Viking - Month, Year by Spencer Schoeben

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RIEKES CENTER Human Enhancement

Volume 2 Issue #4 April 2009 Staff List Editors-in-Chief Charlie Avis Peter Johnson Noah Sneider Adam Zernik

Business Managers Greg Stewart Matthew Tracy

Section Editors Oliver Davies Cassie Prioleau Ahna Rao Elizabeth Scott

Staff Sana Bakshi Sophie Biffar Hanna Brody Ben Brown Chase Cooper Liza Dernehl Malaika Drebin Emily Fowler Lauren Hammerson Wade Hauser Hana Kajimura Ashkaan Khatakhotan Brendon Rider Marco Scola Allison Shorin Spencer Sims Kylie Sloan Scott Witte

Photo Manager John Christopherson Photo Staff Charlie Avis Malaika Drebin Emily Fowler Hana Kajimura Allison Shorin Spencer Sims Design Editors Varun Kohli Noah Sneider Copy Editor Christine Chang Adviser Ellen Austin

The Viking Palo Alto High School 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301 650-329-3837 Email contact: theviking08@gmail.com Letters to the editor The Viking, a sports magazine published by the students in Palo Alto High Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Advanced Magazine Journalism class, is an open forum for student expression and the discussion of issues of concern to its readership. The Viking is distributed to its readers and the student body at no cost. The staff welcomes letters to the editor, but reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, grammar, potential libel, invasion of privacy and obscenity. Advertising in The Viking The staff publishes advertisements with signed contracts providing they are not deemed by the staff inappropriate for the magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s audience. For more information about advertising with The Viking, please contact the The Viking by e-mail at theviking08@gmail.com or call 650-329-3837 for more information. Printing services The Viking is printed six times a year by Fricke-Parks Press in Fremont, Calif.

The L

April 20

INSIDE LOOK

Volume II, Iss

17 | Sailing Paly sailors jibe and duck the boom, as they cast off to victory. by Hanna Brody

20 | what’s the deal with badminton? The Viking investigates what goes on behind the closed doors of badminton practice.

by Malaika Drebin

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photo credits (clockwise from top Left): Spencer Sims, Hana Kajimura. John Christopherson, Hana kajimura, John Christopherson cover by Hana Kajimura

since we last saw you

22 | CCS Results The Viking reports on winter sports’ impressive run in CCS. 26 | SPRING SPORTS PREVIEWS A sneak peek into what teams expect in this upcoming spring season. 30 | GIRLS’ SOCCER A deeper look into where the girls stand and their thoughts on this season.

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Lineup

l 2009

I, Issue IV

catching up

THE LAST WORD

61 | SPRING SPORTS CALENDAR An outline of this season’s meets, games, and matches to keep you fully up to date.

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62 | A NEW PASSION Ben Brown exchanges the pigskin for oars in his retelling about a transition between sports.

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FEATURES

by Chase Cooper

36 | TITLE IX The struggle for gender equality in sports changes the rules for girls and boys in America. by Hana Kajimura

52 | Third Time’s the Charm

After two years of failing to make CCS, the boys’ varsity soccer team is finally crowned CCS champion, but with a price: the team must share the honors. by Noah Sneider

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62 | 64

PROFILES COVER STORY

32 | SUPPLEMENTS The run-down on supplements, and the truth about what athletes are taking.

58 |

41 | BARAMEE wongbanchai A Thailand native turned Palo Altan tennis star serves up the skills needed for victory this season. by Sophie Biffar

44 | KRISTEN dauler Kristen Dauler (‘10) takes to the softball diamond once again, despite her fight against Type I Diabetes.

by Marco Scola

48 | JASMINE Tosky Swimmer Jasmine Tosky (‘11) freestyles her way to the top of Paly’s swim team. by Allison Shorin

Opinion

Staff View

A true CCS powerhouse

ver the last decade, Paly athletics have made significant strides in establishing itself as a premier powerhouse in the Central Coast Section. Focused on depth and even distribution of talent, Paly‘s athletic program has excelled throughout the years by relying not on stars, but on the simple, yet overlooked, concept of hard work. This season, Paly has made state appearances in boys’ cross-country and wrestling. The boys’ soccer team finished its season as the 14th best team in the nation-- yes, the nation. The Viking believes these impressive final results are a testament to the hard work of our athletes, who rode to success by way of perseverance, rather than coasting in on the coattails of superstar talent. It took three years. Three years of narrow losses, Cinderella runs in the CCS tournament, and heartbreaking defeats in the championship game for the Paly boys soccer team to finally win a title. The Viking is thrilled to extend formal congratulations to both the boys and girls soccer teams for their incredible seasons; we know it was no easy feat. Paly soccer has shown our high school’s athletic department and our surrounding community that all goals can be accomplished with teamwork and when a positive effort is put forth. The recurring theme of hard work appears in Paly athletics with more than just the soccer team this season. Take for example Kristen Dauler, whose successful battle with Type I diabetes puts to shame those who turn their backs on success on account of a lack of motivation. The Viking believes Dauler’s story is a true representation of the model Paly athlete. Like a scene straight out of The Natural, Dauler has overcome what many perceive to be insurmountable odds and is a key contributor on Paly’s softball team. Athletes like Kristen are what make Paly athletics the powerhouse it has proven itself to be, and The Viking believes we all can learn from her story. When talking about insurmountable odds, many thought equality in women’s’ sports might never happen. Yet, almost four decades after the passage of Title IX, the fervent fight for equality has yet to plateau, and many continue to struggle towards the

goal of equality. In honor of Women’s History Month, it is important to explore how Title IX has affected sports in the Paly community, and the country as a whole. It is not a stretch to compare the national fight for women’s equality in sports to Paly athletics, as both require an intractable will-power, one in which The Viking hopes each and every Paly athlete will continue to exercise. In addition, the staff of The Viking wishes to commend those who have risen above the luring siren song of anabolic steroids, and place their health and integrity above the enticing trap of athletic success. The Viking believes that those who resist the temptation to succeed dishonestly encompass the values of a true Paly athlete, as taking the short cut selfishly hurts those who worked for success in an honest fashion. Additionally, what has come to be an expected and even an implicitly required substance to be used in high school athletics, Creatine monohydrate is not prevalent on Paly’s campus. While Creatine monohydrate’s legality has never been a question, there remains a heated debate about its performance-enhancing effects. . While the Paly community continues to rally behind those who choose to use Creatine monohydrate, The Viking believes continued discussion over its use is an important sign of Paly’s awareness of performance-enhancing drugs, and understanding of what it takes to be a great athlete both physically and morally. As we move into the spring sports season and the baseball fence come up, the sprinters come out of hibernation, and the lacrosse players begin racing up and down the upper field, The Viking hopes our athletes will once again show the community why we are such an exceptional athletic program. As a whole, Paly encompasses the imperative values of hard work and perseverance, which we hope will once again shine through come CCS championship season. Current Paly athletes, and athletes of the future, we leave you with one final message: good things do not come to those who wait, rather seizing every opportunity and striving toward your goals are your best bets on your way to success. <<<

FROM THE ARCHIVES: 11/13/1964 Palyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chris Bush is cartwheeled after making a 10-yard catch against Ravenswood. Photograph by The Palo Alto Times

THE GREAT DEBATE Charlie: Is Nascar a Sport? Why not?

