their photography venture, such as putting a wireless system in place at games so parents can see real time pictures displayed on a laptop, the overall mission remains the same in providing quality pictures of local sports stars in action to family and friends.

“It’s a win-win situation,” said Hubbard, “taking the pictures and seeing the parents and kids enjoy the results.”

Sports Briefs

Almaden Ladybugs host soccer tryouts
Almaden Ladybugs Premier/Class 1, U17 girls, tryouts for state cup and spring/fall season, every Tuesday and Thursday. Date of birth after 7/31/88. Contact Roger Haupt (408) 779-7697, Linda Urzi (408) 723-0928.     

Bay Area TPX Top 96 High School Invitational Baseball Showcase June 3-4
Applications are now being accepted for the Bay Area TPX Top 96 High School Invitational Baseball Showcase. The top 96 position players and top 48 pitchers will be selected from those who apply. The showcase is June 3-4 at PAL Stadium in San Jose.  Apply online at www.top96.com or call Doug Henson at (508) 481-5939.

Almaden Quicksilver holds soccer tryouts
Almaden Quicksilver Class 3, U12 girls, is holding tryouts for spring/fall season every Tuesday and Thursday. Date of birth must be after 7/31/93. Contact John at (408) 323-8768 or john@politoski.com.

Leland High School Spirit Squad hosts Junior Spirit Camp June 20-24
“Give me an L!” Leland Junior Spirit Camp is set for June 20-24 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Leland High School Quad, 6677 Camden Ave, San Jose, for students entering K-8 in fall of 2005.

There will be age-appropriate cheers and routines. Daily snacks provided. Space is limited, so sign up early. Registration fees are $125 and will be accepted on the first day of camp. All participants invited to perform at a Leland High School football game.

Participants should wear comfortable clothing and shoes appropriate for athletics. Light jacket or sweater in case of cool weather (labeled with name) and bring a water bottle (labeled with name). Wear your sunscreen!

For more information on Leland Junior Spirit Camp, contact Angelica Niklowitz (408) 268-5549 or e-mail aniklowitz@yahoo.com.

South Valley Lacrosse Chiefs offering free clinics July 23 and August 20
South Valley Lacrosse Chiefs are offering free clinics during the summer for kids in grades three through eight. The dates are July 23 and Aug. 20 from 10 a.m. to noon at Williams Elementary School in San Jose. 

The Chiefs are adding a seventh/eighth grade team in spring, 2005. Our free summer clinics give newcomers a chance to try the sport before they purchase equipment (loaner sticks available on first-come, first served basis). So bring a friend and come have some fun with lacrosse.
RSVP to joy.bender@prodigy.net.  Our website is www.svlax.com.

Almaden Metro holds soccer tryouts
Almaden Metro Class 3, U17 boys, is holding tryouts for fall season most Sundays. Date of birth after 7/31/88. Contact Jeff Earl (408) 268-5125 or jesvo11@yahoo.com.

Almaden Metro U16 class-3 comp boys soccer team is holding fall tryouts on Sunday, June 12 4-6PM at Pioneer High School. Call 408-445-9316 or BAnderson@ISquared.com for details / interest.

Central Valley Edge holds youth soccer tryouts
CV Edge, a Class 3/U17 girls’ soccer team, is offering Monday/Wednesday tryouts to girls born after 7/31/88 for the fall season for all positions. Contact Patty Rashid (408) 267-2740 or Afsari at (650) 771-6213 for more information.

Seven-year-old tennis phenom has serious game

AVAC member Cameron Klinger discovered tennis at 2;
now competes against older kids in tournaments

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Writer

When challenging 7-year-old Cameron Klinger to a tennis match at the Almaden Valley Athletic Club, don’t expect an ego boost—you’re likely to lose.

That’s because Cameron, who attends Los Pasceos Elementary School, has become a tennis sensation in his short time on this planet.

“I don’t coach him—he coaches me,” said Eric Klinger, Cameron’s father, with a grin. “He works with me on my volleys and so on. I’m not his coach, but he gets to be my coach. That’s the deal.”

