LJ wrestling: Pace sets the pace

Noah Pace, 113, during

a break in his match

Wed., Jan. 17,

against Mira Mesa.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Among the more impressive things that happened at the Monte Vista Invitational Sat., Jan. 13, for La Jolla High wrestlers was sophomore Noah Pace's skein of winning five matches through the consolation bracket to take third place at 113 pounds.

Pace, who has continued to excel in his second year in the Viking program one weight class up from his freshman 106 pounds, after dropping his initial match of the day to Abdullah Alshami of Henry in a close decision, 6-5, pulled off an incredible streak of five straight victories--three by fall (pin), the other two by decision.

The major feat was avenging his earlier defeat in the day to Alshami in the bracket finals by a 12-1 major decision.

On his march to come back to the title path via the consolation bracket, the blond grappler pinned Kevin Lazo-Rosales of Hoover in two minutes, 10 seconds; came back to decision Landon Bernal of Imperial, 13-6; put Christian's Bryce Hughes' shoulders to the mat for a fall in 4:54; then went even better, a pin in 2:52, over Esteban Plasencia of St. Augustine.

Pace's climb back culminated in the win over Alshami, his earlier nemesis.

LJ wrestling: Q&A with Liam Kressin

Viking 135-pounder Liam Kressin (L), a sophomore,

gets his hand raised after winning by decision,

12-11, over Leonardo Montes (R) of Calexico

in their first match of the Monte Vista Invitational

Saturday morning, Jan. 13. (Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Liam Kressin, a sophomore, wrestles at 132 pounds for La Jolla High's wrestling squad. His sister, Hannah, a senior, is also trying wrestling this year at 125 pounds. This interview was conducted immediately following a bout in the Monte Vista Invitational Sat., Jan. 13.

What are your thoughts?

It was close. He kept rolling through on my sets, and he was pretty strong. But I just kept trying to stay on top.

There were a couple of reverses at the end? (The referee conferred at the scorer's table for several minutes before declaring Liam's win.)

Yeah, I reversed him and got two near falls, and he reversed me and got two near falls. So it was back-and-forth, but I was up by one (at the finish).

You're a sophomore?

Yes.

Are you surprised at how well you're doing this year? (Only varsity wrestlers went to this invitational.) You've really come up to varsity.

Um, yeah, but I've been practicing a lot. I feel like I've put the work in.

How did you get your sister into wrestling?

She watched me do it all last year and it looked pretty fun. I said, "You could try it."

So you guys talk about it, workouts and afterwards? It comes up at dinner, or whatever?

Yeah, we practice with each other sometimes.

Kressin (R) tries to stand up during his bout

with Montes.

LJ g water polo: Q&A with Sophia Soltero

Viking senior Sophia Soltero while listening

to coaches in a timeout during

La Jolla's game at Clairemont Tues., Jan. 16.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Sophia Soltero is a senior playing on the Viking water polo team. These comments came before La Jolla's game at the Clairemont Recreation Center vs. Clairemont Tues., Jan. 16.

Tell me about your role on the team.

I'm a 1-2 attacker (left side of an imaginary rectangle in front of the goal) , and I primarily play with Margo (Tempel) on the 1-2 side, so I'm a big shooter.

You shoot a lot?

Yes. On defense, I mainly defensing (sic). I'm usually on the top. I'm pressing the 4 (right side).

Back on offense, what are you guys trying to emphasize as a team?

We try and isolate players. We've been working on that. We're just trying to work as a team, really.

Explain isolation for a non-water polo person.

Basically, you move one person from one side to the other side of the pool, so the space on one side is more open.

Studies. What do you like to study this year?

Math and STEM-related stuff.

What do you like about math?

It comes kind of easily to me. But it's a challenge sometimes. I don't know how to explain it.

Thinking ahead, do you want to pursue it after high school?

Yeah, definitely.

Any thoughts about where you would want to go?

Well, for college, I'm thinking of going somewhere in California. Somewhere in L.A., probably.

You have all your applications out?

I'm done with all my applications.

L.A., that's a lot of schools. Where else in California?

I'm thinking about the UC system. So like UC Davis...

That's in the north (of California). Would you want to continue playing water polo?

Yes, I'm trying to get recruited.

