CA Issue 24, 05.26.2011

endure | excel | achieveMay 26, 2011vol. 2. issue 24

FreecaliFornia

Vista del Lago VB takes title. Pg. 30

North Bay hangs tough at NCS. Pg. 33

EAGLES SOAR

SpLASh hitS

Scouts drooling over Robert Stephenson. Pg. 14

thROwinG hEAt

Father’s Day Free-For-all. Pg. 40

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all access

First Pitch ........................................ 6

Locker Room ................................. 8

Behind the Clipboard ................... 7

SportStar of the Week ............... 11

Wally’s World ............................... 12

Club Scene .................................... 13

Training Time ................................ 13

Extra Bases ................................... 18

Tee2Green .................................... 22

Health Watch ............................... 25

TriStars .......................................... 26

Impulse .......................................... 32

Camps + Clinics .......................... 34

Photo Finish .................................. 38

Vista del Lago boys volleyball

was short on numbers, but not on talent

such as griffin galvin, left.

Page 30ON THE COVER

Shanique Walker, Mt. Pleasant-San Jose. Photo by Norbert von der Groeben

san marin’s kenneth castro-abrams shines

at ncs. Page 33

More than a few Major league teams

want a chance at alhambra-Martinez

hurler robert stephenson. Page 14

Bob Larson

Jonathan Hawthorne

Darryl Henick

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game daySO

FTBAL

LTRACK &

FIELDJune 3-4 — CIF State Track and

Field ChampionshipsThe best of the best will flock to

Buchanan High in Clovis for what’s certain to be another memorable state championship weekend. Granite Bay pole vaulter Katie Zingheim (pictured) will be among the competitors who is sure to be a favorite in their event. As of May 18, Zingheim held the state’s best mark of the season with a vault of 13 feet, 4 inches back on March 5. Her height is seven inches beyond the next closest mark of 12-9 by Anginae Montiverde of Clovis West-Fresno. Field event qualify-ing will begin at 3 p.m. on June 3, and running events will begin at 5 p.m. On June 4, field event finals will begin at 4:30 p.m. with running events starting at 6.

June 3-4 — North Coast Section softball championshipsSix different divisions will crown champions at various sites between June

3-4. Tamalpais-Mill Valley is among the teams looking to get back to the finals. Coach Mike Wills (pictured left) led his team to the Division III title a year ago and finished as runners-up to top-seed Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland. The difference be-tween this and last year is that the Hawks were a No. 7 seed a year ago, and this year they roll into the tournament as the No. 3 seed with a 16-6 record. Alhambra-Martinez holds the top seed in the field.

Darryl Henick

Tam Softball

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This whole editor gig can be a bit restric-tive sometimes. At least when it comes to me personally being able to get out

to events. I wouldn’t change any of it, of course. I’m

having a blast planning and putting this maga-zine together every two weeks. However, it has made me savor my coverage of games and events that much more lately.

This past week of May 16-22 was a chart-topper as I made it out to three events in one week. I hit the North Coast Section boys golf Tournament of Champions on May 16, the Sac-Joaquin Section boys volleyball finals on May 19 and the NCS Swimming Champion-ships on May 21.

I thought it’d be fun to share some of the random thoughts that danced through my mind while out enjoying these various com-petitions.

So here goes. My actual thoughts are in italics.

May 16 — NCS Golf Tournament of Champions

Contra Costa Country Club, Pleasant HillI’m pretty sure I couldn’t play my way onto a

JV team in the East Bay Athletic League. ... All the EBAL did was was take the top three

team berths to the California Interscholastic Federtaion/Northern California Golf Associa-tion Regional Tournament. Oh, and they also grabbed two of the four individual qualifying berths. Which means, five different EBAL teams were represented at NorCals.

I now see how William Brueckner shot even-par in his first-ever round at Spyglass Hill in Pebble Beach last summer ...

The Acalanes-Lafayette freshman was already a well-known commodity before he teed it up in the high school ranks. In fact, SportStars featured him in an issue last August when he won won the NCGA Junior Amateur Championship for his age group (12-13 year olds) — which was played over two rounds at Spyglass. I watched Brueckner exclusively only for one full hole at NCS, but it was extremely impressive as he scrambled for a par on the par-4 17th — all without taking a shot from the fairway and sinking an ap-proximate 15-foot putt. Did I mention he did this during the most steady rainfall of the round?

Oh, hey, a squirrel. Look out squirrel! ...I’m happy to report that the wayward drive on hole 15

missed my furry friend.May 19 — SJS boys volleyball

championshipsJesuit High School, Carmichael

How is boys volleyball not a more widely followed sport? ...In what seems like many moons ago (2005), I worked the

East Bay boys volleyball beat. And, before walking into the Jesuit gym, I’m pretty certain I hadn’t taken in a full boys vol-leyball match since that season. So after one game of the SJS Division II finals match between Vista del Lago-Folsom and

Valley-Sacramento, I was reminded how much I enjoyed it. And while the crowd in attendance was fairly good-sized, I’m always surprised there aren’t more when I attend boys volleyball matches. The fast-paced athleticism has to make it one of the more fan-friendly sports around.

It’s definitely a big deal in Southern California, where they have CIF regional championships that are extremely well-attended. The North is a long way off from getting its own regional championships, but do yourself a favor and take in some boys volleyball next spring. You won’t be disappointed.

Sam Mills is really tall ... Vista del Lago’s middle hitter stands

6-foot, 10-inches and cuts a pretty im-posing figure if you’re lining up on the opposite side of the net. And he’s just a sophomore. Which is pretty scary.

May 21 — NCS Swimming Championships

Concord Community Pool, ConcordIt’s an East Bay swimming world and the

rest of the competitors are just along for the ride ...

The North Coast Section covers a large geographic area, but only one seems to matter when it comes to competitive high school swimming. Records fell in each of the first four event finals, and a total of 12 fell throughout the day — all to East Bay schools. Of the meet’s 24 records, just five belong to non-East Bay schools.

Kimmie Kreuzberger of Marin Catholic-Kentfield might have had the best outing of any non-East Bay swimmer this year. She finished second in the 50 freestyle, third in the 100 freestyle, and swam the anchor on the second-place 200 freestyle relay team.

What kind of toppings would go on a Kreuz Burger? I’m hungry.

I settled for a delicious Polish dog from the Concord Community Pool snack

shack. Could there really be a SportStars cover jinx? ....I was seriously starting to worry about this one as our

Issue #23 cover girl, Marissa Neel of San Ramon Valley-Danville, ended up nearly a second off the pace set in the 100 butterfly and finished third behind Celina Li (Foothill-Pleas-anton) and Hilvy Cheung (American-Fremont), respectively. Then in the 100 backstroke, Neel missed qualifying for the final.

But all was not lost because the San Ramon Valley girls did succeed in their mission of upsetting heavy-favorite Carondelet for the NCS team title. The Wolves closed out an unbeaten season by edging the Cougars 299.5-284.

I got to get out of the office more often... YES. ✪

May 26, 2011

Chace Bryson Editor

FIRST PITCH

Chace@ SportStarsMag.com

(925) 566-8503

Random thoughts of an editor on the loose

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I’m very fast and have good hands, and we have a quarter-back who can really throw — but the coach likes to run the ball, so we never get to show what we can do. Why won’t the coach take advantage of our skills?

— A.R., Concord

First, you and the quarterback might not be as good as you think — in fact, you probably aren’t, because almost everyone, myself included, thinks they’re better

than they really are. (That’s a good thing, really, because it gives you confidence, which is key to any kind of success.)

But for the sake of argument, let’s say you’re right, and the coach is ignoring your obvious abilities. Here are some possible reasons:

1) The team has been run-ning the same system for several years, and the coach would have to make major adjustments to go from a running team to a passing team. Though some coaches are good enough teachers that they can get an entire football team to learn and absorb an entirely new system each year, most aren’t. Most coaches feel it takes several years to truly ingrain a particu-lar system (from play-calling to blocking techniques to overall attitude) into a program’s psyche, so shifting gears for a year, or even two, probably doesn’t make sense.

In your case, maybe the team now can get more passing yards, but what happens to the running game? And if the linemen have been schooled in a particular kind of blocking scheme that isn’t as effective in pass protection, the quarter-back might get sacked a lot — and many coaches claim that a sack is just a baby step from a turnover.

2) Though you and the quarterback can jumpstart the passing game, the past and future of the program could be locked up in talented drive-blocking linemen and fast, strong running backs. So maybe this year the team could throw effectively, but first, the system would have to change to allow that to happen, and then it would have to change back when you graduate and the new crop of running backs take over.

In other words, a program is more than a single season. Good high school programs in any sport are built around continuity and a constant focus on the big picture. If switch-ing to a passing-oriented attack wins two more games this year but loses four next season and two the season after as the team tries to adjust, what’s the better call?

3) Maybe most important of all, the coach has to be true to himself. If he has always been totally committed to a power running game, has grown up with it and had success with it, then it’s not very likely he’s going to have the same level of com-mitment to a passing-oriented offense — and that lack of com-mitment will, sooner or later, become apparent to everyone.

Again, it’s a program, and if the program has been built around the ideas of we’re coming at you, we’re driving you off the line of scrimmage and our backs are going to pound you for four quarters, then that identity shouldn’t casually be

discarded — or at least that’s what most coaches would say. (Some coaches are good enough to install different systems every season, and more power to them. I know I’m not one of them, and few high school coaches are.)

Finally, this particular scenario is one of those life lessons coaches like to talk about all the time. When you’re out in the real world, working five days a week, you’ll almost always think your boss makes mistakes on a daily basis. (If you doubt that, ask some adults how many good bosses they’ve had in their careers — the answer will surprise you.)

But you know what? At the end of the day, the boss is still

the boss, and you have to do the best you can regardless of whether you agree with his or her decisions. You have to find a way to be productive, and enjoy the process as much as possible even if it’s not all that it could be.

So in your case, make sure you’re the best blocking wideout in the program, and be thankful for however many passes come your way. At least you’re playing, and there are lots of kids who don’t even get to do that.

Submit a question for Behind the Clipboard, email Coach Kal-lam at [email protected]

Programs are often built for the bigger picture, not just one season

Clay Kallam

Behind the Clipboard


The Aptos High softball season came to an end in a 2-0 loss to Valley Chrisitan-San Jose in the Central Coast Section Division II quarterfinals on May 21. However, it wasn’t before senior slugger Breana Kostreba set the Northern California career home run re-cord at 47. The former record was 45, set by Kaila Shull of Jim Elliot Christian-Lodi in 2006. Shull still owns the NorCal record for HRs in a season at 17. Kostreba topped out at 15 this year. The state’s career HR record belongs to Alia Willliams of Crenshaw-L.A. who graduated in 2009 after belting 53 bombs.

random acts of factness

Favorite sports

moment as a fan?

Favorite cartoon?

Toughest place to play?

Drew Bender Monte Vista-Danville golf

Aaron Bronis,Livermore golf

Griffin GalvinVista del Lago-Folsom volleyball

Season highlight?

Summer movie you’re most looking

forward to?

Random fact about yourself

I can whistle with all

fingers one at a time

I sing to myself while playing

Attending Game 1 of the 2010

World Series

I can do magic/card tricks

Hangover, Part II

Hangover, Part II

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Giants winning World Series; went to the

parade

Stanford men’s volleyball winning the NCAA Championship

Team qualifying for the CIF Nor Cal Golf

TournamentBeating rival Granada

for the first time

Winning the Sac-Joaquin Section

Div. 2 title

Scooby Doo

Spyglass Hill Golf Course

Spyglass Hill Golf Course

No cartoons, just SportsCenter Scooby Doo

Any gym with a low roof

rapid fire


“it feels amazing. i’ll have some big expectations for next year,

but for now, i’ll take it.”— Acalanes-Lafayette freshman golfer William Brueckner, who outlasted tough conditions and a talented field to win the North Coast Section Tournament of Champions on May 16 at Contra Costa Country

Club in Pleasant Hill.

he said what?!?