The Viking tackles some of sports’ toughest questions... In this edition, Charlie Avis and Matt Tracy go head-to-head on what really makes a sport a sport.

Matt: No.

There are many reasons: the essence of NASCAR driving is taking a car, where everyone has the same type of car, and manipulating that machine to the best of its ability. Is it testing your physical strength, endurance, or physical aptitude at anything? No.

Matt was ticketed for going 86 mph in the state of Idaho

I disagree strongly. First of all, as you said, every car is basically the same. Therefore the car has a minimal difference in who wins the race so then it strictly involves the skill of the driver. Secondly-Strictly involving skill doesn’t make it a sport... Just because skill is the only aspect of the driver involved doesn’t make it a sport? It does not make it a sport. Ok, fine, to make you happy, there is an endurance aspect of it. It is a couple hour race. Have you ever tried driving for a couple hours? At high speeds it can be a test of endurance. I’ve done it. I drove across the country for 18 hours. Does that make it a sport? What I just did? Were you racing somebody? Yes, I was going almost 90 mph The definition of a sport is a competition, which uses-Which definition? I’m just laying down my definition – a competition which uses skill, either mentally or physically, of the participantSo is chess a sport? ...Yes? You cannot look me in the face and tell me chess is a sport! You cannot do it! Chess is not a sport. I just don’t think that by sitting there in a car you can call them athletes. Do I have respect for them? Yes. Would they kick my a** driving? Yes. But they are just simply moving their leg up and down. So how do the physical abilities of the driver affect the outcome? These guys have developed a knack for driving. It’s not like they just drive around, drive their kids to school, and then show up at the track and destroy everybody. No, they train as much as any other athlete would. ...Well, I train for my math test. Do you now? But anyway, why do you think that just because it uses skill, and not your VO2 Max or your arm strength does it make NASCAR driving not a sport?

Charlie

The deciding factor is that if you put a fat guy who has never worked out before in his life in a car, but he’s a good driver, he could beat a NASCAR driver who has been training his whole life to drive. Training, by the way, is a loose word. I mean, I drive around Palo Alto and get better everyday. If I went out for 45 minutes and worked my arms everyday for the next month, and I came back to the track would my time improve because I worked out? Probably.

How would I have improved if I had worked out. Ok maybe, but I mean if was an endurance race [meaning an hour+ of driving] I would say yes. But no doubt that if you had taken that 45 minutes and put it into driving, everyday-You could apply that to anything! If I applied this to my math homework and studied 45 minutes more everyday, when it comes to that test, I’m gonna do better on that test than if I hadn’t studied before. And that doesn’t make math a sport. ...But math’s not a competition It is. I’m trying to beat the person next to me... always. Especially Noah.

Charlie has been playing Lord of the Rings risk all his life: he is a gigantic nerd

Funny, but the same thing works for baseball [which we have agreed is a sport] if you put 45 minutes everyday into baseball I’m then able to sprint faster, hit the ball farther, throw harderSo then if you spent 45 minutes a day driving, you could hit the apex of the turn harder, brake more efficiently, accelerate at the right time out of the turns, Basically you would develop a feel for the car. But stuff like the “slingshot” in Talladega Nights. The “shake n’ bake”. That doesn’t happen. Dude, it does happen. See this gets us into the next aspect of a sport: there is a lot of strategy in NASCAR. Just like Risk, which I kick you’re a** at. That doesn’t make it a sport. Let it be known that I beat Matt 3x in a row in Risk. As I remember, it was Lord of the Rings Risk. But hey there’s more strategy in NASCAR than in...baseball? I’ll give you one chance to retract that. ...Retracted. But I promise you if you put Dale Earnhardt Jr. who’s been training to drive all his life and you put him up against me after I’ve been practicing for a year...He would kill me. Uh-huh. He would destroy me. Because he knows how to manipulate his machine better than you do. Yea, ok, but why is that any different than you being able to manipulate your muscles better. Because your muscles are your body, that’s the definition of a sport. It’s not the definition of a sport. It’s my definition of a sport! A sport has to be something where one’s physical exertion affects the outcome. And NASCAR is not physical. You wouldn’t have a bigger six pack from driving around. But why does the physical feature matter? Look at CC Sabathia. Do you think he has a six pack? Maybe hidden somewhere in his 300 pound frame. The point is it doesn’t matter. But for him, it’s his arm. His arm is a special thing.

Matt

The mind of a NASCAR driver is a special thing! You can’t even compare those two.

? T A H W SAY “You shouldn’t insult the sport [badminton], but I think it’s fair to insult our team until we start winning...” - Ivan Zhao (‘10) (What’s the Deal with Badminton, p. 20)

The Pop Culture Grid Jeff Cohen

Mari Wilson

Josh Davis

Gracie Cain

I’d like to come back as ___ in another life...

Michael Rizza

A butterfly

A monkey

A dolphin

Song no one knows I listen to...

Tearin’ Up My Heart by N’Sync

Bojangles by Pit Bull

Womanizer... loooove it!

On The Line by Demi Lovato

Chris Brown?

Beautiful human being

He is crazy

Bleh, not a fan

Disappointed

___ is completely underrated...

George Brown

Taco Bell

The Google phone

Jacob from Twilight

Guilty pleasure TV show...

Gossip Girl

Girls Next Door

Gossip Girl, to die for!

American Idol

Baseball (‘11)

Lacrosse (‘10)

Track (‘09)

Soccer (‘11)

BY THE

NUMBERS

The Paly boys’ soccer team ended the season as CCS co-champs (see p 52), and also made a splash on the national radar, finishing the season ranked 13th nationally by ESPN Rise...

206

mph, the speed of the fastest recorded badminton stroke (set by Fu Haifeng of China)...

30,000

dollars raised by Kristen Dauler (‘10) for diabetes research... The Paly girls’ varsity soccer team reached the CCS finals for the first time in 20 years, with a 1-0 victory over Woodside High School in the Division I semifinals...

The Viking Thermometer SCORCHING KELLY JENKS

scored five (!!!) goals in the Lady Vikes CCS quarter-finals. Next up, softball domination.

PALY BOYS’ SOCCER

21-1-3. CCS co-champs. 13th in the nation. The Viking cover. ‘Nuff said.

THE PALY VOICE

PALY LACROSSE

was recently named a Pacemaker finalist for the 6th straight year. That and a snazzy new re-design and Voice is on a roll. Keep it up!

opens the season with an impressive 6-0 record. Things are looking way, way up for the secondyear team.

LUKE WA RM PALY BOYS’ BASKETBALL

fell to Mills 55-47 in the second round of the CCS playoffs, blowing an opportunity to take on Gunn in the quarterfinals.

PALY BASEBALL

looking almost as funny at the plate as this picture of Will Holder (‘09). The Vikes are hitting .182 as a team through six games, racking up an 0-6 record in the process.

