The Pipeline: 2026

Tuesday, May 12, 2026

LJ baseball: Photos 5/11

Photos by Ed Piper

Senior Harper Lane takes a lead off second

base after stealing it in the top of the fifth inning,

but the Vikings cannot bring him

around to score.

score.

LJ baseball 1, Lincoln 3 - 5/11

Viking shortstop Brady Wilson (11) holds the ball

in his glove after Kyle Harris of Lincoln steals

second base in the bottom of the first inning

Mon., May 11.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

La Jolla only has to win one of its three season-ending games with Lincoln to clinch the City League title, but Monday, May 11, the Vikings could only manage one run against freshman lefthander Sebastian "Sebas" Estrada, falling 3-1.

The two teams continue their series Wed., May 13, at Muirlands for the Vikings' Senior Game.

Hornet rightfielder Dominick Mendoza clubbed a home run onto the school building roof beyond right field with leadoff hitter Oscar Lopez on base by an error, one of two errors La Jolla (7-3) committed. That gave Coach Jesse De la Torre's team (5-4-1) a 2-0 edge in the first inning against Viking ace Charlie Smith. Mendoza is their third-slot hitter.

Then the hosts pushed over another run in the bottom of the third playing small ball. Lopez got on base again, this time via walk, one of three Smith gave up. Shortstop Jesus "Chuy" Padilla sacrificed him to second, his second sacrifice bunt in as many at-bats.

Mendoza moved Oscar to third with a single to center. Ari Estrada, the pitcher's older brother, a junior, grounded out to first base, plating Lopez for the 3-0 lead.

The Vikings' lineup managed six hits, but the younger Estrada struck out 10, walking five.

Renner Smith, DH-ing in this game, drove in Ryan Khourajian in the fourth inning for La Jolla's only run.

Leadoff hitter Carter Strauss looks back

toward the backstop during an at-bat

in the middle innings.

Monday, May 11, 2026

LJ track: Smoole combines for 100, 200, 4x100 relay, 4x400 relay league titles

La Jolla's Leed Smoole (center) takes off in a sprint

in the 100 meters next to teammate Charlie Martin

(behind, also in red shorts and black top). Smoole's

winning time was 10.78. Martin placed 11th in 11.63.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Senior Leed Smoole, who has been working with sprint coaches Haneef Shaheed (whose son Rashid plays for the Seattle Seahawks) and Tracy Thompson in the offseason, swept titles in the 100 meters, 200 meters, and relays with the Vikings' 4x100 and 4x400 foursomes at the Eastern League Finals Fri., May 8, at Canyon Hills.

This sets up Smoole, who also played football for La Jolla, for the CIF Division 3 Finals Sat., May 16, at Mt. Carmel High, and hopefully the CIF San Diego Section Finals meet at the same site the following Saturday.

Viking Leilani Hill (far right) wins the 100 meters

in 12.84 for the Eastern League title. The senior goes on

to the Division 3 meet at Mt. Carmel Sat., May 16.

LJ track: Janae repeats at shot put 5/8

La Jolla's Janae Stanley-Castillo unleashes

her best throw of 38'10" at the Eastern League

Finals at Canyon Hills Fri., May 8.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Janae Stanley-Castillo, who first won the Eastern League shot put title as a sophomore in her first year of competition last season, repeated as title defender by chucking the huge ball of metal 38'10" at Canyon Hills High Friday afternoon, May 8.

The junior, amiable and willing to work with her fellow athletes, led a foursome of Vikings through the league finals in posting her first-place throw. Teammates Ayla Lakisic, only a freshman, sophomore Kayla Hanoch, and Mitra Mahmoudi, a junior, completed the 13 student-athletes who finished in the event beginning Friday's finals. The races on the new Canyon Hills track were delayed by 39 minutes due to electronic timing issues.

Stanley-Castillo has thrown the shot 40'9" this season in La Jolla's dual meet against Mission Bay. She has improved her distance in her first 15 months of training in the sport over seven feet, from a best of 33'8" in 2025 at the CIF Division 3 championships. She will move on to next Saturday's (May 16) division meet with her 38-foot-plus put.

Stanley-Castillo (center, seated) waits for her final

attempt Friday, May 8, with teammates and throws

coach Darian Savage (red shirt).

Sunday, May 10, 2026

LJ track: Eastern League Finals photos 5/8

Photos by Ed Piper

LJ's Peyton Gustafson (left) runs

the first leg in the staggered start to

the boys 4x100-meter relay

after a considerable time delay.

Chiara Dailey (far right) of La Jolla starts

the 1600-meter alongside teammate

Hannah Aalaei. Dailey won in 5:27.19,

Aalaei third in 5:36.24.

Mitra Mahmoudi makes her first attempt

in the first flight in the shot put.

Sophomore Jett Dailey (far right) trudges the

boys 1600. He finished fourth in 4:29.73.

Janae Stanley-Castillo warming up for the

shot put

LJHS head coaches Ben Martin (L) and

Adam Dailey making sure their relay runners

have batons and whatever else they need.

Senior Kai Hoshide of Mission Bay clears

an early height in the boys high jump.