New York City’s Public School Athletic League recently enacted a new rule for high school baseball players, coaches and umpires to fuss with. Pitchers are now going to be held to hard pitch count regula-tions. No more than 105 pitches per outing, and limitations on pitches in subsequent games based on counts from previous outings. Our thoughts and feelings on this issue are complicated, but we’ll try to state them succinctly: It stinks.

Here are our Top 5 beefs with this issue.1. It’s un-American —You’ve heard of America, yeah? Land of the FREE? Home of the 99-cent

Whopper? Ring a bell? We are a FREE-spirited bunch. We value choice. FREE will. This rule takes game decisions out of the hands of the coaches and players and puts them in the hands of bean-coun-ters. Or pitch counters. Whatever.

2. It misses the point — Ostensibly, this rule will preserve pitchers’ arms and prevent injuries. The danger here is that pitch count becomes a sort of panacea. Each individual player should be managed on his merits and strengths, not as Generic Player A. And don’t even get us started on what happens when Generic Player A is twirling a perfect game when his pitch count ticks down to zero...

3. It might just make things worse — So, we fall back on this pitch count thing (even though doctor after doctor after doctor will tell you that the best way to strengthen and preserve a pitching arm and avoid injury is to throw — not to baby the arm). What happens when coaches stop managing based on their experience and instincts? Our guess is more arm injuries, not fewer.

4. bureaucracy is lame — With this rule, you effectively introduce a whole other nightmare sce-nario for coaches and officials whereby parents on opposing teams (and maybe even on your own...) become pitch-nazis who fanatically track all the pitches thrown by everyone in the league. There will invariably be discrepancies over numbers. Mediation panels will be formed. Lawyers will get involved. Because what everybody really needs is more lawyers in their lives.

5. The poor, poor umpires — It’s not often we stick up for the men in powder blue, but we’re doing it here. Hard enough to officiate high-level baseball with a two-man crew. Now you want them to count how many pitches kids are throwing and mediate math disputes? Some of those guys have enough trouble counting to four as it is.

— Bill Kolb

Reasons a hard pitch count limit for high school pitchers is a bad idea

Chris Scott/CalSportsPhoto.com

Jonathan HawthorneMiramonte-Orinda’s Spencer Marx


SportStars

of theweek

of theweek

who’s got next?nominations: [email protected]

Most golfers dream of one day gracing the links at Spyglass Hill, playing the majestic 18 hole course all the while pretending they’re the next Palmer, Nicklaus or Woods. For Michael Decker, he uses Spyglass Hill as his practice course. Needless to say, the sophomore golfer has one of the nicer courses to work out the kinks on his drive and short game. The practice paid off as he took home top honors at the Central Coast Section championships at Rancho Canada West in Carmel on May 17. He guided his team to its second straight CCS title as they shot a combined 3-over 358 led by Decker’s 2-under 69. Decker and the Pirates traveled to Butte Creek in Chico on May 23 for the NorCal championships.

SportStars: What’s it like practicing at Spyglass Hill?

michael decker: It’s a dream come true. (My teammates and I) realize how fortunate we are. Everything is so great. I love it.

SportStars: What’s the strategy going into Butte Creek since you’ve never played there?

md: It’s pretty straightforward. All I can do is tune my game up when I get there. I’m gonna ask as many questions as possible. Just bring my “A” game and do all I can to prepare.

SportStars: How do you deal with pressure, especially just being a sophomore?

md: I feel like I can control the things inside my boat. I can play my game and not worry what anyone else is doing.

mICHAEl’S quICk HITSFavorite golfer: Tiger WoodsFavorite class: BiologyFavorite celeb/pro golfer encounter: Don

Cheadle. He gave me a ball at the Pebble Beach Pro/Am.

michael deckerRL stevenson-Pebble Beach . Golf . sophomore

maja harrenThe Castro Valley senior led the way at the HAAL Championships. She won the 200 medley relay, 200 free, 100 free and 400 free. She helped the Trojans win first place.

cali castagnola

Guiding her team to an 18-6 quar-terfinal victory over San Ramon

Valley-Danville in the NCS Div. I lacrosse playoffs on May 20, the Carondelet sophomore led all scor-ers with six goals and one assist.

Austin rysyk

The Bellarmine senior outside hit-ter had a game-high 27 kills en

route to a 25-11, 25-19, 25-19 victory over Los Gatos as the Bells won the CCS volleyball championship.

honorable mention


The whole question of “role models” in sports was around even before Charles Barkley proclaimed “I am

not a role model. … Just because I dunk a basketball doesn’t mean I should raise your kids.”

At the time, it was a pretty jarring com-ment. The early 1990s were hardly “Father Knows Best” territory in terms of profes-sional athletes’ off-field behavior, but it was a shock to hear an athlete as famous as Barkley actually come out and say it.

Nearly 20 years later, it’s hard to appreci-ate just how much of a debate it sparked. As the months rolled past, seemingly everyone with a byline weighed in on the matter. It was such a big deal that Sports Illustrated even brought in Karl Malone, another NBA heavyweight of the day, to write an opinion piece.

His words ring as true today as they did in 1993:

“Charles … I don’t think it’s your deci-sion to make,” Malone wrote. “We don’t choose to be role models, we are chosen. Our only choice is whether to be a good role model or a bad one.”

I always tended to see both sides in the argument. Should pro athletes show a basic level of respect to people they deal with, especially young fans? Of course. Would I want certain pro athletes raising my kids? Of course not.

But — and this is the point of today’s screed — I would have let Harmon Kil-lebrew raise my kids in a second.

Killebrew, who died of cancer May 17, is best remembered as the 11th-best home run hitter of all time, with 573 long balls — all pre-steroid.

He was also known as a humble man who never got within smelling distance of off-field controversy and, in fact, was often perplexed by many ballplayers’ poor choices in their behavior away from the ballpark.

But, above all else, he was a big, strong, kind and simple man. There aren’t enough like him today.

Joe DiMaggio once famously said he played all out, every day, because “some-where out there in the stands, there might be somebody who has never seen me play before, and it might be the only time they do.”

(Ricky Watters’ famous “For who? For what?” quote comes to mind. Get out of my mind, Ricky. Right now.)

Killebrew had the same outlook, only he extended it to his off-field encounters with fans as well.

(Allen Iverson’s famous “It was PRAC-TICE” quote comes to mind. Iverson, go away. Please.)

Concord’s Kristen Crowe is one of prob-ably tens of thousands of people who, as a child, were touched by Killebrew’s actions.

“In 1986, he (Killebrew) accidentally bumped into my dad (Don Nicholas) at a Twins caravan stop in Fargo,” Crowe recalled, detailing the account as if it had happened yesterday. “Killer put his hand on my dad’s shoulder and apologized.

“It was such a small but amazing gesture — something I’ll never forget. I thought my dad would just die of pure joy right there on the spot.”

(At this point, I’m thinking about the experience some Bay Area kids had cour-tesy of Atlanta Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell a few weeks ago. Just as Don Nicholas never forgot bumping into the Killer, I’ll bet those kids will never forget their encounter with Roger McDowell.)

How big was Killebrew in his day? Try this: According to legend, Babe Ruth once promised a dying boy he’d hit a home run for him. Never one for braggadocio, Kille-brew once told a hospitalized boy he’d try to hit “a couple” for him — and delivered.

Jack Guiney was 9 when Killebrew visited him in New York on May 20, 1964. Kil-lebrew made a deal with the badly-burned boy: “If you hurry up and get well, the next time I’m in town, I’ll take you out to the ballpark and you can meet all the fellows.”

Guiney said he’d watch that night’s game on TV. “Maybe I’ll hit you a couple,” Kil-lebrew said.

He hit two of his 573 career home runs that night. When the Twins came back to New York in September, Guiney was there. He got to meet the players, got a Killebrew bat and, yes, even saw Killebrew hit yet another homer.

Guiney, now 55, told a New York paper he took the news of Killebrew’s death pretty hard, but can vouch for what “they said in the paper — that he was a great ballplayer but a greater human being.”

I hope I’m wrong, but I’m really wonder-ing how many of today’s young sport stars will be able to say that about their favorite athletes someday. While there are many athletes who have never met a microphone they didn’t like, they often don’t show the same basic respect to their fans. And if they’re not setting a good example for the young ones, what’s that say about the future of their sport?

As Malone said, the choice to be a role model has already been made. It’s entirely up to each athlete if they’d rather be re-membered as Roger McDowell or Harmon Killebrew.

Either way, the fans will remember. ✪

May 26, 2011

Mike Wolcott

WALLY’SWORLD

MikeW@ SportStarsMag.com

(925) 566-8500Ext. 109

When it comes to athletes as role models, Killebrew was gold standard

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■ “It was rough today. My timing was off. My movements weren’t crisp. My balance was off”.

■ “I took 6 weeks off from my training; due to my soccer practice and game schedule along with all my schoolwork and wow did I notice a difference”.

■ “My conditioning was fine. I wasn’t breathing too heavy or feeling out of shape, but my SKILL LEVEL had dropped a lot”.

This was an experience of one of my young athletes earlier this year, and it got me thinking about the way many trainers and coaches

train your kids. With their “quick fix” programs or “give me six weeks and I’ll increase your verti-cal” training systems, they are robbing your kids of skill.

They’re placing an over-empha-sis on your kids’ conditioning and completely negating their skills and abilities, because skill takes time to develop.

As one of my young athletes reminded me, skill takes consis-tency to make right.

Alicia has been training with me for just over a year, and after only six weeks off she had de-creased her skill levels noticeably. That’s the problem. Many coaches and trainers still look at the process of training young athletes as a conditioning path. It’s not. It’s a skill acquisition path. And those differences are huge.

When coaches and trainers sell you on short-term train-ing programs, they are selling little more than improved conditioning.

Remember this, because this is the time of year that sum-mer camps will pop up all over the place promising quick-fix improvements for your kids in the 40-yard dash, vertical jumps and drills, etc.

Coaches and trainers can’t possibly teach effective skill in six weeks. And if they do, it’s short-lived and temporary. Make no mistake about it, strength, speed and agility are skills. And for your kids to truly become proficient at these skills, trainers and coaches must treat them like skills, even in summer programs. They must be taught, practiced and improved upon over time.

It’s not how much your kids can lift or how quickly they can navigate through cones, it’s how well and efficiently they perform these movement skills. Lapses in skill or technique place a ceiling on your kids and limit their ability to improve beyond where they are now.

And that’s why coaches and trainers who sell six-week programs,or five-day and two-week summer camps as the end-all-be-all solution to making your young athletes the fastest and most agile athletes on the field, are selling you nothing more than smoke and mirrors.

You have to make sure your kids consistently train throughout the year so that skill doesn’t begin to fade. With our summer camps we start with foundational move-ment skills that are planned to be progressed and mastered

throughout the year ensuring the long term development and success of your young athletes.

This is what truly separates a developmental program apart from the quick fix, short-lived programs that will be offered this summer. As I found out with Alicia, time away from training results in a diminishing of skill. And skill development must be the number one consideration when choosing a summer program for your young athlete or ath-letes this summer.

In order for your athletes to be the best, coaches and train-ers must understand how to develop them, Pure and Simple!