THE FRESHMAN CLASS

can’t fit in the gym bleachers, forcing a half-court student-staff basketball game. Killin’ us, freshmen.

GUNN POOL

currently just a hole in the ground, forcing Gunn divers to practice at Paly.

F RE EZING 11

Palyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Joseph Lin dribbles out of a trap between two Los Gatos defenders... Photo by Hana Kajimura

ZOOM

Who knows Sophomore baseball stud, George brown, better? Best friend, will glaizer; long time coach, dave goldman; or secret crush, gracie marshall?

George Brown

QUESTION

Will Glaizer

DAVE GOLDMAN

Gracie Marshall

Gracie (Marshall)

secret crush

Gracie Marshall

Any and every female

Olivia Diamond

jorge cafe

nickname

jorge cafe

jorge

jorge cafe

The guy who played Napoleon dynamite (Jon heder)

who plays you in a movie?

The one from Superbad, not the fat guy, the one who wouldn’t kiss the girl (michael Cera)

WOODY ALLEN

Fogell from superbad (CHristopher Mintz-plasse)

not hustling

biggest pet peeve

people who are lazy

Not Backing UP

Girls Playing games with his heart

No IDEA

senorita covarrubius

LEADERSHIP

Pick up lines

Game winning HIT (in little league)

Barry bonds’ 756th homerun

Ben sneider

jeff cohen

5 mr. Sharp

beatboxing... or singing

Favorite Teacher

mr. Sharp

hidden talent

Definitely singing

With

g e o r g e 14

game winning hit over haggeman in little league jeff cohen

B R O W N

best sports moment

Game winning bunt in little league

funniest teammate

George is usually the funny one, but I’ll go with Graham marchant

mint chocolate chip

favorite ice cream flavor

Mint Chocolate chip

death

Biggest fear

George has lots of them... Getting into college?

65 Points

10 rocky road

chocolate

FAILING

NeveR finding ”the one”

20 Points

Inside the Mind Alex Taser

“

BY A H N A R AO

ON TENNIS I have been playing for a while, but I have been out of my game for a long time because of my ankle injury. I can’t remember when I started playing, but my dad plays a lot so I know he got me into it. He is actually the JV coach here at Paly, and I usually play with him to practice. Tennis is the reason I get to wear the high socks and my sick@## shorts. Yeah, I guess they are kind of short, but I love showing off the knees. They are sexy.

ON HIS CREW The posse includes me of course; BRuh, Spencer, Austin, Jack Sakai, AJ castiJO, and I guess Arian. We go out and it’s just us four all the time and we chilling like the unit. Dude all those kids are my BFFs, and I can’t explain why. Brendan, I don’t even know. He’s been my boy probably for the longest so we’ve always had that thing …not sexually, but bros you know. Spencer and I have been chilling for a really long time. Me and Austin are always the last people at the party. I love Austin. ON WEEKEND ACTIVITIES Well, my weekends are pretty sick. I usually meet up with Brendan, Austin and Spencer, and we find something cool to do. Usually were just out to BRuh’s. On weekends we do it like second semester seniors, if you know what I mean. Yeah, even when I had my big injury we still were chillin’. I would rather not talk about “the injury”, it was pretty serious. Ok well I’ll just tell you it was a skating accident, but yeah it was pretty serious. ON SNOWBOARDING I snowboarded once in my life. I was pretty good dude. I

Te n n i s E x t r a o r d i n a i r e

Photography by Spencer Sims

snowboarded with hiking boots. They really worked, and I knew they would work, but everyone doubted me. My feet never even got wet. Ella [Richardson] is my favorite snowboarder, she is pretty deep. She shreds out there. Tess [Dalke] has a pretty sick bandana that she wears on her face and thinks she’s really cool and she’s not cool. Ok, I’m kidding Tess is awesome.

ON KENNAN Kennan is cute, good looking and has a great sense of humor. He is just pretty sick dude. We are actually very close. He is very sarcastic and sometimes people will talk to him and not know if he is joking. Skating is pretty much Kennan’s life, but for real he is super sick. Me and Kennan have been boys forever. We’re almost like best friends, but Kennan is my favorite brother I’ll ever have. ON WHY HE IS DOWN FOR ANYTHING Ok, you want to hear why I am down for anything?! I think it’s because how I was raised. My parents care about me, but they let me do my own thing. I guess I’ve always just been a pretty independent kid, doing things all by myself. My dad Eric and my mom Michelle are super sick. They are also down for anything.

“

Junior Alex Taser is a varsity Tennis all-star, and due to a recent injury was temporarily forced out of commission. After recovering from his tragic skating accident, Taser made a return to the game and blew away fellow Paly athletes. Taser gave The Viking a few moments of his time to answer a few questions.

IAS PROUDLY SUPPORTS THE VIKING!!

Anchors Away

Paly students set sail, redefining adventure at sea. By hanna brody Photos courtesy of michael day

t’s 5 o’clock on a Sunday evening. A strong wind blows and the temperature is low. Three Palo Alto High School sailors put away their boats after an entire day on the water and prepare themselves for the long night of homework ahead. For Jacqueline Day (‘10), Keely Haverstock (‘10), and John Olson (‘10), sailing is more than a fun activity on a Saturday afternoon; to them it is a lifestyle. Almost every weekend these juniors spend countless hours sailing in preparation for or participating in highly competitive regattas, or sailing races. Day started sailing the summer before sixth grade at Stanford Sailing Camp. At first, Day was not a fan of sailing, but after four sessions, she began to take a liking to the sport. Prior to her freshman year, Paly alum and fellow sailor Matthew Nugyen (‘08) convinced Day to join his sail-

Port Paly sailors Jacqueline Day (‘10) and Keely Haverstock (‘10) set sail at a recent regatta. ing team, officially starting her sailing career. Unlike Day, Olson was interested in the sport before he started to sail. His father was a sailor and Olson saw the sport as both mentally and physically active, something he was interested in trying. So, in eighth grade, Olson took to the sport. Haverstock also started sailing in eighth grade, as a way to appease her father. Only after experiencing the excitement of being on the water, it grew into a passion. “My dad made me go the first couple of times,” Haverstock said. “But then I fell in love with the sport and wanted to continue with sailing. It’s so nice to just be sailing, with the wind howling around

you and the boat flying through the water.” All three athletes sail through the Peninsula Youth Sailing Foundation (PYSF). This non-profit organization provides a coach and boats to sailors for an annual fee. PYSF is made up of sailors from various schools across the Bay Area, but schools race against one another in competitions. “Theoretically we [Paly] have a Paly Sailing Team,” Day said. “But it is not directly related to the school, so I represent Paly I just don’t sail through the school.” The Paly team associates itself with the Sequoia Yacht Club in Redwood City. The team practices there every Saturday and Sunday from 10AM to 5PM.

