sports moments

EMILY MCNALLY BARRETT WONG CEDRIC CHAN

Senior Writer Senior Writer Graphic Artist

Girls Basketball

The varsity girls basketball team may have a small roster this year, but that hasn’t stopped them from dominating on the court with seven consecutive wins. From fall of 2020 to early spring, the team held socially-distanced drills and conditioning. When they got the green light to begin contact practices, the players could not have been more eager to play the sport without limitations.

“I didn’t think we’d have a season, so I feel super grateful being able to play during COVID,” senior and co-captain Mone Sekiguchi said. “It feels amazing to be able to play my last high school season with all my fellow seniors and teammates and to see all our hard work pay off.”

The girls basketball program introduced a new coaching staff, notably the new varsity head coach Erik Stuart, who used to coach at Foothill College. Even though he introduced new offensive and defensive plays, the players quickly picked them up in stride with the rest of the unorthodox season.

So far the team has beaten schools that bested them last year, such as Palo Alto High School and Los Gatos High School. As of mid-May, the team is ranked third in the De Anza league and ranked within the top 10 in the Central Coast Section.

Girls Golf

With a 9–1 record, the girls golf team had a successful, albeit shortened, season. After losing their first game against Homestead High School, they used the loss as incentive to work even harder.

“[Going 9–1] feels awesome. I’m glad that the team was able to work hard together,” senior Annika Gaglani said. “[The season] felt pretty good overall, except for the fact that there were no league finals or CCS.”

The girls welcomed new head coach Abe Roof, who has played the sport since he was in elementary school. Roof is also the general manager at the Bay View Golf Club in Milpitas, which the team used as its home turf and practice green for this season.

“I think having a new coach this season was great for the team,” senior Joanna Hsieh said. “We had access to more equipment, our coach helped us when we needed help and I definitely feel like I improved during the season.”

Girls Tennis

After finally being granted a season that was never guaranteed in the first place, the varsity girls tennis team took on unpredictable COVID-19 restrictions one after another and finished their season undefeated as the top team in the El Camino division.

The team beat both Homestead and Mountain View High School — both part of the upper division — which gave them the confidence to play against more competitive players.

“I’m both very happy with our record, but sad that many of our seniors will be leaving this year,” head coach Hung Nguyen said. “For the amount of practice we had, I’m really proud of how the girls played this year.”

Although the team wasn’t able to test their skills in the playoffs due to COVID-19, they hope to do so next year. With an undefeated season under their belt, the team hopes to move up to the De Anza league next season.

Cross Country

Eager to finally run in a more authentic off-campus meet, the Eagles were finally granted their wish in the final meet of the season set at Baylands Park. Unwilling to let this opportunity go to waste, runners made sure to leave their mark on this oneof-a-kind season.

In the varsity boys race, senior Hans Holst placed second with a time of 16 minutes and 35 seconds, with senior Kevin Andrews on his tail at 16 minutes and 39 seconds.

Despite missing their top runner due to injuries, the varsity girls still performed phenomenally to finish off their season. Sophomore Fiona Bodkin won her race with a time of 19 minutes and 40 seconds and was followed by junior Riley Capuano in second at 19 minutes and 45 seconds.

Even though the combination of a shortened season and injuries challenged the team, they pushed through and ended the season on a high note. Next season, the team hopes to improve their ranking with the Central Coast Section and qualify for the CIF-State Cross Country Championship.