Tim Rudd is an International Youth Conditioning Association specialist in youth conditioning (level 3), speed and agility (level 2), and nutrition specialist (level 1). You can contact him with questions or feed- back at [email protected].

Soccer teams spanning the Central Valley up to Northern California competed in the 18th Annual Concord Cup on May 14-15. Boys and girls teams made up of U10, U12, U16 and U19 battled for two days to claim the Cup. One of the more prestigious soccer tournaments in the Bay Area, the Concord Cup was hosted by Concord AYSO, Diablo Futbol Club, Mt. Diablo Soccer and the city of Concord.

The boys U14 Red Palo Alto Raptors reigned supreme as they took home first place defeating the Davis Mojo 5-3 in the final. Before that match, the Raptors took care of the MDSA Diablos 7-1 in a semifinal match. On the side of boys U14 Blue, the Pacifica Thunderwolves and the MDSA United played to a 1-1 draw in the final. Moving up an age class, the boys U16 Davis Gold captured exactly that as they took down Concord Invasion 1-0 in the final. Davis was also represented in the girls U12 Red final as the Dynasty topped the MDSA Vortex 2-0.

Making the farthest journey of all competing teams, the girls U14 Blue Tulare Thunder had a pleasant drive home after they obliterated the MDSA Rage 8-1 in the final. In its semifinal match, the Thunder dropped the MV-LA Aftershock 6-1. For girls U14 Red, the MDSA Rampage ousted the Concord Fu-sion 2-0 in the final. In a highly-contested girls U16 Red final, the San Bruno Lowen 95G Storm bested the Pacifica United Incredibles 94G 1-0. MDSA United captured the girls U16 Blue championship as they defeated Liga Latina Inter 1-0.

Jesuit-Carmichael rugby takes national crownRugby powerhouse Jesuit-Carmichael just added another

trophy as they won the USA Rugby Boys National Champion-ship by defeating Xavier-New York 50-27 in Sandy, Utah on May 21. It’s the sixth national title in 16 years for the Maraud-ers, who made quick work of their opponents in the two-day tournament. They shut out Penn-Indiana 47-0 in the quarterfi-nals, and took down Gonzaga-Washington, D.C., 45-7 in the semis before meeting Xavier-New York in the championship. Led by seniors Chris Fry, Michael Bush, Matt Chipman and Nick Boyer, who are all headed to Cal and are members of the USA Rugby U19 program, Jesuit has 150 players on its team, which was founded and managed by Fred Khasigian. The Marauders have 14 players moving to college next year.

Xceleration 18 Blue earn national bidThe 18U girls volleyball squad for Xceleration Volleyball

Club recently punched its ticket to the American Division of the USA Volleyball Junior National Championships held June 30-July 3 in Atlanta. The 18 Blue roster features a handful of faces that have already graced the pages of SportStars during the high school season. That includes Issue seven cover girl Camille Condit of Clayton Valley-Concord. Berean Chrisitan-Walnut Creek standout Jessica Vestal was our issue 10 SportStar of the Week, and Anisa Smith of Cam-polindo was featured in our Issue 13 Photo Finish.

Want to see your club team in the Scene? Email results or story ideas to [email protected]

May 26, 2011

club scene

Tim Rudd for IYCA Training Time

Real training is on-going, not six-week burstsMt. Diablo, Davis each claim

3 titles during Concord Cup XVIIIBy ERIk STORdAHl | SportStars


Alhambra High School’s baseball field in downtown Martinez is deserted; the game long since over. It was a nonleague makeup from an earlier rainout that was crammed into a weekend morning, and the players have quickly packed up and headed off to enjoy the remainder of their Saturdays.

Bulldogs coach Jay Heeb is in the dugout packing up his coaching para-phernalia. A lone player remains.

Robert Stephenson, Alhambra’s captain, ace, and (when he isn’t pitching) right fielder, lin-gers. Is he talking strategy with his coach? Poring over pitch charts? Working on a new grip?

Nope. Tiny bits of black rubber from the Bulldogs’ artificial playing surface in Martinez have found their way by the thousands onto the steps and the floor of the dugout.

Stephenson is sweeping.That should tell you a great deal about the character of an 18-year old who many have

ticketed as a first-round selection in Major League Baseball’s first-year player draft on June 6.

“He’s an impressive young man,” Heeb said. “He has maybe the greatest work-ethic of anybody I’ve coached in 27 years. His conditioning and dedication to improving his body is unbelievable.”

That work-ethic, coupled with an astonishing array of precise pitches — including a fastball that has been clocked at an eye-popping 99 mph — has Stephenson on the verge of becoming the first local high school baseball player to be plucked in the first round of the draft since Liberty-Brentwood’s Chris Gruler went No. 3 overall to the Cincinnati Reds in 2002.

A recent mock draft projection by Baseball America had Stephenson going No. 29 to the San Francisco Giants, a franchise that knows something about developing young pitching talent (see: Lincecum, Tim; Cain, Matt; Wilson, Brian...).

May 26, 2011

Alhambra’s Robert Stephenson has a mid-90s fastball and a work ethic that just might make him a first-round draft pick

“It’s been a long time

since I remember a

high schooler throwing as

hard as he throws. You

can tell when he throws the

ball — he’s just different

than other high school

pitchers.”— El Cerrito coach

Brian Nichols

Story by Bill Kolb • Photos by Bob Larson


Heeb said that scouts from the Rays, Cubs and Jays, among many, many others, have told him they would be interested in Stephenson with picks anywhere from the low teens to the 30s. The earliest an Alhambra player had been drafted directly out of high school before this year was Dave Giberti, who went to the Rangers in the seventh round (171 overall) in 1989.

The unflappable Stephenson, who already has accepted a full scholarship offer from the University of Washington, has taken the entire scout/media circus in stride. But even he can’t help but get caught up in the furor over his future.

“To go from a year ago where I was just trying to find a college to now where there are 40 or 50 pro scouts there every time I pitch is pretty cool,” he said. “It has happened all of a sudden. … Just to make the draft is incredible. To have a chance to play for my favorite team (Giants) that I’ve watched growing up would be pretty special. To be anybody’s first pick would be pretty amazing to me.”

Evolution of an aceStephenson wasn’t on anyone’s can’t-miss list as a sopho-

more. He was lucky if his fastball velocity climbed into the low 80s, and luckier still if those pitches found the strike zone. Heck, he wasn’t even really all that interested in being a pitcher.

“He wanted to be an outfielder,” Heeb said. “I was talking to him in the outfield one day, and I told him he didn’t really run very well — it was awkward and he wasn’t very fast. I told him I had sent my oldest son to Gamespeed in Dublin with (for-mer world-class sprinter) Aaron Thigpen, and that had really helped him. Robert didn’t say anything. I find out a while later that he’s going three days a week, and two days a week he’s going to a velocity improvement program. He’s doing extra

workouts five days a week.”To say it has paid off is a bit of an understatement.In the span of an off-season Stephenson went from awk-

ward to athletic; from erratic to exact.“I went from low 80s as a sophomore to low 90s in the

spring of my junior year,” Stephenson said.Gary Hanks has coached some of the best players in North-

ern California in his 10-year run with NorCal baseball, play-ers like the A’s Tyson Ross and the Astros’ Brett Wallace. He ranks Stephenson “at the top” of that talented group.

Bob Larson photosRobert Stephenson, right, and senior catcher Justin Green have already teamed up for a pair of no-hitters this season. Bulldogs coach Jay Heeb said that the mass of scouts who have followed Stephenson across

the East Bay in 2011 has also benefitted Green, who has received interest from a few colleges.


“The common denominator is they really want to work hard,” Hanks said. “I put Robert in the upper echelon of that group in terms of work ethic, skill level, athleticism, heart, desire, and competitiveness.”

Thanks to his desire and ability to quickly internalize the tools and processes recom-mended, Hanks has seen Stephenson go from what he characterized as “a spindly, gangly little character,” his sophomore year to a fairly strapping senior.

There is a good chance that the 6-foot, 3-inch, 185-pound Stephenson will add mus-cle to his lean frame — maybe as much as 15 to 20 pounds. Added muscle often equates to added velocity. And when you’re already pop-ping the glove at 99, well...

“I know he wants to hit 100 before he leaves (high school),” Heeb said. “I think he can do it. His velocity is sky high because he works so hard.”

Former USC catcher and current El Cer-rito High School coach Brian Nichols has noted Stephenson’s progression from the op-posing dugout. His Gauchos have faced Ste-phenson twice in the past two years.

“He’s got, I think, an unhittable breaking ball at the high school level,” Nichols said. “His curve or slider is sharp and it’s in the 80s. He has control of all of his pitches. He

has excellent command for a high school guy. … He’s hard to hit. You don’t often see that — a high school pitcher who can throw all his pitches for strikes at any time. He’s 89 to 94 with great command, including that split which is nasty. … You can look really bad be-cause you have to gear up for the fastball, then he drops that breaking ball in for a strike.”

Nichols has been around Bay Area base-ball long enough to know when he’s seeing something special. When asked to compare Stephenson to another successful local hurler, Nichols mentioned Vallejo’s own Cy Young award winner, New York Yankees ace C.C. Sabathia.

The comparison is loose — Stephenson’s a righty; Sabathia’s a lefty — but the quality is similar.

“I haven’t seen anybody as good as him in a long, long time,” Nichols said. “It’s been a long time since I remember a high schooler throwing as hard as he throws. You can tell when he throws the ball — he’s just different than other high school pitchers.”

Sky’s the limitYou’ve heard about the velocity, the ac-

curacy, the work ethic. Stephenson is also a student of the game (and, ohbytheway, a 4.2 GPA, Advanced Placement student), and an

all-around player. He leads the Bulldogs in RBI and extra-base hits. He’s batting .350 in the three-hole. Through May 14, he had a 7-2 record with 132 strikeouts vs. 23 walks, a 1.33 ERA and a sub-1.0 WHIP over 68 ⅓ innings pitched. He threw no-hitters at Encinal and De Anza early in the season, and has stared down the barrel of about 40 JUGS radar guns at every start.

“He’s very analytical — borderline intro-verted,” Heeb said. “He’s our captain, but he’s not rah-rah. He leads by example. … He takes things in stride. He doesn’t get too rat-tled by anything. He’s like a 25-year old in an 18-year-old body.”

The assumption is that he will go pro if his name gets called in the first round, but Ste-

phenson hasn’t made a concrete decision just yet. “I really liked the (Washington) campus and the coaches, and the chance to play in the PAC-10,” Stephenson said. “UW is a great team environment. So I don’t think there is a bad decision. I’ll have to see how the draft goes, and then think about it.”

Heeb, for one, isn’t worried at all about Ste-phenson’s future.

“He’s got all the intangibles,” Heeb said. “I’m sure he’s going to be very successful whatever he decides to do. He’s got a circus following him around, and it’s amazing how he handles it.”

No matter where he ends up, even if he’s still the last guy in the dugout, chances are he won’t be doing the sweeping much longer. ✪


extra bases

Only the North Coast Section will see its baseball and softball playoffs go past May 28. Which makes it the perfect candidate for us to throw some predictions toward. So here’s are outlook on the top three baseball divisions.

All records are regular season records.division I

■ TOP SEEdS: San Ramon Valley-Dan-ville (18-6), James Logan-Union City (20-4) and California-San Ramon (15-9)

■ THE FAVORITE: It’s probably San Ra-mon Valley or James Logan, who both have strong 1-2 starting pitching combos. And as we all know, pitching rules all in the postsea-son. We’ll actually give the edge to the Colts of James Logan, which, as a team, appear to have a little more prowess at the plate than the Wolves.