“The time commitment is really big,” Olson said. “We have practice basically every weekend.” Practice begins when the sailors rig their boats. After preparing the boats, the team conducts “chalk talks”. During chalk talks, sailors and coaches discuss drills and important conditions and obstacles to look out for on the water. “During a chalk talk, coaches warn us about wind speed and direction, current and flood level,” Day said. Following the talk, the sailors are ready to head out to sea. They start out with drills which consist of boat handling and generic maneuvers such as driving rudderless and tacking. After a long morning of drills, the sailors begin to practice racing. “Just like every other sport we have drills that work on skills,” Haverstock said. “But we also do practice races that are really fun.” Long days of practice help the team perform well at the numerous regattas they attend each year. According to Day, she competes in a regatta almost every other weekend. At Nor Cal regattas, teams go through a series of races and are awarded a point value for where they place in each race (1 point for first, 2 points for second, etc.). When all the races are completed, the total points for each team are added together and the team with the lowest overall point total is the regatta winner. The Paly team attends two major regattas, the Rosebowl Regatta in Long Beach and the Gaucho Regatta in Santa Barbara. For Day, the Gaucho Regatta is one of the most exciting regattas for the Paly team. “The Gaucho Regatta is really fun because we are sailing in the ocean with huge swells,” Day said. Last year in Santa Barbara, the winds were extremely strong for a majority of the competition, so the Paly team only sailed one race. In an official regatta, each team usually sails in six races. Poor conditions force officials to “call races”, because the conditions could lead to injury for the sailors. As far as team awards, the Paly team has yet to receive any huge honors. “Paly hasn’t gotten any big achievements yet,” Olson said. “But, we have gotten a lot better and hopefully will place in the next couple of months.” Individually, Day placed first at the Cal Maritime Academy race during her freshman year. “It was pretty awesome winning,” Day said. “It was my first big achievement in sailing.” When sailing becomes a huge part of one’s life, boat ownership comes into consideration. Day and Haverstock each have their own boats. Both girls have

Laser Radials, small one-person vessels, which they sail for fun, instead of at regattas. Although their boats are small, the girls take responsibility for taking care of them. Haverstock’s responsibilities include cleaning and upgrading her boat when necessary. “The boat was a birthday present but all the other costs I have to take care of myself,” Haverstock said. “Overall, it can get pretty pricey.” If owning is not an option, PYSF provides boats for practice and regattas. During the winter, the team sails Club Flying Juniors or CFJ’s, which are 14 foot, two person, two sail, boats. But during

the summer, the team gets to sail skiffs, which are faster boats. Having a reliable boat is an important aspect in sailing as injury is prevalent when conditions are bad or people are careless. When conditions are rough, it is usually difficult to keep the boats upright for more than a few seconds. Sometimes, injuries can go unnoticed on deck. “We [the team] never notice when we get giant gashes in our legs or slice our hands open until we see streams of red stuff coming out everywhere,” Day said. Besides the imposing risk of injury, there are a myriad of the challenges that accompany sailing. All three Paly sailors agree that paying

zephyr Haverstock and teammate use the westward wind to guide their turn at a regatta.

man overboard Day and Haverstock lean toward port side to help steer their boat.

S a i l i n g Rig: put sails on the boat Tacking: turning right on whistle Driving rudderless: sailing with solely the sails CFJ: a sailing dinghy Zephyr: breeze from the west Port: left side of the boat

attention to all the details while sailing is difficult. Sailors find it hard to focus on every aspect of the race while making sure that what they are doing is making the boat move faster. “It’s a lot more mental than I believe a lot of people think,” Olson said. “To be one of the top competitors you need to be able to strategize what you are going to do on each leg of the race and how you are going to do it.” For Haverstock, one of the hardest parts of sailing is dealing with broken parts on the boat. The saltwater corrodes the hardware on the boat causing it to break. “It can be really frustrating to have to miss a few races while you are fixing your boat,” Haverstock said. “Spending all that time working on the boat can cost you the whole regatta.” Even with the apparent challenges, sailors stick with the sport for a multitude of reasons. Olson finds comfort in the calming nature of sailing. “My favorite part about sailing is probably just being out on the water,” Olson said. “It can really clear your mind.” Day finds the social aspect of the sport to be one of her favorite parts. After spending hours together weekly, Day forms tight bonds with her teammates. “Sailing with a team allows you to get to know your teammates really well,” Day said. “You spend time with them every week, especially those weekends when

we go away to regattas together. We are all pretty close.” As for collegiate sailing, these Paly sailors hope to continue to pursue their sport. “Right now I’m looking into some colleges with great sailing teams like University of Southern California, Boston College, and Northwestern,” Day said. “But I know I absolutely need to be at a school on the coast.” Olson agrees with Day and looks at schools with sailing programs as well. “I definitely plan on sailing in college,” Olson said. Besides sailing in college, Paly sailors look to sail throughout their lifetime. According to Haverstock, some of the appeal of sailing is that fact that it is a lifetime activity. “While sitting at the yacht club you can see the 65 year old man that just got back from an afternoon sail and the 5 year olds just learning how to sail,” Haverstock said. “Sailing is great for people of all ages.” These Paly sailors have taken the recreational sport to a new level with their hard work at practice and competition. With high aspirations, these sailors hope to continue the sport they love and find new challenges in the future. “I think it would be really awesome to sail in the Olympics one day,” Day said. “But other than that, I guess I will have to see what happens.” <<<

What’s the Deal With Badminton?

hen picturing the quintessential Paly athlete, one might envision a tall, burly student clad in a decked-out letterman jacket, his face recognizable by all as he walks across the quad with his similarly-dressed teammates. And in all probability, this archetypal athlete would not be a badminton player. Although badminton has been at Paly since the 1970s, and boasts a roster of roughly 60 players each year, the team receives very little recognition in the athletic community. The challenges of the sport and the inner workings of the team are a mystery to many, which eaves the masses questioning: behind the closed doors of the Paly gym, what is the deal with badminton? The first than that Paly’s badminton team wants people to know is that badminton, or “baddy”, is a real and challenging sport. “I always have to defend badminton,” Hillary Yuan (‘10) said. “It’s more difficult than you would expect. There is a lot of strategy, agility and quick thinking involved. The birdie goes up to 200 miles per hour; you can’t even see it. I would like to see a football player try to play badminton. They may be strong [athletes], but if you shoot behind them, they’ll lose their balance and fall backwards.” Yuan’s claims about badminton’s challenges receive some support from an April 2004 ESPN Page 2 investigation that determined which sports were truly the most difficult. A panel of experts decided that badminton ranked 30th overall out of the 60 sports rated, due to extremely high scores for agility, hand-eye coordination and analytical aptitude. While not an entirely definitive analysis, badminton did beat out skateboarding, bull riding and diving, among other sports, to claim a spot in the top 30.

BY malaika drebin Photography by John Christopherson

determination Richard Churn (‘10) prepares to hit the shuttlecock at practice.

adminton player Ivan Zhao (‘10) B agrees with Yuan that the sport is misunderstood.