LJ g water polo: Game story

The lights during the evening game at Clairemont

Rec Center set off a pattern during a pass

between Chieftain players, with Viking Jordin

Morrow (2, white cap, second from left)

on defense. (Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

La Jolla's water polo team played like the number-two team in the county, unleashing a furious 10-2 barrage after halftime against Clairemont Tues., Jan. 16, winning at the Chieftains' home digs at the Clairemont Rec Center, 14-6, to move into a solid 4-2 position in the Western League with only two games remaining.

Senior Margo Tempel, on her way to play DI ball at UC Davis next year, scored a pair of goals from the 4 spot to separate the Vikings from Clairemont, 6-3, early in the third quarter.

Then, after the interruption of a Clairemont goal by Nina Bunton, LJ senior Jordin Morrow, from the set position, drilled two shots from close range. La Jolla was rolling, 8-4.

They ran the streak to 10-4 behind goals by freshman Aviana Cavaiola before the end of the third quarter, and were in "garbage time" pretty much throughout the final period.

Stella Tezcan notched goal number 11. Senior Austin Milligan hit on an even dozen. Tempel rounded out her output for the cold, dark early evening with her fifth goal of the contest.

LJ g water polo 14, Clairemont 6

Photos by Ed Piper

LJ's Sophia Soltero (10, right) defends Cami

Pryor (3) of Clairemont on the Chieftains'

first possession.

Vikes Katy Westphal (7) and Austin Milligan (8)

pressure Nina Bunton (7) of Clairemont in

first quarter.

Freshman Aviana Cavaiola (11) of La Jolla

eyes a teammate in the opening period.

Katy Westphal (7) of La Jolla is defended

by Chieftains' Nina Bunton (6) early in first half.

LJ b soccer 2, Clairemont 4 - City League opener

Viking junior midfielder Mateo Peniche (11) hustles

after a ball against sophomore Nick Medina of

Clairemont midway through LJ's City League

opener against Clairemont Wed., Jan. 10.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

After struggling through an early first-half scoring drought and going down 1-0 to visiting Clairemont on sophomore Tyler Allen's goal in the 13th minute, La Jolla--playing in the absence of Coach Pilar Flores on a one-game suspension for a player's red card back on Dec. 5--roared back with goals by junior Evan Figueiredo and freshman Nico Bardaro to lead 2-1 halfway through the opening period.

Figgie's goal was a straight-on blast in the 16th minute, while the young, tall Bardaro's was off a header on a corner kick in the 20th minute.

But the Vikings quickly gave  up a pair of goals, trailing going into halftime, 2-1, Wed., Jan. 10, in both teams' City League opener. The opposing goals were by senior Luis Zazueta Felix, in the 23rd minute of the 40-minute first half, and Lukas Fabrega, a sophomore, late in the half, the 38th minute.

The home squad (3-3 overall), with goalie coach Ty Aumann filling in in Flores' absence, gave up a further goal in the second half and went down to defeat, 4-2.

Antonio Lopez, a senior, was the Viking suspended on the red card in a tournament game back in December. His suspension, decided on by CIF, will be for three games. According to sources, CIF is attempting to rein in behavior in boys soccer, which has experienced numerous cases of bad behavior by both players and coaches the last several years.

In fact, La Jolla was kicked out of a tournament two years ago, which led to consequences LJHS took to prevent or minimize the likelihood of further problems.

LJ g water polo: Q&A with Katy Westphal

Katy Westphal, just prior

to La Jolla's game at Coronado

Thurs., Jan. 11.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Katy Westphal is a senior on La Jolla's varsity water polo team. She is a commit to UC Davis to attend and play for the Aggies next year. This conversation took place before the Vikings' game at Coronado Thurs., Jan. 11.

Why UC Davis?

Out of all my options, I think it was the best combination of all the things I wanted. There's a really good team environment. I like the little "hometown" feel of the school, and it has the major I wanted. A few of the other schools I looked at, they didn't have the major I wanted.

What major?

I'm going into Business Management. It's pretty common, but the school I looked at, it didn't have it.

Who?

UCSB. And I just really love the team environment, and I'm looking forward to playing water polo there.

On offense, what's your position and what's your role?

I'm the center guard. It's kind of the same thing for offense, so I get the point.

The center in front of the goal--what do you have to be aware of?

Mainly, we have a press defense, so I'm just trying to front them all the way around.