■ THE dARk HORSE: Even though De La Salle-Concord (17-7) boasts the No. 4 seed, they still seem to be creeping under the radar a bit. But with the right matchups and some timely hitting, the Spartans could very

easily make the final.■ PREdICTEd CHAmP: James Logan

division II■ TOP SEEdS: Alameda (23-1), Clayton

Valley-Concord (19-3-2) and Petaluma (18-5-1)

■ THE FAVORITE: It’s undoubtedly top-seeded Alameda. The Hornets have been extremely consistent throughout the year. They enter the tournament on a 14-game winning streak, and not having lost to an NCS team this season. The only concern they might face is that they’ve been so dominant that they haven’t been in too many tight games (just three one-run decisions). Keep an eye on talented pitcher/infielder Trent yee.

■ THE dARk HORSE:Speaking of one-run games, you’d be hard-pressed to find a team that played better in them than Las Lomas-Walnut Creek. The No.9-seeded Knights (14-9-1) were 8-1 in one-run games this season. They had a May 24 first-round game with No. 8 Arroyo-San Lorenzo. If they survived, they could be a serious threat.

■ PREdICTEd CHAmP: Alamedadivision III

■ TOP SEEdS: San Marin-Novato (20-5), Miramonte-Orinda (17-7) and Petaluma (14-10)

■ THE FAVORITE: Despite some talented East Bay teams in the field, San Marin is certainly deserving the of the top seed it was given. The Mustangs hit nearly .300 as a team (technically .296) and have a pitching staff ERA of 1.14. But we think what makes them the favorite is leadership. This team has several more than a handful of players who were part of San Marin’s NCS-championship basketball team — it won’t be afraid of pressure-filled postseason moments.

■ THE dARk HORSE:It would be hard not to choose the team with arguably the best pitcher in the field. If No. 7 Alhambra-Martinez can maximize Robert Stephen-son’s time on the mound, it has a shot to ride his right arm into at least the semifinals, if not beyond. Of course, the Bulldogs will need give him some run support.

■ PREdICTEd CHAmP: San Marin ✪

Playoff Time: A quick SportStars glance at the NCS tourneyBy CHACE bRySON | Editor

Bob Sansoe/De La SalleDe La Salle’s Chris Costanza


extra bases

It seems like a long time ago, but on the cover of our fifth issue last August we featured San Ramon Valley High pitcher John Hochstatter of Danville. In the photo, he’s sporting a Team USA uniform. The same Team USA uniform he sported in Canada during the 18U International Federation World Baseball Championships.

Ever thought you could wear the same uniform? Maybe you can. But you’ll have to be a SportStar first.

The Pitching Center and Cabernet Indoor Sports, along with our sponsorship, will be putting together three elite travel baseball (13U, 15U and 17U) teams named the East

Bay SportStars. The teams will attend and compete in the Northern California Pros-pect Games in late July and early August. Eighteen players from each age group will be be selected from these tournaments to attend the National Team Identification Series in North Carolina this September. Top players from that competition are then selected to compete for the national teams of 2012.

The first stage of putting these teams to-gether will begin with open workouts in June. But if you’re really eager to announce your presence with authority, you can express your interest in an email to [email protected].

We held our first SportStars Athletes of the Year banquet on May 9, honoring our Male and Female Athletes of the Winter — Treaven Duffy, left, of Las Lomas-Walnut

Creek, and Brittany Boyd of Berkeley. Here the two hold

up their individual award plaques in front of McCov-ey’s Restaurant in Walnut

Creek, the permanent home of our Athlete of the Year

banquets. The event brought a good-sized crowd of sup-porters from both of the ath-letes’ high schools — which

was good because Mc-Covey’s donated 20 percent of all proceeds from those orders back to the school’s athletic departments. A little

more than $100 was donated. If you visit

McCovey’s, be sure to scan the wall and find our perpetu-al plaque listing the honored athletes of each season. And

when you order, tell them SportStars sent you!

Bob Larson

Got what it takes to play for Team USA?


In today’s sporting realm, common wisdom holds that an athlete must be molded into greatness at an early age, and the earlier the better.

Traveling teams, endless camps, and deep pocket-books all factor in to the development of a champion, or at least the promise of one.

But at Mt. Pleasant High School in east San Jose, those rules don’t necessarily apply.

Witness Shanique Walker.The senior standout appears to be the Central Coast

Section’s best shot at a state track and field champion-ship. She had the third-longest triple jump in the nation under all conditions, section-leading marks in three events, and No. 2 in two others.

A prodigy? Not quite. Walker never competed in track until her sophomore year and, perhaps surprisingly dur-ing this era of involvement overload and soccer moms, had never participated in organized sports of any kind. None.

And yet, Walker can soar 20 feet in the long jump, 40 feet in the triple jump, and glide over the 100-meter hur-dles faster than anyone in the CCS — the 139-school re-

gion that spans from San Francisco to King City. Sports background or not, Walker, a 3.0 student, soon will be able to claim a college track scholarship as well.

“In junior high, I was good in tetherball,” she said with a laugh. “Unfortunately, that’s not really a sport. I wasn’t good at basketball, I don’t understood football, and I really didn’t pay attention to track. But I always knew I wanted to do something active.”

Walker’s success should not be a shock, not at Mt. Pleasant anyway. The Cardinals had won eight CCS girls’ track and field titles going into this year’s CCS meet, in-cluding seven in the past 11 years. Mt. Pleasant won the 2007 state championship to become the first from Santa Clara County to win a boys or girls title in 19 years, and followed with a runner-up finish in 2008. And the Cardi-nals have done so by mining P.E. classes for talent.

Longtime coach Steve Nelson took advantage of the benefits of his role as a full-time P.E. teacher at the school by testing his students in a series of exercises that allowed him to project track and field potential. If the students exceed certain standards, Nelson invited them to join the team.

Three years ago, Shanique Walker ran

only in P.E. class — now she has state title

aspirations for Mt. Pleasant-San Jose

Story by David Kiefer | Photos by Norbert von der groeben


That’s how he found Vashti Thomas, who set a national re-cord of 13.03 in the 100 hurdles at the 2007 state meet and won four state championships over two seasons — two in the 100 hurdles, and one each in the triple jump and long jump.

And, that’s how he found Walker, a neighbor of Thomas’ and, not coinciden-tally, an eventual standout in the same events.

“We were told, ‘Run as fast as you can until you have to stop,’” Walker recalled. “I didn’t have any running shoes. So, I ran in flats, these slip-ons. I remember beat-ing everyone, but I really didn’t think any-thing of it.”

Walker indeed earned an invitation from Nelson, but politely declined.

“I didn’t have any friends on the team,” she said. “I didn’t want to go out and be a loner.”

Walker’s track debut was put on hold until her sophomore year when requi-site friends made the decision easier. She quickly mastered the three-step hurdle technique, running a 14.85, and long-jumped 17-4½. Each mark was the fifth-best in the CCS. But a stress fracture end-ed her season before the league meet.

As a junior, Walker earned three indi-vidual top-three finishes at CCS and won a 4x100 relay title. She also placed fourth in the state in the triple jump, which served as a precursor to her career highlight to date: firing off a wind-legal triple jump of 41-6 to place second at the U.S. junior nationals in Des Moines, Iowa, last summer.

Nelson, who admitted to not being overly impressed by her P.E. tests as a freshman and sophomore, was pleasantly sur-prised.

“She ended up being a lot better than I thought she could be,” Nelson said.

Mt. Pleasant’s track and field success, which includes the 40 or so athletes who have received scholarships under Nelson’s coaching, might ensure stability at most schools, but it doesn’t guarantee anything in the cash-strapped (even by today’s standards) East Side Union High School District.

The district has threatened to drop sports altogether, the school has in the past refused to fund travel to the state meet, and last summer Nelson — the architect of the Cardinals’ dy-nasty — was involuntarily transferred out of the school where he had taught for 25 years because of a budget-driven person-nel shuffle.

A petition to keep Nelson at Mt. Pleasant failed and Nelson’s hardball tactic of threatening to quit coaching there unless he was transferred back failed when Mt. Pleasant administrators canceled his cross country program in response.

Unwilling to allow the same thing to happen to track and field, Nelson relented and made arrangements for some of his former athletes to begin each practice until he could arrive from his new position at Evergreen Valley. Nelson is hopeful that he can return to teaching at Mt. Pleasant next fall.

The return of Nelson was a relief for Walker, who has con-tinued to improve. She led the CCS in the 100 hurdles (14.16), triple jump (40-7, No. 3 in the state among wind-legal jumps), and long jump (20-0) going into the section finals. She also was second in the 300 hurdles (45.32), an event she dropped during the postseason, and on the Cardinals’ 4x100 relay (48.20).

Nelson often steers athletes into the hurdles and jumps be-cause that’s where they can make the biggest impact. Indeed,

of the top 11 triple jumpers in CCS his-tory, seven are from Mt. Pleasant, includ-ing current junior Cydney Leath, who was third in the 2010 state meet at 40-3.

Walker’s wind-aided triple jump of 41-5½ ranked third in the country this sea-son and wasn’t far behind the No. 1 all-conditions mark, a windy 41-9¾ by fellow state meet contender Ciarra Brewer of James Logan-Union City.

Nelson believes Walker has the poten-tial to break Thomas’ school record of 43-1½ because Walker began using a longer approach run late in the season and there-fore could carry greater momentum into her jumps, if she could control it. If so, the 1984 CCS record of 43-2½ by Wood-side’s Wendy Brown could be in jeopardy as well.

Walker sees her college future in the jumps. She has turned down some schol-arship offers because she would like to go to school beyond the West Coast and has summer recruiting trips set up for LSU, a 14-time NCAA champion, and Jackson-ville University.

As the fifth of six children being raised by a single mother, Shanique may be cre-ating something of a family legacy. Her

eighth-grade brother William often accompanies her to prac-tice and says he wants to be a hurdler and jumper too.

Maybe it’s finally time for a Walker family prodigy.


tee2green

William Brueckner had to spoil the party. The North Coast Section Tournament of Champions for

boys golf was a decidedly East Bay Athletic League affair on May 16. With the exception of Mr. Brueckner, a gangly freshman from Acalanes-Lafayette who just happened to card the lowest round of the day at Contra Costa Country Club in Pleasant Hill.

As the post tourna-ment medalist honors were being announced, Alhambra-Martinez coach Steve Sloper — the tournament director — introduced Brueckner as Will “The Thrill.” Not the most original nickname — especially to Bay Area baseball fans — but ap-propriate nonetheless.

While his even-par score of 72 doesn’t conjure up a term like “thrill,” all one had to was watch the freshman play Hole 17 (415-yard, par 4) to understand what made his round so exceptional.

Because it was very un-freshmanlike.

First of all, Brueckner and the other three golfers in his group were offered a wet welcome to the 17th tee. The gray skies that had been lingering overhead throughout the day finally decided to open up and release a steady drizzle. Brueckner was the first to tee off and sent his drive on the slight dogleg left to the right and off the fairway. It landed just below the tree line on an uphill slope.

He lined up his second shot with his feet above the ball and took aim at the green about 170 yards away. The rain was its most persistent at this moment, and his shot landed left and below the green. He then sent a soft pitch shot up onto the surface but was still left with a 15-foot putt — which he sank as part of his stellar putting day.

“I missed a lot greens on the back nine, but I had a lot of up and downs,” Brueckner said. “I had just 12 putts on the back nine and that was key to my round today.”

Because he started on Hole No. 2, Brueckner still had two more holes to go after his par save on 17. He would par both 18 and 1 to close out the round.