Zhao believes than an increased emphasis on serious training and conditioning would make the team more successful this year, while Chen adds that building a strong team foundation will also be important.

which pairs boys and girls together. In addition to mixed doubles, badminton offers singles and normal doubles, just “Most people don’t understand how like tennis. But it is a common misconhard it is, and they would probably get ception that badminton is a warped and their butt kicked if they tried to play,” miniaturized version of tennis. Other than Zhao said. “It’s not a sport you the use of racquets and a net naturally know how to do, like to launch objects over, the two running. It takes a lot of skill sports have few similarities. For and practice to be good at badinstance, while tennis is a game minton. And you do have to of sideways motion, badminton condition.” is mostly played back and forth. Badminton conditioning at And the tennis ball, bouncy, Paly entails roughly two miles heavy and round, has a much of running, in addition to drills longer and more uniform flight such a frog jumps, push-ups path than the flimsy, top-heavy and liners. Conditioning foshuttlecock of badminton. cuses on footwork, which is Badminton’s history considered the foundation of is also entirely apart from that badminton. of tennis. The game developed “Footwork is the most imfrom a medieval English chilportant aspect of the sport, yet dren’s game called “battledore it’s the most unappreciated,” and shuttlecock”, in which chilZhao said. dren tried to keep the shuttle According to Zhao, the badcock in the air with tiny rackets. minton conditioning at crossOther games using a shuttlecock town badminton powerhouse date back more than 2000 years Henry M. Gunn High School to ancient Greece and China. is more strenuous than football The British developed the modconditioning. ern version of badminton from “Sometimes people from a shuttlecock game called “Poothe Gunn track team will go na” played in 19th century Into badminton conditioning dia. The game was popularized practices to train,” Zhao said. at an 1873 British lawn party “That’s how hard it is.” at the Badminton House, and The Gunn badminton team given the title of “the Badminhas a strong reputation, which ton game”. Throughout the 20th Yuan also attributes to the century the sport garnered more number of professional or narecognition, until 1992 when tionally-ranked players on the badminton was admitted as an team. concentration Adam Huang (‘09) serves the shuttlecock Olympic sport. “The big thing is that Gunn during a February 2009 practice. With such a long and has more interest in badminton rich history, and sponsored by than we have at Paly,” Paly Paly for over 30 years, it may captain Allen Chen (‘09) said. be puzzling that badminton has “They have a lot of people try out, train “Everyone tries out for badminton for not enjoyed the attention or interest that hard, and are more spirited than we are.” the prep period,” Chen said. “We’re hopother Paly sports have garnered. Perhaps Paly badminton, on the other hand, is ing to make badminton a real team, and greater awareness, and a winning season, best-known for its poor record. Over the have team spirit, instead of people just will boost badminton’s reputation and put past two years, the team has won only going to practice to goof off.” an end to the snide comments questioning two games, while losing 22. Yuan agrees that many underclassmen the sport’s difficulty. “People need to know that badminton try out for the team purely to get a prep So the next time a friend decides to beexists at Paly, but right now we are not reperiod or to hang out with friends-both little the fastest racquet sport in the world ally known in a positive way,” Zhao said. boys and girls. According to athletic dito make himself seem like a tougher ath“You shouldn’t [insult] the sport, but I rector Earl Hansen, badminton is the only lete, remind him that Ivan Zhao and the think it’s fair to [insult] our team until we sport at Paly that is considered coed, berest of Viking badminton team will gladly start winning.” cause of the “mixed doubles” competition accept his challenge on the court. <<<

Since We Last Saw YOu

Boys’

Basketball

girls’

Basketball

BY ASHKAAN KHATAKHOTAN

BY SCOTT WITTE

In a season filled with ups and downs the Palo Alto High school boys’ varsity basketball team could never get consistent play out of its young roster. Despite a number of stirring wins over Gunn and Wilcox, the Vikings were struck by an equal number of puzzling losses to Fremont and Los Altos. After getting bounced in the second round of the CCS playoffs by eighth ranked Mills, the Vikings felt unfulfilled. “Coming into the season we were expected to win league,” guard Joseph Lin (‘10) said. “We started off the season well, I think we may have let that early success get to our heads.” Following an overtime win over Wilcox, Paly seemed ready to roll to a league title as the next three games were against weak league competition. However Paly lost all three, and then preceded to be humiliated by rival Gunn, losing 4218, followed by another loss to Wilcox Feb. 17. “The slide was out of a lack of defense and being out-hustled,” forward Kevin Brown (‘10) said “Those are two things you cannot do, especially on the road. We also needed to bring a little more consistency to the table.” Though slip-ups have happened this season, the team still believes that their problems are correctable. “We had a lack of size, which we obviously cannot help,” Lin said. “But we needed to be able to make up for it in speed, intensity and passing.” The five game slide nearly ended the team’s season, however it won its next game against Los Gatos and slipped into the playoffs as an 11th seed. After winning its first round playoff game against Sobrato, the team lost to Mills ending the possibility of a third matchup against Gunn. Despite its 11th seed rank, the team felt it could compete with the big boys of Central Coast Section. “We should have able to compete in playoffs against teams like MA and Saint Francis,” Brown said. “We all needed to bring the same tenacity we brought to the game when we beat Gunn at home.” Though the season did not go as well as it could have, the Vikings believe that they will turn it around next year. “We only had three seniors last year, so we are a really young team,” Lin said. “We have some good players coming up from JV next year so I am confident we can turn it around.”

After struggling through the first few games of the year, the Palo Alto High School varsity girls’ basketball team finished off the last 13 games only one game below .500. The Lady Vikes finished their season with a solid 65-39 victory over Los Gatos on February 20th. Coaches and players agree that bonding throughout the season led to their late success. “Over the course of the season we learned to work more cohesively, which definitely helped us win games,” guard Lauren Mah (‘10) said. With hours of hard work and stress, the players found time to enjoy themselves and create a comfortable playing atmosphere. With a lack of size and experience, the team utilized this comfort and looked toward senior leadership for prosperity. “All of the seniors were the leaders and we could not have had an amazing season without them,” Mah said Olivia Garcia (‘09) and Taylor Lovely (‘09) proved to be vital to the team’s success. Both contributed on both sides of the ball. “Olivia was a consistent contributor to the score board, and Taylor was the heart of the team in the way she held her captain position,” Mah said. “And [Lovely’s] several three pointers which contributed to the team’s success.” Despite a solid run late in the season, the Lady Vikes ended up one game out of the Central Coast Section playoffs. Late in the season, the Vikings matched up with De Anza League rival Lynbrook. With a convincing 49-40 win in their first meeting during the regular season, the team went into the second match up expecting another victory. “We wanted to take it to them like we did last time,” forward Katerina Peterson (‘11) said. “We were ready to beat them on their home floor.” After trailing for three quarters, the Lady Vikes made a late game surge and cut the score to within 5 points in the fourth quarter. However as time wound down, Lynbrook proved to be too consistent on the offensive side of the court. “It was just harder and harder for us to catch up because we kept fouling and they kept making their free throws,” Peterson said. Despite falling short of the sectional playoffs, the players agreed that the season was a success. “It was tough not making it to CCS by one game, especially because we could have beat those teams,” utility player Kirsten Atkinson (‘09) said. “But we ended on a great last game versus Los Gatos, so the season still ended on a great note.”

