The Pipeline: February 2025

Friday, February 28, 2025

LJ track: Fast company

Sprinter Olivia Smith of La Jolla goes through

her warm-up progression at the

annual Battle of La Jolla meet Thurs.,

Feb. 27. (Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Some fast company is when Chiara Dailey, a prep All-American at middle distances, ran against teammate Olivia Smith at the Battle of La Jolla track meet at La Jolla High Thurs., Feb. 27.

Dailey, who runs 800 meters and 1600 meters--and added the 400-meter four times last season as a junior--recorded a time of 28.70 in the shorter distance of 200, good for second place, as new Head Coach Ben Martin's athletes had some leeway to try some new things.

Meanwhile, Smith, a senior looking to hone her craft this year, took the field with a first-place time of 25.93. Three runners from La Jolla Country Day and Bishop's also ran in the race, but only one of their scores counted.

Things will get much more serious a week from this Saturday, March 8, with the Vikings opening up their "real" competition in hosting the first-ever Viking Sunset Relays, held in the latter part of the day, Martin said, to highlight the beautiful setting on the La Jolla campus, including the outstanding sunsets.

LJ softball 1, Bishop's 21 - 2/27

Viking players clap as each name of their

starting lineup is called out in the team huddle

before their game at home against

visiting San Ysidro Mon., Feb. 24.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Ouch! Bishop's, La Jolla's "Pearl Street rival", put a serious hurt on the developing Vikings in softball Thurs., Feb. 28. The Knights piled up their 21 runs on a dozen hits, with 19 RBI's, led by senior Jasmine Stafford with 5 RBI's.

Let's say it was not exactly CIF quality. But we know La Jolla is early in their process of incorporating a new third baseman, getting Aviv Laska back healthy, and Natalie Alvarez is only in her sophomore year, striving as a pitcher to get better.

Stafford clubbed three hits in five at-bats to get her grip of runs batted in. The red-and-black are going to work at getting more than three hits, as they did against Knights hurler Jessica Yao, a senior. It'll take time, but time is what they have a lot of during the coming season.

Bishop's was solid last year, winning the Pacific League title with a 9-1 record, 16-8 overall.

LJ b VB 3, Vista Murrieta 2 - 2/26

Photos by Ed Piper

Senior Myles Plaskonos

Pregame conference led by head coach

Dave Jones

Zepher Smith (14), 6'3" junior

6'8" senior Ben Salmon

Assistant Berkeley

Miesfield: LJHS won

Open Division in 2017,

and was second (2018)

and third (2015 and 2016)

during his four years

playing.

LJ track: Battle of La Jolla 2/27

Photos by Ed Piper

Senior Jackson Brown clears an early height

in the pole vault.

La Jolla High long-jumpers get some

pre-event instructions.

Senior Olivia Smith

pauses during warm-ups

for her sprints.

The starter displays a plastic bullet

that he says is becoming popular

that doesn't leave as much powder in the gun,

necessitating the device having to be cleaned out

frequently.

Thursday, February 27, 2025

LJ g water polo 2, Clairemont 8 - So Cal Regionals - semis

Photos by Ed Piper

Sophomore Avi Cavaiola (11) takes aim.

Grecia Ramirez (7) defends Ava Gatewood

of Clairemont, who scored a hat trick (3 goals).

LJ's Cora Pfau (right) goes for loose ball

in front of the Chieftains' goal

late in the third quarter.

Senior Grecia Ramirez (7, back to camera)

looks to pass to teammate Avery Edstrom

(rear left).

Clairemont goalie Ava Barclay (1)

blocked a dozen shots.

LJ g BB: Photos 2/26

Photos by Ed Piper

Soila Chadwick (20) is

contested by the Patriots'

Brigette Nickerson.

Reagan Bennett (5) blocks out

Christian's Jazmyn Bugg (3)

on a free throw.

LJ's AJ Jacoby (25) guards

Sierra Weckback (13) of Christian

on the baseline.

Drew Bennett (21) shoots

one of two free throws.

LJ g BB 42, Christian 70 - CIF D4 semis

Christian's Maepon Johnson (22)

faces Reagan (5) and Drew Bennett

(far right, only partially in view)

as she drives toward the basket

near the end of the first quarter.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

On paper, it looked like La Jolla's CIF D4 semifinal basketball game at Christian Thursday, Feb. 26, might shape up as a battle between two star guards, the Vikings' Reagan Bennett against Leah Speers, a 5'2" freshman averaging 21.6 points a game.

But the Patriot defense limited Bennett's opportunities, and the host team--after some early-game miscues--played near-smothering defense to slowly build a six-point lead at the end of the first quarter and lead 16-10.

La Jolla first-year coach Nia De la Pena-Thompson's squad fought bravely, with Reagan, her twin Drew, and a third senior playing her last high school game, Elena Farrar, battling for balls but being a little out-manned by Christian's (23-4 overall, 8-0 to win the City League) superior forces.

Starting the second period, the gap started to widen, as Speers repeatedly drove for buckets and passed to teammates for others. The Patriots' lead quickly accelerated to 19 by the half, 39-20.

Sophomore Jazmyn Bugg harassed the beleaguered Viking ballhandlers. Senior guard Maepon Johnson lofted shots from distance.

Christian went on from there to expand its margin to 24 in the third quarter, reaching 30 points with 5:20 left in the game.

De la Thompson-Pena, told after the game that her team making the semis was quite an achievement, said, "We played a great season. We had a great record (21-10 overall, 6-2 in the Eastern League). We had the Player of the Year (Reagan, with 18.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 2.7 steals a game)," as she began to struggle with her composure.

The Bennett sisters and Farrar came out of the postgame handshake with tears in their eyes. They finished well their senior seasons to arrive at this point.

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

LJ softball: A good start

JC Taylor gets ready defensively as a

San Ysidro runner takes off from first base

in the Mon., Feb. 24 game at La Jolla.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Despite their season-opening loss, 22-14, to visiting San Ysidro Tues., Feb. 25, La Jolla's softball team looks like it's going to start well in the young 2025 season.

Besides returner JC Taylor smacking a first-inning drive off the short wall in centerfield to drive in two runs, fellow sophomore Natalie Alvarez showed more command and a little maturation from last year as the game opened.

Ever since Emmy Cardenas graduated two years ago, Coach Anthony Sarain's team has kept an eye out for the "secret sauce" that includes a hurler who can repeatedly deliver in the strike zone to keep the inning going.

After two walks to open the top of the first--admittedly a small sample size, as this reporter only observed and took photos during this short stretch--Alvarez righted herself and got through the inning, giving up only three runs. That doesn't sound like much, but in the recent pass the Vikings suffered through game-after-game with pitchers who couldn't put her pitches over the plate.

Plus La Jolla's lineup is looking much more stocked: JC is a left-handed power-hitter with lots of softball experience; captain and shortstop Roxie Metcalf comes out for her senior season with three years under her belt; Savannah Putnam patrols centerfield, which gives the corner outfielders playing next to her a lot of confidence; and freshman Ella Pearl seems to be a fit at third base.

Junior Maddie Ehlert started behind the plate in Tuesday's opener. She can play there and at second base, switching with sophomore Aviv Laska, who was at the game running the scoreboard but unable to play.

The heartening thing that bodes well for the Vikings is that they scored that many runs--14--even in a losing effort. They could never score that many runs in a losing cause last year. Sarain, who was away at another event, should be looking forward to this campaign.