“When the weather started to pick up on the back nine, I thought I had a chance to qualify,” he said. “I didn’t think I was

gonna win.”His 72 edged San Ra-

mon Valley-Danville golfer Cody Blick by one stroke. Blick still qualified for the California Interscholastic Federation/Northern California Golf Association regional championship, but the rest of Brueckner’s team was on the wrong side of a one-stroke margin.

Acalanes carded a five-card score of 394 and missed a top three finish when Monte Vista posted a 393. De La Salle-Concord finished second at 390, and at six strokes better than that was first-place Foothill-Pleasanton at 384.

“It’s a very unique team,” said Foothill junior Travis Rowney, who carded a 74. “We’re all very consistent. We’re very lucky to have a team like this. We can all con-sistently shoot mid-70s, and it’s a lot of fun.”

Rowney was one of three Falcons golfers to post a round of 74. He

was joined by Nico Galletti and Roshan Chekuri. Matt Yount was also in the 70s, finishing with a 79.

“It’s hard to play golf as a team because golf will always be an individual sport,” Rowney said. “But it’s very fun when you’re part of a team like this because you can enjoy winning with other people.” ✪

Young Brueckner leaves mark on NCS golf championships

By CHACE bRySON | Editor

De La Salle is headed back to stateJust one week after taking second at the NCS cham-

pionships, De La Salle finally got the best of EBAL rival Foothill.

Thanks to five golfers posting scores of 75 or better at Butte Creek Country Club in Chico, the Spartans wrapped up their third CIF/NCGA NorCal championship on May 23 — by just one stroke.

A score of 369 was enough to keep both Foothill and Robert Louis Stevenson-Pebble Beach at bay. But only barely, as both programs finished at 370.

“Truth be told, the kids played just little better than they had all year,” De La Salle coach Leo Lopoz said. “They just did it at the right time on the right stage.”

The win propels the Spartans into the CIF state championship tournament on June 8 at Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach. De La Salle is the last Northern California team to win the state title, doing so in 2007. And they are the only NorCal team to do it during the modern championship era.

De La Salle had two even-par rounds in Chico, one from senior Jonathan De Los Reyes (pictured below), and one from sophomore Justin Paglia. Still, It was the freshman Justin Nuval whose score of 3-over 75 made the unexpected difference.

Foothill is a state qualifier for the second time in as many years. Leading the way for the Falcons was Nico Galletti — whose brother, Roberto, was coincidentally on the DLS team that won state in 2006 — with a 2-under par 70. Only Jonathan Garrick of St. Francis-Mountain View was better among individual scores. Garrick fin-ished with a 4-under 68.

Photos: Chris Scott/CalSportsPhoto.comAcalanes freshman Will Brueckner follows through on a

drive from the 15th tee box during the NCS Tournament of Champions at Contra Costa Country Club in Pleasant Hill

on May 16.


tee2green

eTeamSponsor, the experts in fundraising, is extending its helping hand to the athletics program at Diablo Valley College. SportStars will be joining them in hosting the DVC Athletics Inau-gural Golf Tournament at Boundary Oak Golf Course in Walnut Creek on June 6.

“With statewide budget cuts and increasing costs for travel, uniforms, equipment, and general needs, our programs like many others are in need of help,” DVC Athletic Director Christine Wors-ley said. “By participating in this spectacular golf event you will share in the joy of the days’ events, as well as providing a small donation to the student athlete’s future opportunities.”

This tournament is open to the general public and spots are still available. Entry is $150 per participant but SportStars cut a deal with the tournament directors. For participants registering before Friday, June 2, they will get $25 off the entry fee.

Participants will get to experience Boundary Oak’s glorious 18 holes along with the chance to compete in a long drive competi-tion put on by Fore 2 Your Door. For this event, Fore 2 Your Door will custom-build a long driver and will give it to the winner.

They will also be donating a custom golf goodies package that will be auctioned off.

“We have a need and a passion and a desire to help programs like DVC,” eTeamSponsor vice president Don Howell said.

“We’ve already helped raise $42,000 for their sports programs to date. We’re looking forward to participation in this as well.”

To get your $25 discount, go to www.dvcathletics.com, click on the Registration tab and complete the personal information sec-

tion. Click on the tab for $150 and type in ‘SportStars’ to secure your discount. Log on to www.dvcathletics.com for more informa-tion on the DVC Athletics Inaugural Golf Tournament. ✪

eTeamSponsor to tee things up for DVC athletics

The First Tee is a youth development organization that is dedicated to impacting the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhanc-ing values and promote healthy choices through golf.

And for some chapters, sharing these lessons is getting more difficult.

As a non-profit organization we rely on dona-tions to continue operating; otherwise the pro-gram ceases to exist and we fail the children of this community. We have been so very fortunate this year to have received $10,000 from Jerry Rice’s 127 Foundation and another $10,000 from Sequoyah Country Club.

However so much more is needed to reach the number of young people in Oakland who would not otherwise have access to the game of golf.

During these challenging economic times we must rely on one another to ensure a better future for our community and our youth. To achieve these goals, we are asking for support from business leaders in and around the Oak-land Metropolitan Community.

As we continue to move forward, however, our 2011 Summer session “tee-up” begins on Monday, June 20, at the Lake Chabot Golf Course and Metropolitan Golf Links.

The Summer session will run for eight weeks, meeting one time a week for 90 minutes per class. Sessions meet on Monday-Thursday and Saturday mornings. Check out our

website for the details.What else is in store for the Summer participants? Road

Trip to the Beach … Pebble Beach! We have a special field trip planned to Monterey where we will be a part of a gallery

of hundreds of other First Tee players, coaches, volunteers and families from around the country to watch over 70 First Tee participants who were selected to compete side-by-side with some of the greatest Champion Tour players at the renowned Pebble Beach Golf Course.

The First Tee of Oakland hopes to continue to evolve into a powerful youth-development program that will teach hundreds more under-served and at-risk youth in the Oakland Metro-politan area through our after school programs, outreach clinics, and summer sessions.

However, without a lot more support from individuals and corporations, we literally will not survive.

If you are interested in helping The First Tee of Oakland by making a donation yourself, you could send a check to: The First Tee of Oakland, c/o April Kenyon, 11425 Golf Links Road, Oakland, CA 94605. ✪

First Tee Files is a rotating column featuring the executive directors of four Bay Area chapters of The First Tee. April Ke-nyon is the director of The First Tee Oakland. Find out more on each chapter at: www.TheFirstTeeContraCosta.org, www.TheFirstTeeOakland.org, www.TheFirstTeeSanJose.org and www.TheFirstTeeTriValley.org.

First Tee of Oakland’s summer plans: Golf, education and fundraising

April Kenyon

First TeeFiles


Sitting on the couch watching the NBA playoffs, you see your favorite superstar fly through the air going up for a two-

handed tomahawk slam. AMAZING. And the crowd goes wild!

As he lets go of the rim, you see him come down off-balance, he lands with his right knee buckled inward and he goes down imme-diately! He’s on the floor shrieking and holding his knee in extreme pain.

Later on, you hear on the news that he tore the ACL in his knee and he’ll be out for a number of months for surgery and physical therapy. The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is one of the primary stabilizers that limit excessive move-ment of the tibia on the femur (your two primary leg bones, which meet at the knee).

The ACL will be needed to return to ac-tivities involving such dynamic movements as jumping, pivoting and cutting. ACL inju-ries have become highly studied in regards to mechanism of injury, prevention, and rehabilitation methods. Physical therapy has become an important vehicle in returning individuals to their prior levels of function by correcting any faulty movement patterns that were developed.

One of the most important components during the NBA player’s return to basketball will be to ensure that he develops sound squatting mechanics (double- and single-legged), since these are the base of all jump-ing maneuvers. After strength is near normal and squat mechanics are sound, the athlete will need to develop the proper jumping and landing mechanics that all jumpers should possess to ensure there is no re-injury.

Key components to proper jumping and landing mechanics include:

■ First developing sound squat mechanics (knees over toes, sit butt back), the founda-tion of jumping.

■ Incorporating strengthening of the pos-terior chain muscles, such as the hamstrings and glutes.

■ A sound CORE foundation (stabilizing muscles of the trunk).

■ Take-offs and landings with knees in

alignment over the feet and tracking over the seconnd toe.

■ Soft and controlled landings to prevent increased joint forces on the lower extremi-ties.

■ Properly supervised training.The next NBA season is in mid-session

and you see your favorite player back on the court. In the player’s postgame interview he talks about how part of his rehabilitation fo-cused on development of proper mechanics with squats, jumping and landing, and how important they are in all injury prevention.

With proper squat and jump training, any athlete has a very high chance of partici-pating in their sport of choice without an increased risk of injury. ✪

Kristen Welsh is a physical therapist for the Sports Medicine For Young Athletes, a division of Children’s Hospital Oakland with a facility also located in Walnut Creek. If you have questions or comments regarding the “Health Watch” column, write the Sports Medicine For Young Athletes staff at [email protected].

May 26, 2011

Health WatchKristen Welsh

Jumping through hoops: The path to ACL recovery and prevention


In most cases, high school athletes are more than happy to engage in sports which offer another chance to estab-lish their own identity as separate and distinct from their parents. Which is

as it should be — in the cases of football, basketball, baseball, soccer and most of the mainstream sports where the competition is strictly separated by age and organized in the usual club and school leagues.

But some endurance sports offer a rela-tively rare alternative possibility where just the right mix of fathers and sons (and mothers and daughters) can train and race together.

Ryan and Austin Donnelly tried a few other sports, but soccer was the one that they really loved starting in grade school in Los Gatos, California. Coaches saw their natural penchant for running and endur-ance and put the older son Ryan at right midfield and younger son Austin at center midfield.

“Basically at my position you run, run and run up and down the field every min-ute, all day long and never stop” says Ryan. “You’re partly attacker and partly defender, you are everywhere.”

Their father Peter Donnelly played rugby growing up in Great Britain, but he and

the boys’ mother Julia had become dedi-cated runners as the boys moved up from club and middle and high school soccer teams. And with his sports background, Peter saw the boys might benefit from a little run training from the beginning.

“When I was about 6 years old, my parents would kick us out of the house and force us to run around the block a few times to get exercise,” said Austin. “I hated it at first but it started to pay off in soccer and keeping fit. Now I respect what it did for me.”

Both boys enjoyed success – Austin’s club team won a Northern California state cup when he was 11 and Ryan made the high school varsity in his first season with Los Gatos High.

Even while their immersion in soccer was becoming increasingly serious, Austin remained intrigued with running and was sparked to join his father in a race — at age 12.

“One day me and my dad were talking about what goal we could complete and dad came up with the San Francisco Marathon,” Austin said. “My body was not fully grown, so he said I needed nine months of training to build up and adapt to the distance.”

So father and son began regular runs during the week and on weekends did a

long run that gradually built up to 18, 20 and 23 miles.

“I would come home from school, do my homework early and jump into bed as soon as possible to get a few extra hours to sleep. ... We pushed each other through it all and I definitely had a lot of fun, and got closer with my dad.”

On race day, Austin stood 4 feet, 10

inches tall and weighed 85 pounds, and despite pre-race nerves finished a very hilly course with his father in an admirable time of 3:29. Afterwards, Austin was undaunted.

“I had a club soccer game after the race and told my dad I was fine to go play,” said Austin. “But he knew better and wouldn’t let me.”