Since We last SAw YOu

Boys’

Wrestling

BY WADE HAUSER

pointments during their season. “Our biggest let down was losing the dual meet at Saratoga,” Duran said. “They did a good job of not getting pinned, and we did not execute what we needed to do.” A strong core of seniors led the team, but the underclassmen also showed potential. “We have a lot of young talent,” Duran said. “We look very good for the future.” Many of the wrestlers worked year-round to improve to their skills, and credit their hard work to their success. “We worked hard all season long, and it showed up in the meets,” freshman Joey Christopherson said. Even though the team put in many long and strenuous hours battling on the mat, the Vikings still had great team chemistry. “We have been wrestling together for a long time, and always found a way to have fun,” Feldstein said. After another successful year, the Vikings look to continue their winning tradition for seasons to come. “Overall, we were very happy with the results on the year,” Duran said.” The young guys stepped up and did very well, and the next couple of seasons look bright.” photo credits (from Left, Through p. 29): John Christopherson, Christopherson, Hana Kajimura, christopherson, christopherson, malaika drebin drebin, christopherson, christopherson, charlie avis, avis, kajimura, christopherson, sophie biffar

The Palo Alto High School wrestling team entered the season with high expectations. While it did not achieve all of its goals, it still considered its season successful. “We were a little short on league finals,” said head coach Dave Duran.” We only qualified for nine wrestlers for CCS, and our goal was ten, but we finished fifth overall. I was pretty pleased with the season’s success.” Senior captain and team MVP Patrick Sheehan (‘09) also considers the season a success. “The young talent developed, and the veterans really blossomed and rose to the occasion,” Sheehan said. Sheehan advanced to the CCS finals, where he lost to St. Francis standout Dominic Kastl. Sheehan then qualified to wrestle in the CIF state finals, which will take place on March 6th and 7th, at Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield. Along with Sheehan, several other Paly wrestlers succeeded in CCS. “Both Max Simon and I finished in the top eight,” senior Noah Feldstein said. “We were both pretty happy with our finish.” After a rigorous season of training and competing, a few wrestlers stepped up their play in the postseason. “The biggest surprises during CCS were Erez Arnon and Noah Feldstein, who both wrestled real well,” Duran said. “They both put in a lot of time and saved their best tourney for the end of the year.” Even though the Vikings were victorious in CCS, there were some disap-

Previews

Boys’ BY BEN BROWN

Baseball

The Palo Alto High School varsity baseball team looks to rebound from a sub-par year in 2008. To help the Vikings win more games this year will be the new head coach, Donnie Kadokawa. It is evident to the players that the new coach is expecting the team to be physically prepared for the season. “Coach is working us a lot harder this year than we have the past couple of years, and you can tell that we’re going to win a lot more games this year and be a better ball club all together,” Wyatt Shaw (‘10) said. If the Vikings want to eclipse their 14-13-1 record from 2008, it is going to take more than just a little hard work. There is definite potential in this young group of athletes. The only question is, will the Vikings be able to reach their potential? “This year’s team has a solid lineup in terms of hitter,” Will Holder (‘09) said. “With the addition of Terry Beasly (‘10), our team has an extra boost of speed and hitting ability. Hopefully, our pitching will follow our hitters, and we’ll go far this year.” The Vikings’ success may very well depend on the caliber of the roster from top to bottom. The team’s positive outcome depends on solid contributions from the entire roster. “I think that if everyone plays to par, we should be very good this year,” Holder said. “If everyone plays above par, we will win the league, and if everyone plays below par, it’s going to be worse than last year.” Fans hope that the Vikings can learn from a new head coach, and that the squad can perform to the best of their abilities. “It should be a good year, this year,” Jared Beeson (‘10) said. “This year’s coaches are already proving to be an improvement from last year, and hopefully that’ll lead to some wins. It’s a good group of guys, and I think we can go far this year.”

Girls’

softball

Last year, the Palo Alto High School girls’ varsity softball team won the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League El Camino division for the first time in sixteen years. Under the guidance of new coach Jake Halas, the group of untrained players came together as a team. “Coach Halas is amazing,” senior centerfielder Pamela Wong said. “He has really helped the program.” Halas plans to continue the success of his debut year and surpass the high standards the team set. “Our main goal is to get better every time we step out on to the diamond,” Halas said. “We will strive to repeat as League Champion and win Central Coast Sectionals.” The team ended last year’s season tied with league-rival, Wilcox, who has since been moved up to the more competitive De Anza section of SCVAL. The Lady Vikings hope to follow win their league again and follow Wilcox in the upper division. This year, most of last years’ winning team has returned with more experience and improved team chemistry. One major obstacle the team faces is the prolonged winter sports season that prevents the whole team from practicing together prior to the first matches. Star players, such as Coleman and Jenks, play winter sports and missed the first weeks of softball practice. “It is hard that we have not been able to work together as a team,” Coleman said. “We have to wait for people to finish with other sports before starting our practices for this season.” As the team heads into its 2009 season, its goals are defined: win leagues and move up to the De Anza league. After last year’s success and the plethora of returning players, this goal is undoubtedly possible. “Last year, we had a new coach,” junior Kristen Dauler said. “Now we are comfortable with the coaches and the team which will help us even more this season.” Despite a long history of failed seasons, the softball team has turned over a new leaf. After last year’s unexpected winning streak, the team is poised to continue its success this year. With a homogeneous group of players and a strong coaching staff, the softball team hopes to improve on its past achievements. “Our strategy is simple: we will play harder and be more aggressive than any team we play,” Halas said. “We will never lose a game for not playing hard enough. The games that we lose will be because the other team was better that particular day.”

Previews

girls’

Swimming

With the loss of Paly alumni Liv Jenson (‘08) and Colleen Fotsch (‘08), the Palo Alto High School girls’ varsity swim team looks to senior captain Lucy McComas to lead the team. After a strong season last year, the Lady Vikes hope to defend their Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) championship and contend for a Central Coast Section (CCS) championship again this season. With new faces taking over, McComas will anchor the team and lead the Lady Vikes this season. “Lucy is a great leader,” coach Danny Dye said. “She gives a lot of positive reinforcement to the younger girls on our team.” McComas’s leadership will be a key factor this season if the Vikings want to compete for a league championship. Following an astounding five CCS titles, the most in school history since the section titles were first held in 1974 , the Lady Vikes expectations are anything but low. “People expect us to do amazing things every year,” Dye said. “We are known for winning meets constantly year in and year out.” “I think that this years team is the best we’ve had so far,” Kaitlyn Tracy “We should win league, and definitely contend for CCS.” Competing for their seventh SCVAL championship in a row, the Lady Vikes look poised again to win league handily. Some top swimmers for the Lady Vikes this season are Tracy, and Sabrina Lee (‘11). “Both Kaitlyn and Sabrina are very tough competitors,” Dye said. “They both have a lot of talent, and I’m hoping for a great season from both of them.” Along with Tracy and Lee, Danielle Carlson (‘10) is another top competitor for the Lady Vikes. After qualifying for CCS last season, Carlson hopes to take another step forward and be one of the top swimmers in the section. “Last year was a great experience for me,” Carlson said. “I enjoyed competing against the sections best, and qualifying for CCS had been a season goal for me last year.” Now with more experience and exposure to the postseason scene, Carlson will be a key component for the Vikings success late in the season. Paly’s rich tradition of swimming success looks to continue this season. Although the Vikings are young, they have enough experience to defend the streak of seven straight SCVAL championships and hope to compete amongst the sections elite in CCS.