What began as a novice interest five years ago has quickly become a full-fledged passion for Cameron, who now regularly competes in tournaments for 10-year-olds and has won frequently.

At the age of 2, Cameron began carrying around a tennis racket wherever he went after his parents began taking tennis lessons from tennis coach Don Johnson’s Los Pasceos Lobsters program.

Eric Klinger said his son would hang out near the public tennis courts near their Santa Teresa home and watch his parents play. When the Los Pasceos Lobsters’ tennis camps were held at the nearby courts, Cameron would hit a tennis ball repeatedly against the chain link fences and walls for hours at a time.

In addition to getting in his practice at the public courts, Cameron could often be found twisting his entire body while in full-swing, hitting tennis balls against the garage door of his home.

For parents Eric and Brenda Klinger, it didn’t take long to realize that tiny Cameron had a gift.

“Probably after two or three months, we kind of went, ‘Wow, it doesn’t look like a whole lot of fun but he’s sure not going anywhere,’” said Eric. “He just would stay there for hours and wouldn’t move. The first couple of months, we just noticed he was there all the time. Every time we were down and my wife and I were playing, he was over in the corner hitting the ball.”

While mom and dad can hold their own on the tennis court as well, having picked up tennis at about the same time as their son, both are quick to point out that Cameron is the real tennis star in the family. If anything, tennis has given the Klinger family something to do together.

“We’re real happy for one another when we do well,” said Brenda, who recently competed in the AVAC Doubles Classic. “We’re all very supportive of one another.”

At the age of six, the Klingers began enrolling their son in tennis tournaments for 10-year-olds and the move paid off. In his first tournament, Cameron placed third among a crowd of kids four years older than him. From that point on, Cameron has become a regular at tournaments, often winning them without losing a single game.

“I’m always scared for him, but then he always ends up doing really well,” said Eric. “I’m always scared because he looks so little when he heads out to the court and then he usually ends up winning. But we kind of try to limit the tournaments because they’re tough. … We only play him when he bugs me to play and says, ‘Dad, go get your credit card. It’s time to register for another tournament.’”

Recently, Cameron enrolled in the Little Mo Tennis Tournament, a nationally recognized under-10 event. Cameron won the Northern California Sectional Tournament in May and is now waiting to compete in the regional tournament, which will be held Sept. 30 in San Diego.

Although happy with his success in the tournament, the appeal for Cameron to compete in the Little Mo Tournament lies with a former winner and a favorite of Cameron’s—Andy Roddick—who won the tournament in 1992.

When Cameron doesn’t have a tennis racket in hand, he can be found cheering on his sister at her softball games or playing baseball, another favorite sport. Although Cameron’s sister, 10-year-old Kallie, doesn’t play tennis competitively, the pair still finds time to do things together.

“She skis with me but in swimming, she’s in an older age group,” Cameron said. “I don’t really get to swim with her.”

More than anything however, tennis—or any other sport—has become a common activity for Cameron and his family, without the pressures of being forced to compete.

Although the Klingers admit there was a time when they wanted their son to be more serious about his athletic talents, they soon realized it was better for Cameron to find his passion for tennis, and perfect his skills, on his own. For now, tennis is something Cameron uses to not only give Eric a workout, but as a way to bond as a family.

“Cameron and I take our rackets everywhere,” Eric said. “There’s no place we go where we haven’t been able to find a court. We can always go and kind of goof around.”

Tomahawks fall short at California Club Lacrosse Championships

Almaden’s Tim Gardner finds lacrosse to his liking

By Ken Lotich
Times Intern

Tim Gardner, a lifelong Almaden resident and junior at Bellarmine College Preparatory recently participated with his lacrosse club, the Palo Alto Tomahawks, at the California Club Lacrosse State Championships on May 21 and 22 in Mission Viejo.

The Tomahawks, a part of the Northern California Junior Lacrosse Association, came up short in the tournament, falling to Thatcher, 10-6 and to Malibu, 17-8.