In 2009, Peter started training for a tri-

Brotherly RunFueled by a family passion to run, Austin and Ryan Donnelly have

become an impressive triathlon duo

By TImOTHy CARlSON | Contributor

Ryan Donnelly, left, and younger brother Austin both play soccer for Los Gatos High — and in their spare time, they both are competitive

in long-course triathlon.


athlon with some friends. He signed up for a big first-time challenge, the Wildflower half Ironman-distance triathlon and took his boys along for the trip.

“I loved the idea of going out in the middle of nowhere to camp with friends who all have the same mindset you do,” said Ryan. “I just enjoyed the whole lifestyle that encouraged you to have good nutrition, get fit for the race, and I was a big fan of all the equipment — I became a big fan of biking. Plus everyone was so welcoming and nice and supportive of the goal to push yourself to do amazing things. My goal was to do the same Wildflower long course the next year.”

But first Ryan had to figure out whether he wanted to stay with the expensive club soccer commitment.

“It took me a few months to figure out what I wanted to do — continue play soccer or spend that money for a nice bike and swim stuff try to make triathlon a part of my life.”

Ryan decided to do triathlon, and stick with high school soccer. Equally excited about triathlon, Austin decided to join his brother on this quest.

Wildflower’s 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike over very hilly terrain and rugged 13.1 mile run over equally demanding cross country style dirt trails and tough paved hills is one of the toughest courses at the distance in the world. So Pe-ter Donnelly supported his boys in the challenge only if they would commit to a tough training regimen equal to the test they would face.

“Dad came up with a five weekday schedule with Saturday off and a long ride or run on Sunday,” Ryan said. “I followed it step by step. On a typical day I would wake up at 5 a.m. and run or do a long session on an indoor bike. Some days I would start by swimming. Then I’d go to school, and after school hit the weight room for strength training and weights. In the af-

ternoons, I’d mix in another workout in another discipline.”Austin joined them for almost every workout. “My dad and his two friends and I always swam together

and trained together except for the occasional sick day,” said Austin. “It was hard to find three hours on weekend days to do long bike rides and hard to find 90 minutes to do a 13-mile run before school. There were challenges getting enough sleep and fighting off being tired and sore to get in the training we needed.”

The final point of training was a weekend trip to the Wild-flower course where they all swam, biked and ran the course in two days.

On race day, Peter’s sons were ready and they were reward-ed with a great duel to the finish with one another.

“There was definitely a rivalry,” said Austin, who was 14 on race day.

“We were both new to swimming and were about even,” said Ryan, who was 16. “I have him on the bike, and all that I make up on the bike he makes up on the run. So then we are

about dead even and it’s down to who has the most energy at the finish.”

Ryan made the swim in 40 minutes, 54 seconds, just 26 sec-onds ahead of his brother. Ryan biked 3:20:14 at a little over 16 mph and Austin soldiered through in 3:33:32.

“My parents were cheering me and yelled “Go! He’s only 15 minutes ahead of you!’” said Austin. “I thought 15 minutes was a reasonable goal to make up. I tried to do the math in my head – if I made up 70 seconds a mile I could catch him.”

Their father, after posting a 6:24:06 time the year before, obviously prepared much better and finished in 5:52:12. He was waiting with his wife Julia at the finish when Ryan came in at 6:11: flat. Austin, after a stellar run of 1:51:35, had made up 14 minutes but finished 73 seconds back.

Ryan said his brother was a very good sport. “He said ‘Con-gratulations, you won,’ and was happy for me. It was a perfect finish for me that I held him off on the run. I loved it and wanted to do it again.”

The brothers both played on Los Gatos High’s soccer team which went 8-6-5 last year. Triathlon has stayed in their lives, as has their asymmetrical but perfectly balanced rivalry.

At Wildflower this year, Ryan showed up with some high-tech aerodynamic wheels ready to break six hours while Aus-tin, a little bigger and stronger, settled for less fancy spoked wheels. Unfortunately for Ryan, high winds on the bike turned his Aeolus 9.0 carbon wheels into sails that slowed him down considerably into the head winds and side winds and gave him cramps. Round Two to Austin.

“What I like about triathlon that differentiates it from other sports is it brings me closer with family,” said Austin. “We all do it and we all love how it brings us closer together.” ✪

“What i like about triathlon that differentiates it from other

sports is it brings me closer with family. We all do it and we all love how it brings us closer

together.”— Austin Donnelly


A rainbow of kayaks will take to the American River on July 23 as athletes compete in the world’s undisputed oldest triathlon. The 38th annual Eppie’s Great Race is

a summertime tradition in the Sacramento area. This unique triathlon replaces the traditional swimming component with paddling.

Eppie’s Great Race consists of a 5.82-mile run, 12.5-mile cycle and a 6.35-mile downriver paddle on a racecourse lo-cated on and alongside the American River that flows through Rancho Cordova and Sacramento.

The run-bike-paddle triathlon is named for its founder, Ep-pie Johnson, formerly an avid skier and restaurateur known for unusual promotions — this triathlon being one of them.

“The popularity of Eppie’s Great Race continues to grow,” said Johnson. “I think one of the reasons is because the tri-athlon offers something for ev-eryone. Athletes can compete as iron men or iron women — taking on all three legs of the race. We also offer a number of team divisions including cor-porate and junior divisions.”

Eppie’s Great Race and Cur-rent Adventures kayaking school have teamed up to offer a special program for racers ages 12-18. Participants receive heavily-discounted kayak les-sons as well as rental kayaks for the lessons and for the day of the race.

Kids can even take part in the fun by participating in the US Bank Kids Duathlon, a 2-mile run and 5.75-mile bike ride that provides young athletes ages 7-17 with their own event.

Fitness and camaraderie are two great reasons to participate in Eppie’s Great Race. Another reason to take part is to support the event’s beneficiary: Sacramento County Therapeutic Rec-reation Services. Every year, the net proceeds of Eppie’s Great Race benefit the Sacramento County Therapeutic Recreation Services (TRS). This is a program that helps thousands of peo-ple with physical and mental disabilities to live more fulfilling lives through organized trips and community events. To date, Eppie’s Great Race has raised close to $1 million for TRS.

The race festivities begin the day before with the Great Race Expo and spaghetti feed at River Bend Park in Rancho Cor-dova. For more information, training packages or to register for Eppie’s Great Race, visit www.thegreatrace.org or call 916-381-0255.

— Anita Fitzhugh for Eppie’s Great Race

May 26, 2011

Run. Bike. Paddle? Behold, Eppie’s Great RaceWHAT: Eppie’s Great Race & US Bank Kids Duathlon WHEN: July 23, 2011 WHERE: Rancho Cordova/SacramentogET REgISTEREd: www.thegreatrace.org 411

the

Contributed photo

Kid’s Kayak Cheaper Discounted kayaking

packages for Eppie’s Great Race, athletes

ages 12-18: www.current

adventures.com

SportStars™ Upload photos and team stats! www.SportStarsMag.comMay 26, 2011

Only a few moments have passed following the match point that sealed the first Sac-Joaquin Section Division II boys volleyball champi-

onship for Vista del Lago High of Folsom. Immediately following the postgame awards pre-

sentation, Connor Boone is summoned to take part in a webcast interview. The fact that Boone was chosen for the interview could’ve been considered a tad fun-ny — since he wasn’t even permanently on the team until after mid-season.

Playing boys volleyball at Vista del Lago has been an uphill climb from Day 1 this season.

The team began the 2011 calendar year wondering if it was even going to have a boys volleyball season. With coach Patrick Sanders not returning, the program was in limbo as it tried to find someone to lead the way.

“We were really close to having the program cut,” said sophomore Griffin Galvin.

Luckily for the Eagles, former assistant Wayne Campbell agreed to take the reigns. But he would in-

herit a roster of just seven guys. And then one got hurt. Boone was suddenly on speed dial. “I had played volleyball all through high school,”

Boone explained after the Eagles’ 25-19, 25-20, 27-25 defeat of Valley-Sacramento in the SJS Division II fi-nal on May 19. “But after basketball season I was kind of thinking that I wanted to try and find a job for the summer. The coach from last year’s volleyball team wasn’t coming back, and I just kind of decided that I wasn’t going to come back for my senior year.”

Campbell and the rest of the Eagles weren’t pre-pared to take no for an answer.

“We all worked on him,” senior middle blocker Dustin Lamy said. “Everybody played a part.”

Boone agreed to fill in for the injured player during a tournament in early March. He then missed a few matches before rejoining the club for good in early April.

“We were almost 60 percent through the season when he finally came on for good,” Campbell said. “That was a big key because he really helped set up

eliteeight

With a roster of eight, Vista del Lago-Folsom secured its first boys volleyball crown

By CHACE bRySON | Editor

30


our middle attack. ... I just think they came together really well as a team.”

The team cohesiveness was more than evi-dent in the final match against Valley. Solid passing and communication played big roles as they kept a gritty Vikings squad at arms length for the majority of the first two games.

Valley entered the final with a 23-1 record — its only a defeat was a 2-0 loss to Vista del Lago during the King of the Mountain Tour-nament at Union Mine-El Dorado on April 9.

“(We knew) Valley was actually really good at digging balls,” Lamy said. “So the main thing was we wanted to make sure we were always prepared to have the ball played back to us.”

As athletic as Valley was, it could not match the size of the Eagles. The various front line combinations created by 6-foot, 10-inch sophomore Sam Mills, the 6-5 Boone, 6-4 Tristan Lamy and 6-3 Dustin Lamy, created problems throughout the night for the Vi-kings.

While the first two games’ final scores don’t appear as blowouts, they weren’t exactly as close as they seemed either.

Vista del Lago jumped out to a 10-6 lead in the opening game and never let Valley get closer than three points the rest of the way. The Vikings had early 6-4 advantage in Game 2, but a 6-1 run quickly turned things in the Vikings favor. Vista del Lago would basi-cally maintain a five- to seven-point cushion through the rest of the game.

“Coming out strong was going to be the key to final,” Mills said. “When we come out strong in matches, we tend to play well. I thought we came out really strong (against Valley). Tristan was setting really well and the passing was crisp. It all came together.”

The third game actually featured some ad-

versity, though. Valley found some real momentum and

built an 19-12 lead before Campbell was forced to use just his second timeout of the entire match.

“I said let’s try to get three points coming out of this timeout,” the coach said. “Well, they got three. Then they got four, and the next thing you know it’s 20-20 and you could see that they collectively felt like ‘We got this.’”

Boone’s presence was quite evident in the third game, especially in the comeback. He had six kills in the final game, and three came during a 10-2 run that would give the Eagles a 21-20 advantage. Valley would rally multiple times to stay alive, but Mills finally delivered the inevitable blow with a solo block.

“It’s been an amazing season,” Mills said af-terward. “I definitely think we saved our best two matches of the season for our last two.”

As Boone waded through his postgame media attention, he did his best to deflect the significance of his decision to rejoin the team.

“I like to think that I didn’t make that much of a difference by coming back,” he said. “But my team thinks I did, so that feels good.”

More importantly, did he find a job?“I’m actually interviewing at Blockbuster

this weekend,” Boone said with a laugh. “So we’ll see how that goes.”

As his eight players were packing up their belongings to clear the bench for the ensuing SJS Division I final, Campbell had to admit that he’d be back on the recruiting trail again soon.

“I’ll be losing three of them (to gradua-tion),” he said. “So I’ve got to find at least three more.”

Then, with a wry smile, he added: “Maybe this (championship) will help a bit, though.” ✪

FAR lEFT: Connor Boone (22) engages the Vista del Lago fans as the Eagles team holds up the cham-

pionship banner for its first Sac-Joaquin Section Division II volleyball title. lEFT: Boone, right, and Griffin Galvin combine

for a block during the third game of Vista del Lago’s SJS finals victory on May 19. The Eagles’ size and play at the net was one of the biggest factors in their win over Valley-Sacramen-

to.