Boys’

Swimming

No Wang, no Fortune, no problem. The Palo Alto High School boys’ varsity swim team will hit the pool deck this year with a team comparable to, if not better than, the highly successful 2008 squad, highlighted by alum Geng Wang (‘08) and Michael Fortune (‘08). This year Mark Higgins (‘09) and Tim Wenzlau (‘09) will provide leadership to a star-studded cast of underclassmen, which includes Byron Sanborn (‘11) and Rollin Lau (‘11). “The freshman class have filled the holes to allow us to compete this year” coach Danny Dye said. The abundance of new swimmers has yet to change the team’s mentality: win another league title. “Winning leagues and getting that 5th title in row is the most important thing,” team admiral Jeremy Kim said. This year’s title quest promises to be one of the more difficult ones in recent years. “Saratoga and Monta Vista pose the largest threat to our league championship hopes,” Dye said. A win this year would be the Vikings 5th league crown in a row. The 2008 season saw the Vikings capture a league title for the fourth year in a row and a placement of fourth in the CCS finals. In preparation for their title defense, the Vikings have been training since late January. “The seniors and coaches have been great role models for me,” Sanborn said. Sanborn is enduring his first full month of varsity practices. Coach Dye has been extremely impressed so far with the way senior’s Kim and Higgins have conducted themselves at practice. “They really push the team to work harder at practice” Dye said. The Vikings will find out if their preseason training has paid when the face Los Altos in their first dual meet of the season on the March 5th.

Previews

Co-ed

Badminton

Coming off a tough 2008 season, Palo Alto High School’s varsity badminton team looks optimistic in preparation for the games ahead. “We hope to win more than one game this season,” coach Kara Prentice said. “Hopefully we can place somewhere in the middle.” After consecutive losses in their 2008 season, the team looks to strategize and train ever harder in 2009. “We are a rebuilding team this year,” coach Prentice said. “Then again we are always rebuilding.” The team must look to a strong upperclassmen core to lead them in the upcoming months, because this year a record number of freshmen turned out for try-outs. “This is definitely a great try-out year,” coach Prentice said. “We not only have many athletes returning, but many freshman came out to play.” The team remains excited about what this new talent may bring to the court. “We have a balanced team with a lot of decent players,” senior Carson Chin said. “We need to get our team together and work on technique.” The Vikings remain content with their coaching staff, but hope to see a few changes. “Our coaches are really great,” senior Amanda Le said. “I think they need to be a little tougher on us though.” The team will need some strong leadership, and new tactics to begin the season with a few victories. “We have some pretty good senior players,” coach Prentice said. “Our guys are pretty strong but we don’t have many senior girls playing.” The Vikings claim to play in a highly competitive league, and sights this as a reason for the many defeats they have experienced in the past. However, they refuse to let this discourage them, and only hope to achieve a higher ranking in the league than in past years. “We really have a lot of enthusiasm for the game,” Le said. “Even though we aren’t the best, we win and lose as a family.”

Previews

Boys’

Track & Field

After dominating the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League last season, the Palo Alto High School boys’ track team hopes to take their talent beyond the local scene. With many potential state competitors such as: Daniel Jones (‘10), Philip Macquitty (‘10), Bobby Holman (‘09), and Michael Hueschen (‘10), Paly hopes to compete well in not only the Central Coast Section, but also battle with California’s elite competitors in the State meet. “I think as a team we will really thrive in league, and hope to send a couple athletes to states,” jumper Michael Hueschen (‘10) said. “We have a lot of experience which will help us down the road during the critical part of our season.” With the loss of high jumping standouts Mike Scott, Dom Powell, and Tyler Nigro, junior Hueschen will play a major role in the Vikings success in the jumping events. “Michael is a hard worker, and continues to get better,” coach Jason Fung said. “He has an incredible vertical, and his form is constantly improving as his training goes on.” Along with Hueschen, Holman carries most of the load for the long jumpers. After an unfortunate injury during the summer, Holman was forced to skip football, and put his emphasis on this year’s track season due to tearing both of his calf muscles. “The physical therapy I have been going through has really developed my form on my jumps, and it has really helped build my muscles back to where they need to be,” Holman said. With new faces taking over the jumping events, Jones and Macquitty anchor sprints and long distance events. After an impressive season last year, Jones hopes to not only dominate in league, but compete in states. “Last year was a great experience,” Jones says, “I really had the chance to show people what I could do, and I hope to improve this year.” Daniel’s hard work and commitment have played a key role in his success. “Other than the fact [Jones] is just ridiculously quick, he’s always looking for new ways to get better,” Fung said. “Whether it’s working on getting a quicker start, or his form down the stretch in the 200, he is always looking for new ways to improve.” With Jones leading the way in the short distance sprits, Macquitty hopes to advance his already sparkling resume of track accomplishments. Most of the track community expects Macquitty to not only compete with the other runners, they expect nothing less then a CCS title and a top three finish in the state meet from this competitor. After a disappointing finish in the state race last year (13th), he expects to get back out on the track and crush any competition he faces. With more motivation Macquitty looks improve after last years unsatisfactory performance. With all these high expectations for the Vikings, anything below a CCS championship will be considered a lost season. However the teams talent appears to match the hype, giving another dominating look to this year’s squad.

Girls’

Track & Field

Coming off a disappointing 2008 season, the Palo Alto High School girls’ varsity track and field team is ready to prove themselves as worthy contenders in CCS. With a below average number of members on this years’ squad, the team will struggle against stronger schools, as it is outnumbered in most events. “I would say right now our team goal is to fill every event,” head coach Jason Fung said. “We’re a little short on jumpers, and it’s hard to win track meets when you don’t have enough people.” Although last year was a hard fought struggle for the team, many key members displayed personal talents. However, these individual efforts still did not contribute enough to boost the team out of last place in the De Anza division. Two of last years main contributors were alums Mia Lattanzi (‘08) and Leah Gaeta (‘08). “[Lattanzi’s and Gaeta’s] spots will be really hard to fill,” Fung said. “Mia [Lattanzi] was a state level talent.” With key contributors, such as Lattanzi and Gaeta, gone, younger members from last year’s squad will need to help fill the hole that has been left. “We have alright talent this year,” Fung said. “We just need to find someone to fill the times.” Sprinters Erika Hoglund (‘10) and Emily Yeates (‘10) are two talents who are expected to add to the team’s success. “Hoglund and Yeates should be really good this year,” Fung said. “They just need to get out and start running again.” While the running events will be challenging to improve on from last year, the Lady Vikes’ throwers are expecting to improve greatly from the poor outcome of the 2008 season. “As a team, I expect that everyone is going to work really hard and do a lot better this year because there’s some more throwers with experience,” thrower Katerina Peterson (‘11) said. Peterson has set high goals for herself and her teammates. “The goal for everyone is to place themselves somewhere in the league, and get to CCS,” Peterson said. “Personally, I would like to be hitting around 30 feet for shot-put by the end of the year.” Both players and coaches agree that an important match up will be the Los Gatos Wildcats. “I would say Los Gatos should be our main competition,” Fung said. “They’re always good. Even in their down years they always find a way to be good.” With young talent and a strong coaching staff, the Lady Vikes have the potential for a very successful season.