On May 14, the Tomahawks won the NorCal championships in Davis, defeating the Chico Rebels, 17-7 and the Rancho Cotati Cougars, 11-10.

The Tomahawks finished the season with an overall record of 16-4.

Tim’s father, Gary, said watching his son and the Tomahawks play this season has been fascinating, especially since Gary does not come from a lacrosse background.

“It’s been really fun. It’s a really fast-paced and an exciting game to watch,” Gary said.

Gary said he is proud of the team’s success and of the dedication shown by his son and other members of the Tomahawks.

“There are kids from all over the Bay Area on the team,” Gary said. “My son had to drive 25 miles just to make it to practice every day.”

Tim comes from a football and wrestling background, but suffered serious injuries in both sports, so he decided to give lacrosse a try. Tim is now looking forward to continuing to play lacrosse next season.

Gary fully supports his son’s decision, however he has one reservation.

“He really fell in love with sport, and we’re really proud of him,” Gary said. “But we’re always a little nervous about him hitting the road.”

Frandsen wins Leland’s Coach of the Year

On May 27, Leland Athletic Director Chris Hansen presented Leland Head Boys’ Basketball Coach Dave Frandsen with the Leland Booster Club Coach of the Year Award. Several of Frandsen’s players were on hand to see their coach receive the honor.

“I would like to congratulate Dave Frandsen for being selected as the Booster Club Coach of the Year,” said Hansen. “This award is given based on the support of the Booster Club initiatives, Leland Athletics and the positive influence a coach has on his or her athletes, the development of the student-athlete’s character, to someone who leads by example and who instills in their athletes the importance of teamwork, hard work and the commitment to sportsmanship. Thank you Dave for all of your hard work, support, dedication and commitment to excellence. Keep up the great work.” Photo courtesy www.mikejanes.com

Leland’s April athletes of the month

Daniel Sun – boys’ badminton:
“Daniel, a sophomore, is one of the strongest players on the team. In a major accomplishment this month, he and his partner, Timothy Jen, upset the only undefeated doubles team in the league. Daniel is a very serious and hard working player who practices constantly.” - Coach Linh Banh

Gary Beene – golf:
“Gary was our team captain and led by example. He has excellent mental toughness and a strong work ethic, which prepares him to be highly successful in both league and CCS tournament play.” - Coach Mark Schwab

Brian Kane – boys’ swimming:
“Brian, a senior, has been the backbone of the boys’ team. Brian works year-round with his swim club and competes for Leland High during the swim season. His consistency has allowed the team to continue our winning ways. It is rare when Brian doesn’t win both his individual events and the two relays. Our 6-1 BVAL record has Brian scoring 72 individual points and assisting with 96 relay points. He is a strong contributor to both of the freestyle relays that have qualified for CCS.” - Coach Mike Monsees

Athletes of the Month – (from left) Daniel Sun (badminton), Gary Beene (golf), Brian Kane (swimming), Coleman Peng (lacrosse), Kellee Quane (lacrosse), Dana McKenzie (track), Tommy Phan (volleyball), Jessica Talaugon (softball), John Foley (baseball), Diane Ko (badminton), Osheen Davoudi (tennis), Courtney Monsees (swimming). Not pictured - Stephen Matsukoa (track). Photo courtesy www.mikejanes.com.

Coleman Peng – boys’ lacrosse:
“Coleman, a senior, is captain and leader of the defense. He makes the most of his athletic ability by truly living up to the ideals of the program: commitment (works hard every day), effort (always gives more than 100 percent) and character (works hard, never complains, gets other to work, leads by example). He is one of those kids that has kept me in lacrosse these many years.” - Coach Iliad Rodriguez

Kellee Quane – girls’ lacrosse:
“Kellee was a major contributor to our team for the month of April. She was a key player on both offense and defense. She played an influential role in our transitions and often had three or more goals a game. Early on in the season (other) teams realized Kellee’s influence on our team and tried to double-team her to shut her down but they did this to no avail. She was always able to break free and make contributions to the team.” - Coach Becky Crozier