Darryl Henick


Elite athletes go with GUYou’re an athlete and you’re more competitive than just playing a couple

pick-up games with your buds. You run more than just once around the block and you actually take good care of your body. Rec leagues and 5K fun runs can be enjoyable but they’re not for you. No. You crave the triathlons, Iron Man competitions and 100-mile marathons. Training for those are no joke, which is why eating right and fueling up properly is key for success. Go with GU. GU Energy’s products come in a wide array from gels to drinks. Get your fix with

GU Electrolyte Brew — this drink will increase your stamina so that marathon will feel more like a walk in the park. Also try Roctane Ulta Energy Gel. GU’s mad scientists worked hard on

this one as they tested it on thousands of elite athletes with effective results. GU Chomps give you bits of energy bursts during a race, run, hike or swim. All of these products come packed with vitamins, proteins, amino acids — all the good stuff your body will thank you for. To be the greatest you need to eat like the greatest. Hit up www.guenergy.com to get these healthy supplements now.

May 26, 2011

Attack the snow, bike styleWhile your friends impatiently wait for the next ski lift, why

don’t you meet ‘em at the top with a Hanebrink? This all-terrain, all-power, all-guts-no-glory vehicle looks like it came straight from the movies or the 22nd Century (we’re not sure). Loaded with carbon fiber and other materials probably best suited for a space shuttle, Hanebrink is no joke. Built by Dan Hanebrink, a former NASA aerospace engineer, the “ice bike” can go up to 20 MPH — and that’s without pedaling. It comes with tires that are 20” x 8”, easily the widest in the industry; you won’t have to worry about riding into potholes or getting stuck in crevices with this futuristic bad boy. Want one? Hit up www.fortunehanebrink.com to get yours now.

impulse

Softball savings galoreLook, we know the softball season is never-ending. Sure,

the high school season is about to end but organizations and travel teams are kicking it into high gear for the summer months. That’s why you’ll need to reload on your gear. Ringor’s your source. Ringor is the only company to solely focus on women’s softball. Shop as an individual or as a team. Your team deserves the best gear. So why not go to the place that will get you the best. It’s an obvious no-brainer to us. Go to www.ringor.com to find all the latest and greatest in softball cleats, spikes, apparel, bags and other accessories. So, do the right thing; and GET CON-NECTED with www.ringor.com today.

Score the best soccer gear

There’s nothing like scoring the game winner. Don’t take it from us, though. After all, none of

us here have ever bicycle-kicked anything. Nor have we jumped four feet in the air to head in the

golden goal. But we’re more than happy to live through those who have. Make

sure your gear is up to date by going to Soccer Pro. They can hook your team up

with deals on the best gear that can field an entire team of Peles and Ronaldos.

What more could you ask for? Go to www.soccerpro.com for exclusive team deals

on the top gear ranging from jerseys, shorts, balls, cleats, shin guards, and so on.

Or go to one of their stores in Pleasant Hill, San Jose, Dublin and Sacramento.

Note: Buying gear from Soccer Pro in no way guarantees your players’ level of play

will automatically equal that of Pele, Ronaldo or any other soccer legend, living or

dead. But they will come pretty close.

Father’s Day Free-For-All around the cornerHere it is again, folks.

We’re putting on another one of our ultra-fun, super awesome, have-to-be-there SportsJams. Join us on Sunday, June 19 for our Father’s Day Free-For-All at Cabernet Indoor Sports in Liver-more. There’s gonna be tons of FREE food, live music, games, prizes and many other goodies. There will also be plenty of challenges like soccer shootouts against pro goalies, speed pitch and base running competitions along with golf displays, skateboard stunt exhibitions and kart racing. Businesses: Call in to SportStars HQ to find out how to get booth space. Space is limited! The Father’s Day Free-For-All goes from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and promises to be the most fun this side of the Mississippi. Bring out your dad and the rest of the family. Check out our website: www.sportstarsmag.com for more info.

Fueling up pro styleWhat do Kevin Durant, Peyton Manning, Serena Wil-

liams and Sidney Crosby all have in common? Well, other than being ridiculously good in their sports and more rich than we’ll ever be, they also drink Gatorade. Partakers of the innovative G-Series, these athletes are always fueling up with the good stuff. It all starts with the Before. Prior to your practice or game, take Gatorade Prime 01 — pregame fuel that comes in a 4-oz pouch. This will get the collective juices in your muscles flowing by tipoff. Now, let’s talk about the During. Gatorade Thirst Quencher gives the extra oomph needed when your legs start to wear down in the third quarter. You’ll feel like playing another when the buzzer sounds. Don’t forget about the After, probably the most crucial compo-nent to any workout. Gatorade Recover 03 will cool your muscles’ jets and send you into relax mode after the big game. Consistent use of the Before, During and After will go a long way in your career. Go to www.gatorade.com for more info on how to Prime, Perform and Recover.


When it comes to fast short-course swim meets, the North Coast Section Swimming Championships seem to be where it’s at in recent years.

Nine meet records were wiped off the board between 2008-2010, including four marks a year ago — one of which set a national record. However, the 2011 meet may have been the fastest yet. Of the 22 swimming events, half saw record swims.

The day opened with the Carondelet-Concord medley relay team topping its own national independent record from 2010 in the 200-yard event. Then the next three events all saw East Bay swimmers set meet records.

For the competitors from the North Bay, it was hard not to get swallowed up in the wake.

With the graduation of Maria Carillo-Santa Rosa star Maya DiRado — who was a two-time winner (200 individual med-ley and 100 freestyle) in her final NCS meet a year ago and still owns the meet’s record for the 200 IM — there was an opening for the new face of North Bay swimming.

Enter Marin Catholic-Kentfield junior, Kimmie Kreuz-berger.

In her first two years of swimming at NCS, Kreuzberger (pronounced like CRUISE-BERGER) barely blipped the ra-dar. As a freshman swimming for Justin-Siena-Napa in 2009, she finished 23rd in the time trials of 50 freestyle, and barely qualified for the consolation final of the 100 freestyle (finish-ing sixth in that race). Last year, she qualified 27th in the 100 freestyle and 17th in the 50 freestyle — just missing the cut for the consolation final.

Needless to say, swimming at NCS for her new school, Kreuzberger came to May 20-21 section championships at Concord Community Pool with something to prove.

And she delivered. Kreuzberger qualified second in the 50 freestyle with a time

of 24.01 seconds. Then, in the final, she set a personal best by hitting the wall at 23.93. Unfortunately, Campolindo-Moraga senior Dana Holt reached in 23.67. Still, Kreuzberger’s time was good enough for second.

“It was interesting this time because I was a little bit more nervous today than yesterday (at the trials),” she said. “I was just really concentrating and looking to go out there and break my 24. Because I’d swam it a few times and gotten a 24.0. I was just really looking for that 23, and hoping to keep my place. So

I was happy with it.”She came back in the 100 freestyle, which she fashions as

her speciality race over the 50, and finished third. Through the first 100 yards, she was literally neck-and-neck with first-place finisher Madison White. White widened the gap on the third leg and finished in 50.49, more than a half-second ahead of the second-place Holt (51.11) and a little more than a second faster than Kreuzberger’s 51.58.

The finish in the 100 was still a two-position bump from her qualifying time, where she ranked fifth.

So what’s the difference this year as opposed to her first two NCS efforts?

“My mental state has improved,” she said. “The first two years I struggled with preparing mentally, and this year I’ve definitely gotten better at it.”

Kreuzberger grabbed one more medal when she anchored the Marin Catholic 200 freestyle relay team to a second-place finish. Holt got the best of her in that race as well, getting Campolindo to the wall just four-tenths of a second sooner.

The North Bay’s strongest representation in the boys com-

petition came from San Marin sophomore Kenneth Castro-Abrams.

After qualifying third in the 100 butterfly with a time of 49.74, Castro-Abrams got a call from his coach that evening with a small tactical suggestion for the finals race the follow-ing day.

“Normally I dolphin kick more on the first lap,” Castro-Abrams said. “That’s why I’m good at the fly and back because I have a really good dolphin kick. (My coach) told me to do less dolphin kick on the first lap and swim more so that I’d have more for the end.”

It was a good call. The change knocked his time down to 49.65 in the finals,

and allowed him to edge Terra Linda-San Rafael junior Alan Winder for second place. Winder, who had beaten Castro Abrams at the Marin Catholic Athletic League championship meet and also swam faster than him in the NCS trials, finished in 49.83.

“This feels pretty good,” said Castro-Abrams, summing things up. ✪

StayingAfLoAtOvershadowed by several East Bay standouts, a few North Bay swimmers held

their own at NCSBy CHACE bRySON | Editor

Jonathan HawthorneMarin Catholic-Kentfield junior Kimmie Kreuzberger flashes a smile of relief after she swam a personal-best

time to finish second in the 50-yard freestyle at the North Coast Section championships on May 21.


camps + clinics

bASEbAll/SOFTbAll golden Era baseball Based in the East Bay, we offer several instructional-based programs as well as 9U thru 18U Club Teams. We are currently taking sign-ups for our Spring Hitting Classes. Please see our website for full details: www.GoldenEraBaseball.com The Pitching Center We develop baseball players to their full potential. The Pitching Center has grown to become the Total Player Center (TPC), a full-service baseball and softball training academy. Age- and skill-specific programs are available for students ages 8 – High School. Info: 925-416-1600, thepitchingcenter. com SportFormBased in Concord, SportForm provides individual and team instruction in baseball, softball, lacrosse. Highly trained professionals provide accelerated and advanced skills clinics. Prepare to Perform! Info: 925-459-2880. bASkETbAll Saint mary’s College camps Spend your June and July learning fundamentals or honing your skills at McKeon Pavilion. Plenty of options are available. Registration and info: 925-631-4386, smccamps@stmarys- ca.edu; www.smcgaels.com. CHEER Cheergyms.com We offer the best clinics in California! Customize your clinic to fit your needs from basic stunting techniques or working on twist cradles out of one leg stunts, we take your team to the next level! Info: 866-685-7615, www. CheerGyms.com East bay Sports Academy Recreational, competitive athletes benefit from training with the best coaches. Our 10,000 sq. foot facility is clean and bright with the newest equipment. Info: (925) 680-9999, www.EastBaySportsAcademy.com.EquESTRIAN Earthquake Arabians We are hosting camps throughout spring and summer at their facility in the Morgan Territory. Camps are June 13-17 and June 20-24. Size is limited so sign up now! Info/Registration: 925-360-7454 or www.EarthquakeArabians.com for more info. kelly maddox Riding Academy Develop new friendships with other horse-crazy kids. Weekly activities include learning horse colors,

markings and breeds; arts and crafts; a farrier demonstration and human horse show; bareback riding and more! Info: 925-575- 4818, www.KellyMaddoxTraining.com Franklin Canyon Stables Based in Martinez, we provide two covered arenas and easy access to trails. Beginning riders or experienced equestrians, we have a place for you. Instruction in horsemanship on the ground and in the saddle while having fun. Info: 925- 228-1801; www.kimshorsetraining.com/franklin_canyon.htmlCastle Rock ArabiansActivities for tweens and teenagers, where we build team spirit through various team activities on horseback. Visit the ranch by appointment. Info: 925-933-3701, www. castlerockarabians.com FITNESS Children’s HospitalThe “Sport Speed Camp” presented by the Children’s Hospital Oakland Sports Medicine is being held in three two-week sessions: June 20-July 1, July 11-22, and Aug. 1-12. All camp sessions are Monday-Friday from 2-4 p.m. The camp will be at the Derby Street Athletic Field, 1900 Derby Street, Berkeley. Cost is just $250 per athlete and space is limited to 25 athletes per camp session. Info/Registration: call 510-428-3558 and hit option 3.Fit 2 The Core As a Youth Conditioning, Speed/Agility and Nutrition Specialist with the IYCA, Fit- 2-The-Core Training Systems offers an innovative approach to getting young athletes back on the field post-rehabilitation, and continuing the process by progressing their bodies to handle what they must endure on the field or court. Info: 925- 639-0907. Walnut Creek Sports & Fitness We offer over 70 group classes per week. Members also enjoy our heated pool, sauna, spa, and steam-room. Massage, skincare and chiropractic services are available. Call us today for your free week pass! Info: 925-932-6400, www.wcsf.net ENRICHmENT dianne Adair Programs We offer a wide variety of enrichment programs for your child, during the school year and throughout summer. Activities include: Home work help, 4th & Up Club, art and crafts, science, sports, and games. Summer camps include weekly field trips. Info: www. dianneadair.org. E.Nopi and Palm Academy Palm Academy’s “Summer Camp Spectacular” offers day camps with one-week or one- day programs to provide the flexibility for your busy schedule. Abrakadoodle Art Camps inspire kids to reach beyond and create art that is unique to them. Info: Palm Academy, Fremont, (510) 979-9794 or E.Nopi, Newark, (510)79ENOPI (36674)

