LJ b golf @ Saints Invitational - 3/12

Photos by Ed Piper

Freshman Eugenio Cardoso

Martinez stretches his

fingers before play

Thurs., March 12. He said

the bending back helps

relieve the stress of gripping

the club.

Eugenio, here warming up on the putting

green, is the Vikings' number-one golfer

through the first two weeks of the season.

He shot an 85 over 18 holes on the first day

of the two-day Saints Invitational

at San Diego Country Club. It was hot.

LJ transfer Santiago Cardoso Martinez (white shirt,

second from right), from Queretaro, Mexico,

listens to ground rules from the Saints coach

before teeing off. The junior was the number-three

Viking golfer before the Invitational.

Sophomore Kellen McGrath

places a ball to practice putting

before his scheduled 2:01 p.m.

tee time. The tournament was

running almost 30 minutes

ahead of schedule.

Santi (left) makes his way toward the first tee

with a fellow member of his threesome

from Coronado. The third golfer was from

Canyon Crest Academy.

LJ g lax 6, Cathedral Catholic 12 - Western League opener 3/12

Photos by Ed Piper

Senior Reese Rodgers (right, 1)

of the Vikings grabs ball in front of

A.K. Miller (10, left).

Sam Cousino (2), LJ attack

Lily Mebust (5) of La Jolla and Lily

Raiszadeh (4) of the Dons after the

opening faceoff.

LJHS roster

CCHS roster

LJ baseball: Meet (some of) your Vikings

Photos by Ed Piper

Charlie Martin (2)

Renner Smith (3)

LJ track: Opening salvo

By Ed Piper

With La Jolla High track already in gear, I notice a few things:

--The Jim Cerveny Invite VIII March 21 is a great way to view some excellent high school track and field in a relaxed atmosphere, and near to home (Mission Bay). Jim was a personal friend of my wife and myself years ago. He makes his appearance at each meet in his name.

And--the Cerveny Invite is a good way to check in with Chris Abramson, the Buccaneer runner who is blind and runs with his guide, David Cervantes, in the 100 and 200, and sometimes throws the shot put. Chris is a "people" person more than an athlete, so interacting with him is a friendly experience, and very uplifting, considering all the challenges he has met and overcome--including skiing downhill.

--At the Dick Wilkins Frosh/Soph Championships at Del Norte High April 25 (no one uses the term "frosh" anymore--it never caught on), a track fan can check in on younger athletes who don't get the full spotlight because of their upperclass teammates. I've been to one, and hope to go to another this Spring.

--Thank God for the time change. The day is now long enough to view track (and baseball, and any other outdoor sport), without worrying if darkness is going to descend and force the meet or game to be called. We were in Arizona for Spring Training, and the heat just about did us in. We are very grateful to be back and enjoying cooler temperatures, even though the temp is supposed to go up again here this coming week.

The Santa Ana winds are very unusual in San Diego. I grew up with them in Camarillo (Ventura County), where Santa Ana conditions mean wind blowing. I could chart each three- or four-day stretch with Santa Ana's on my calendar, due to the hot, blowing air around me, causing sinus/allergy problems/sinus headaches.

--Canyon Hills is going to be the full-time track host for the Eastern League Finals May 8, plus the Division 3 Championships May 16. The week before the league finals, the Rattler facility will also host the JV City Conference Championships. More power to them.

The long period of construction, it seems, has been completed, and Coach John "Red" Pisapia and his fellow track colleagues at Canyon Hills can do what they do best: carry out track and field events on the "field below ground level". The giant tower that enables handicapped persons to access the field apparently will be operational, and the fence around the track (I got caught between it and the stands two years ago) is no longer hanging people up (I'm saying that humorously).

--The La Jolla High list of track athletes is always a delight for us "name" people. It includes a lot of student-athletes, because track is a big deal at LJHS, and there are all sorts of patterns in the names:

   

   --multiple Lily's

   --You can't figure out siblings/families easily, because the names are listed in order by first name.

   --A last name we would spell with a "y" often ends in "iy" for Russian/Ukraine names (I've had a bunch of students substitute-teaching in Poway and San Dieguito with this).

   --I can recognize siblings using last names as a guide--then covering all the LJHS teams helps me make such connections.

LJ g beach VB vs. OLP - pool play - BCI 3/7

Photos by Ed Piper

Estella Levine (7) of the LJ fours

sets for her teammate, Gianna Pulli

(not pictured).

Quinn Turner (10)

of the fives serves

for the Vikings.

Nicole Diehl (16, left) slaps hands with

Quinn after a play in the fives match vs. OLP.

A surfer takes a wave in the background

as Beaches Classic Invitational action

goes on at 9:45 Saturday morning.

What a setting.

Estella goes to the sand.

Estella passes.

Quinn Turner goes up for a hit

near the net.

LJ's Leah Wylie (14) goes

sky-borne to spike a ball

over the net in the threes

pairing.

Another surfer takes a wave in the background

while individuals work out and BCI play

progresses.

LJ baseball 3, Calexico 12 - Pirate Baseball Classic 3/8

Junior Reed Turner (14) hits a single to center

in the bottom of the second inning to get on base

as the Vikings scored two runs in the frame.

The infielder went 4-for-4 on the day.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Junior infielder Reed Turner went four-for-four, including a double, but La Jolla dropped a 12-3 decision to Calexico at home Sat., March 8, before a good-sized crowd for both teams. The game was the third one for Coach Gary Frank's Vikings in the Pirate Baseball Classic (Oceanside High).

The hosts opened up scoring in the bottom of the second inning as sophomore Brady Wilson, batting in the eighth slot, beat out a grounder to Bulldog third baseman Kenneth Calderon for a basehit with one out.

Senior Luke Cripe, starting in left field, drove in Wilson with a sharply-hit single to right to put the Vikings on the scoreboard.

After leadoff batter Carter Strauss--a rarity as a catcher hitting at the top of the order--lined out to Maximo Gonzalez in right field, keeping him busy, Turner lined a single to center, putting runners at first and second.

Then big Charlie Martin, recovered from a troublesome thumb, drilled a groundball to Diego Martinez. The second baseman threw it away, allowing Cripe to continue from his progress at third and score La Jolla's second run.

It was to be the second-to-last run the Vikings scored on the day.

Martin's reaching on error and the additional run scoring knocked Calexico starting righthander Joshua Apodaca out of the game. The senior left the mound, but Coach Luis Briseno's team was able to regroup and score a ton of runs as the game developed.

Turner, who started at shortstop, is hitting a torrid .462, on 6-for-13, in the Vikings' first four games.

It was, undoubtedly, a happy two-hour drive back to the border town after the victory, Calexico's fifth against one loss in the early season. La Jolla falls to 1-3.

LJ g beach VB 2, Mission Bay 3 - 3/6

Photos by Ed Piper

Junior Jori Carswell leaps for a spike

at the net.

Junior Nanette Fu (rear) receives a serve

as teammate Emma Garrett (8) moves

into position.

Emma Garrett goes up

for a hit in the ones match.

LJ coach Kelly Drobeck talks with Jori (4, behind)

and Saya from the fives during a "tech"

(timeout break).

Freshman Saya Patel

serves.

Opponents slap hands as they switch sides

of the net every seven or so points.

Good sportsmanship is prevalent at the

matches, as coaches remind their

players to extend the benefit of the doubt

on calling and "disputing" points. Team

members not involved in a particular match

judge points in or out of bounds as the

match progresses.

Nanette Fu delivers a spike

as Emma Garrett (8) watches.