Dana McKenzie – girls’ track:
“On April 23 at the Salinas Frosh/Soph Classic, Dana set the Leland frosh/soph high jump school record of 5 feet, 2 inches, breaking her previous record of 5 feet (shared with another great Leland athlete of the past, Connie Wu.) Her abilities do not end with the high jump though. She is turning into a long jumper, with jumps over 14 feet and she also anchored our 4 x 400 meter relay team to a fine third place finish at the Salinas Frosh/Soph Classic holding off a strong Aptos team at the finish. Only a sophomore, Dana is just beginning to soar.” - Coach Jerry Rose

Tommy Phan – volleyball:
“Tommy was selected to the Willow Glen All Tournament Team along with the Los Gatos All-Tournament team. He led the team in kills in April as well as digs, and finished the season as the all time leader in aces and digs along with finishing second overall in kills. He helped lead Leland to a 15-1 record and picked up his game when Captain Sam Lee went down with two games to go in the league season.” - Coach Jason Hilbert

Jessica Talaugon – softball:
“Jessica has been great for us all year long. She’s one of our more vocal leaders, which every team needs to have. Off the field, and in the classroom she has worked even harder, maintaining a GPA well over 3.0.” - Coach Joe Gron

John Foley – baseball:
“John is the most consistent performer of the team, and the No. 1 pitcher on a strong staff. He is well respected by his teammates, a hard worker, well-rounded and keeps things in perspective.” - Coach Scot Gillis

Diane Ko – girls’ badminton:
“Diane plays No. 1 doubles with Aya Matsumoto and they have really learned to play together and overcome difficult opponents by encouraging each other. They have team sprit in games as well as practice. Therefore, they have improved rapidly. They had some big wins this year, including over the previously unbeaten Yerba Buena girls.” - Coach Linh Banh

Osheen Davoudi – tennis:
“Osheen is a formidable opponent with a very calm and poised demeanor. Consistency and determination are his strengths. He has played a very successful No. 1 doubles for us all season. He has a very positive attitude and works very hard on the playing field and in the classroom. He is a model of sportsmanship on the court.” - Coach Jory Segal

Courtney Monsees – girls’ swimming:
“Courtney established three new school records in the 50 freestyle (23.94) previously set in 1987, 200 individual medley (2:06.69) previously set in 1987 and the 100 backstroke (59.09) previously set in 1984. Courtney also broke her own school record in the 100 freestyle in a time of 51.95. She currently holds the top time in the CCS in four individual events, and led the team to a 5-0 league record in April. Courtney won the 500 freestyle at CCS last year as a freshman. All of these swims have been All-American consideration times. Courtney has been swimming for Santa Clara Swim Club since age 4 and competed in the Olympic Trials last summer in Long Beach. After CCS, Courtney is aiming for a strong showing in National Championships this summer in Irvine.” - Coach Mike Haake

Stephen Matsukoa – boys’ track:
“Stephen has returned to track after a year and a half lay off, after being one of our top prospects. Hampered with injuries for most of this season he has fought through the nagging aches and pains to emerge as one of our top middle and long-distance runners. To see him running, with his fluid motion, one could hardly believe that this young man was ever in such great pain as to keep him from doing what he obviously does so well. The entire team is better with the return of Stephen, as he truly leads by example.” - Coach Jerry Rose

Almaden Orioles win majors tournament

Almaden Little League’s Orioles won the majors tournament on Saturday, June 4, with a 3-0 decision against the A’s. Pitcher Vinnie Gemette started the game and recorded six strikeouts while adding two RBIs at the plate.
Teammate Michael Chang put the third run of the game on the board with a bunt for an RBI. Trevor Marino then came on in relief of Gemette and recorded six more strikeouts as the two hurlers combined for a no-hitter in the win.

Share your news

Do you have a sports story to share? Contact the sports department at 494-7000 x 217 or by e-mail at diego@timesmediainc.com or fax to Almaden Times Sports at 494-7078.