FOOTbAll NorCal Football Camps Led by Marin Catholic High coach, Ken Peralta (San Francisco 49ers High School Coach of the Year,) Camps serve youth ages of 7- 14. We help each child reach his full potential as a football player and young person. Info: 650-245-3608 . www. norcalfootballcamps.comgOlF Coach Rick golf Learn to play on the course, where it matters with Coach Rick! Golfers of all ages can sign up for clinics offered by Coach Rick starting now throughout summer. Info: (510) 917-6442 • www. ThePersonalGolfCoach.com The First Tee-Contra Costa The First Tee Summer Camp is a youth development program for boys and girls 7-18. Participants learn about golf and life skills and values inherent to the game, rules and etiquette. Summer camps at Diablo Creek Golf Course in Concord. Info: www.thefirstteecontracosta.org; [email protected] or 925-686-6262 x0.The First Tee-Oakland The First Tee of Oakland has delivered The First Tee Life Skills Experience to over 262 participants. Each receive a min. 12 hours of instruction over an 8-week period. Instruction is at three Oakland courses: Metropolitan Golf Links, Lake Chabot GC and Montclair GC. Info: 510-352-2002; www. thefirstteeoakland.org. The First Tee-San Jose The First Tee of San Jose develops youth through the game of golf throughout Silicon Valley. Participants learn to appreciate diversity, resolve conflicts, build confidence and set goals. We welcome participants ranging from second to twelfth grade. Scholarships available. Info: 408-288-2973; www. thefirstteesanjose.org. The First Tee-Tri-Valley The First Tee of the Tri-Valley offers seasonal The First Tee Life Skills Experience Classes and Summer Camps for ages 7-17, held at the Pleasanton Golf Center on the Alameda County Fairgrounds. Summer classes begin on June 14. Junior Golf Summer Camps are held weekly. Info: 925.462.7201, www. TheFirstTeeTriValley.org lACROSSEAtherton lacrosseOur lacrosse camps are designed for boys and girls ages 5-14, who are beginner or intermediate players. Our group of coaches and staff are leaders in the lacrosse community. Info: 888- 526-3330, www.AthertonLacrosse.com. SportFormBased in Concord, SportForm provides Individual and team instruction in baseball, softball and lacrosse. Highly trained professionals provide accelerated and advanced skills clinics. Prepare to Preform! Info: 925-459-2880. Vitality lacrosseVitality offers summer league programs in four Bay Area regions, all of which come together


camps + clinics

on July 30 for the Bay Area Summer League Championships on Treasure Island. Locations include: Marin County, Peninsula, East Bay and Petaluma. League runs six weeks starting June 20. Info: 888-501-4999, www.VitalityLacrosse.com. mARTIAl ARTS united States karate Systems Adult and children’s programs, kick box fitness, mixed martial arts. Providing excellence in martial arts instruction and services for the entire family. 925-682- 9517; www.usksmartialarts.com SOCCER Heritage Soccer Club A Pleasant Hill/Martinez based competitive soccer club welcomes players ages 8-18. Learn new skills and hone existing ones from top flight coaching staff with years of experience spanning the high school and college ranks. June is the third annual 6v6 Blowout Tournament. Info: www.heritagesc.com. SWImmINg-dIVINg Walnut Creek Swim Club WCSC is a recreational team sponsored by the City of Walnut Creek celebrating its 50th anniversary. Led by the experience of coach Brad Hoy, the staff is the finest in the area. WCSC believes in finding the healthy balance between competition and family fun. Info: 925-766-5664 Sherman Swim School We are a Lafayette swimming and diving school celebrating our 50th year. Our year-round schedule allows children and adults to learn, retain, and improve their swim skills with little interruption. Info: 925-283-2100, www.ShermanSwim.com VOllEybAll Pacific Rim Volleyball We offer several skill-based camps and clinics, including setting camp, hitting camp and an all-skills camp. Campers will be evaluated and placed in a group that challenges their level of play. Registration for beach volleyball is going on now as well. Info: www. pacificrimvolleyball.com WRESTlINg Community youth Center The CYC in Concord offers three types of week-long wrestling camps. Elementary Camp for ages 5-10 runs July 5-8. All

Corners Camp for ages 11-18 runs July 18-22, and Advanced Camp serves the same age group and runs Aug. 8-12. Camps are 9 a.m.-3 p.m. daily at the CYC. Info: 925-671-7070, Ext. 229, www.communityyouthcenter.com.mulTI-SPORT de la Salle sports campsThe name “De La Salle” is pretty much synonymous with “champion” in East Bay sport circles, and if that’s not an endorsement of their summer camps, we’re not sure what is! The school’s Athletic Summer Camps will begin June 13 and will run in week-long sessions through June 30. DLS is welcoming incoming fourth-through-ninth graders. Camp offerings include football, track and field, lacrosse, wrestling, volleyball, baseball, water polo, soccer, and strength and conditioning. For more information, contact Leo Lopoz, director of summer camps, or Derricke Brown, assistant director of summer camps, at (925) 288-8100, ext. 7090.Cal Athletic Camps Cal Camps are offered in a variety of sports for girls and boys 5-19, with week-long, half-day, full-day and overnight options, and several choices for adults. Most camps take place on campus in Berkeley from June through August. Camp sports include: baseball, basketball, rowing/crew, field hockey, football, golf, rugby, soccer, strength & conditioning, swimming, tennis, volleyball and water polo. Info [email protected]. Renaissance ClubSport Spring and summer Sports camps are led by seasoned directors. Sports Day Camp is for children 5-12 and focuses on a different sport each day including: football, soccer, swimming, basketball, bocce, kickball, racquetball and karate. Summer camps run June 13 thru Aug. 19. Info: 925-942-6344. www.clubsports.com Cabernet Indoor Sports Come Play Soccer, Baseball, Basketball, Football, Lacrosse, Dodgeball, Capture the Flag, Futsal and much more at the world’s greatest summer camp experience in Livermore. Available to kids ages 5 & up, Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. running from June 13-Aug. 19. More info: www.cabernetindoorsports.com

Pick your favorites and we’ll get you hooked up! ❒ Apparel ❒ Automotive ❒ Camps & Clinics ❒ Endurance/Out-

door/Adventure ❒ Events ❒ Fun/Entertainment ❒ Fundraising ❒ golf/Tennis ❒ gyms/Health Clubs ❒ Health & Nutrition ❒ Home Improvement ❒ Martial Arts ❒ Restaurants ❒ Sporting goods ❒ Teams/Clubs/

Leagues ❒ Travel & Leisure

❒ A A A Northern California, Nevada & Utah ......................... 10

❒ AABCO Printing ........................ 24 ❒ American Kenda Rubber ........... 29 ❒ Aviva Promotional Products...... 18 ❒ Back Forty BBQ ......................... 17 ❒ Baseball Batting Cages.Com ..... 24 ❒ Big 5 ........................................... 3 ❒ Big C Athletic Club ...................... 5 ❒ Big- O Tires ................................. 2 ❒ Bob Larson Photography .......... 34 ❒ Cabernet Indoor Sports ............. 34 ❒ Cal Athletic Camps .................... 35 ❒ California Adventure Camps...... 34 ❒ Cheer gyms .............................. 12 ❒ Children’s Hospital and Research

Center ....................................... 27

❒ Clayton/Countrywood Fitness Centers.......................... 25

❒ Club Sport Renaissance ............ 19 ❒ Community Youth Center .......... 31 ❒ Crowne Plaza ............................ 24 ❒ Diablo Car Wash & Detail Center .. 24 ❒ Diablo Rock gym....................... 25 ❒ Diablo Trophies & Awards ......... 25 ❒ Dianne Adair Enrichment

Programs .................................... 7 ❒ E Teamsponsor .......................... 28 ❒ East Bay Sports Academy .......... 21 ❒ Excellence In Sport Performance .... 7 ❒ Farmers Insurance .................... 25 ❒ Fast Break Basketball Camps .... 13 ❒ Fit 2 The Core ............................ 17 ❒ golden Era Baseball .................. 25

❒ Halo Headband ......................... 24

❒ Heavenly greens ....................... 38

❒ Home Team Sports Photography .. 24

❒ Jory’s Flowers ........................... 35

❒ Kaiser Permanente ................... 33

❒ Kelly Maddox Equestrian Training .. 35

❒ Kinders B B Q ............................ 31

❒ McCoveys .................................. 18

❒ Mt. Diablo Soccer ...................... 24

❒ Norcal Youth Football Camp ...... 35

❒ Northgate High School ............. 25

❒ Pacific Rim Volleyball Academy .. 35

❒ Peninsula Building Materials .... 24

❒ Rocco’s Pizza ............................. 25

❒ Saint Mary’s Athletic Summer

Camps ...................................... 23

❒ Sherman Swim School .............. 21

❒ Sky High Sports ........................ 25

❒ Smokin Okies B B Q Joint .......... 25

❒ Sports Jam Cabernet: Father’s Day

Free- For- All ............................. 40

❒ Sports Stars Magazine ................ 4

❒ The First Tee Of Contra Costa ..... 23

❒ The First Tee Of Tri Valley ........... 23

❒ The Personal golf Coach ............ 23

❒ Tpc / The Pitching Center .......... 35

❒ Tri Valley Tri Club ....................... 39

❒ USKS Concord ........................... 24

❒ Velocity Sports Performance ..... 25

❒ Vitality Lacrosse ........................ 13

❒ Walnut Creek Sports & Fitness .. 16


Want to submit your pic for Photo Finish? Send it to us at [email protected]. Photos must be 300 dpi and at least 10 inches wide in the jpeg format. Please identify every person in the photo and include your contact information.

Rocklin High junior Trevor Burmester (1) goes airborne as he prepares to set up teammate Zach Dahla (17) during the

Sac-Joaquin Section Division I boys volleyball final on May 19. The Thunder defeated Jesuit-Sacramento 25-18, 19-25, 25-22,

28-30, 15-6 to take home the program’s first SJS banner.PHOTO by dARRyl HENICk

CA Issue 24, 05.26.2011

Documents

Transcript of CA Issue 24, 05.26.2011