Chiara Dailey (center, redhead) stays close with her

Viking teammates to make a move on the last lap

and conserve her energy for doubling

in the 3200.

Blaise Dailey runs 4:42.64 in the 1600.

Competitors take a breather after the 1600

near the infield fence around the Canyon

Hills track.

Charlie Martin takes home some souvenirs

after photos of the winners on the championship

stand for the 4x100 relay.

LJ 4x800 relay team finished third: (from left)

Bill Chebelyon, Rory Cockerill, Daniel Dangaran,

and Joey Cathalinat (in reverse order

of the legs they run).

Saturday, May 9, 2026

Prep track: Abramson runs last finals as senior

Buccaneer senior Chris Abramson (rear, with

blindfold on) starts the 100-meter dash tethered

to his guide, David Cervantes (in fluorescent

vest) at the Eastern League Finals Fri., May 8.

Look at their hands to see the bright-green

tether. (Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Chris Abramson, the Mission Bay High senior who has pioneered para track and shot put for others to follow, competed in his last Eastern League Finals at Canyon Hills Fri., May 8. His parents, Noelle and Steve, were in attendance and trackside.

The likeable, gregarious student-athlete, who wears a "blindfold"-type cover over his eyes while running, has gained entry to San Diego State's para track athlete program next year, which he is really excited about.

Abramson, who was able to detect light as a young child in elementary school and later lost that "sight"--his dad Steve said he "didn't really have vision" at that age--was the only entrant Friday in his events: 100 meters, 200 meters, and shot put. In virtually every venue he competes in, he sets a new track record because he is one of the first to compete in the "ambulatory" category.

He loves advanced math, can entertain his listeners by doing various accents, and has a dedicated one-on-one guide, as it is called in para track, David Cervantes. Cervantes, a distance runner in his prep track days, patiently got Chris into the blocks he had to use in the 100 meters, as able-bodied athletes lined up alongside him for their own heats.

Chris (right), holding green tether, waits with

guide David Cervantes before the ambulatory

100-meter race. They would soon settle in

to the metal blocks (not in view) for the

start of the sprint.

Friday, May 8, 2026

LJ softball: On a roll in league, led by Jacey and Ella

By Ed Piper

In our absence (the past two weeks), the La Jolla softball team has gone on a total roll in Central League play, burning six opponents with outstanding power hitting by senior Jacey Taylor (10 home runs) and adequate pitching by Taylor and soph Ella Pearl, who carry season records of 4-1 and 4-2, respectively.

In fact, the entire batting lineup from top to bottom is hitting well over .300, with regulars Elle Thomson, a freshman, Pearl, and Taylor, the big bopper, hitting .476, .531, and .635 on the season.

LJ b VB d. by Mission Vista, 3-1 - CIF D1 playoffs - 5/7

By Ed Piper

Following the distinguished prep indoor (spring) and beach (fall) school careers of Adam Grushkevich, Sonny Wiczynski, and their fellow seniors, La Jolla dropped a first-round CIF Division 1 playoff match at Mission Vista 3-1 Wed., May 6, to conclude their high school careers.

Grushkevich, who started as setter from his freshman year three years ago, and his compadres battled the Timberwolves on their home floor. Mission Vista (in North County) won the first two games, 25-17, 25-18.

The Vikings fought back to win the third game, 25-20, before losing the fourth, 25-22, to close out the night--and the season.

Monday, May 4, 2026

LJ baseball: Atop the City League at the moment

By Ed Piper

La Jolla, at 7-2, stands atop the City League standings as of this writing (May 4), with three games to play against second-place Lincoln next week.

The Vikings, led by the batting exploits of Ryan Khourajian (.438) and Charlie Martin (.412) and the stellar pitching of starter Charlie Smith (6-2, 2.20 ERA), have a temporary four-game lead (not counting a tie) on the Hornets, who stand at 3-2-1 in league play.

Coach Gary Frank's 2026 edition plays Lincoln in a best-of-three regular-season series May 11-15.

Says Frank: "We have not clinched anything."

If Lincoln wins all three of their games this week, putting them at 6-2-1 after Fri., May 8, "Whoever wins two out of three in that series will win the league."

The D3 rankings on MaxPreps show La Jolla at ninth, 13-12 on the season, and the Hornets sixth, 15-5-1. But the Vikes have a much better Strength of Schedule rating, 3.86 to 0.22 for Lincoln, meaning the coastal city has played much better teams throughout the duration of the season.

What's more appealing is looking at how well the Viking players have performed in league: Besides Khourajian, joining the team at midseason, and Martin, the squad is batting .329 as a team. Charlie Martin is ripping the cover off the ball, with 14 hits in 26 at bats, with 10 RBI's.

Khourajian is 12 for 27, and has four doubles. Carter Strauss, the catcher and leadoff hitter, has gone pretty elevated at a .385 clip (10 for 26).

Reed Turner, always dependable, is carrying a healthy .320 average in the City League, leading the team with 11 runs scored.

The other Charlie, Smith, has gone 3-0 in City play, with three complete games. He has given up only one run, it being earned, in 21 innings--definitely Pitcher of the Year status for only a sophomore. You can't do any better than that.