Previews

Girls’

Lacrosse

After playing together for only one year, the Palo Alto High School girls’ varsity lacrosse team looks forward to a successful season. Last year, the inexperienced team defied many spectators‚Äô expectations by playing competitively in the majority of its games. “About half the team just started playing last year,” defender Emily Kenyon (‘10) said. ‚ÄúWe were able to compete with a lot of the teams that have been playing together for multiple seasons.‚Äù The Lady Vikes will play against many teams that they played well against last season. “Last season, we barely lost to Burlingame and most of our shots were right at their goalie,” attacker Mari Wilson (‘10) said. The team hopes to perform much better this season. This year the Lady Vikes are in a different league, and hope to come out strong and surprise people once again with their improvement. The girls are optimistic about the new league. “Most of the teams in the new league we either beat last year, or it was really close.” Kenyon said. This season, the team will be facing rival Gunn in a non-league game. “Of course Gunn, our all-time rival, will be a challenge even though they are not in our league,” attacker Caroline Lucas-Conwell (‘09) said. The team is looking strong with many new additions to the roster. Attacking sensation Kimberley Flather (‘12) has been playing lacrosse for four years. “I play lacrosse because it’s different, fun and a lot of my friends play it too,” Flather said. Additionally, attacker Emily Benatar (‘11), and former JV talent has shown potential for this seasons varsity squad. “Emily Benatar has really improved and stepped up her game,” LucasConwell said. “She will make a big difference too.” According to the captains, the team is on the right path toward success this season. “We are going to prove everyone wrong this season,” captain Helene Zahoudanis (‘09) said. ‚We have the potential to be really good. Everyone on the team is athletic and has the skills down, we just need confidence.”

Co-ed

Golf

Coming off a successful 11-3 season, and a second place finish in league, the Palo Alto High School varsity golf team is looking forward to having a positive 2009 season. “We have a solid top three players, and my four, five, and six guys are shooting a lot better,” head coach Doyle Knight said. “We should have a pretty good year.” Losing only two varsity players from last season, the team looks to be led by a strong senior core. “Pierce Marchant, Elliot Snow and Alexandra Grotesma are my top players this year,” Knight said.”I expect them all to do well.” Senior Pierce Marchant also expects the team to have a good season. “I think we will do a lot better than last year,” Marchant said. “We should beat most of the teams in our league; our goal is to go to CCS.” Marchant’s individual goals are also very prodigious. “My main goal is to make it to the Nor-Cal tournament,” he said. “Also I’d like to average under par and break the school record for a round.” Not only does the team have a strong main core, but it also looks to make a splash in league. “As the four, five and six guys, we try to let the top three carry the team, and we do our best to match up with the other guys,” junior Trevor Loveless said. “We all shoot a solid three or four around par, so we can really help the team out in matches.” With a historically strong league, the Vikings’ journey to CCS will not be an easy one. “Our toughest competition will be Mountain View and Los Altos,” Marchant said. “But Mountain View lost a couple of key guys, so we should be able to compete with them. Loveless agreed that Mountain View will pose the biggest threat to the Vikings success. “Mountain View has always been a powerhouse, but everyone in our league is about even and we should compete well with them.” Guiding the team, Doyle Knight, who in his third season as head coach, is widely regarded as one of the best coaches in the area. “Coach Knight is a really great coach,” Marchant said. “He’s consistent and devoted to the team.” Loveless also agrees that Knight is a dedicated leader. “He’s really committed,” Loveless said. “He makes sure we are all set for our matches and gives everyone an opportunity to show their skills and get better.” With a great core of top players and solid golfers rounding out the top six, the Vikings are shaping up to have a fantastic season.

Previews

Boys’

Tennis

The Vikings’ boys’ tennis team hopes to avenge the disappointing loss that ended their season last year. After going 15-9 in 2008 and placing second in Leagues, the Vikings only plan on improving. The Vikings boast a team filled with experience from last year, and the team believes that they have grown since 2008. With this experience, the expectations of the Vikings are much higher this year and many of the players are excited for the challenge. “There’s no question in my mind that we’ll win leagues, and me, I’m not going to lose a single match,” Drew Pearson (‘10) said. “Watch, you’ll see. I have a huge amount of confidence in mine and the team’s potential to go far this year.” Having such confidence is key if the Paly boys expect to get to their League championships this season. While the majority of the team expresses a large amount of confidence, not everyone feels as certain as Pearson does. “I think it’ll be tough to win the Central Coast Section, but I think we can still do well,” Baramee Wongbanchai (‘11) said. While the Vikings would love to win CCS, they would be satisfied with taking the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League. “With most of our players back, I think we can easily win SCVAL,” Wongbanchai said. “I hope the team comes together and plays to our potential.” A strength in this years’ Vikings boys’ tennis squad is the amount of experience they bring to the courts. From the 14 play-

ers that were on last year’s squad, 12 of them will be returning this season. This depth of experience has an immense impact being prepared when the tough matches roll around. The top two singles positions are still up for battle with Wongbanchai and Dan Schwartz (‘09). The doubles pairs are not quite decided but the leading doubles players are John Mitchell (‘09), Pearson, Chase Cooper (‘10), and Cory McCroskey (‘09). Even though the Vikings easily had a winning record last year, improvement is expected by the entire team. “I’m predicting it,” Pearson said. “I’m not going to lose a single match, and Paly will be much better than last year. It all depends on what match-ups Coach Harader uses against the opposition. It’s going to be a fun year.”

Come by and pick up a sandwhich at JJ&F’s today! 520 College Ave Palo Alto, CA 94306 650-857-0901

ONCE IN A DOUBLE DECADE Paly girls’ soccer makes it to the ccs finals for the first time in 20 years.

BY EMILY FOWLER PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADAM ZERNIK

Newsbrief

his year’s Central Coast Section playoffs have been a wild ride for the varsity girls’ soccer team. The Vikings (11-7-4) were unsure if they would qualify for CCS this year, but they scored a spot and ended in the Division I playoffs. “Preseason went pretty well, we had a hard time getting our lineup together, but now we have a really strong lineup,” captain Jessie Duller (‘09) said. “Usually we are in division II but now we are in division I, which is for bigger schools.” The Lady Vikes earned the number six seed in the division I tournament and, after an exhilarating first three rounds, the girls lost to Monta Vista (17-3-2) in the CCS finals. “It was really exciting to get there,” Erika Hoglund (‘10) said. “It was something the girls hadn’t done for 20 years, so that in itself was really fun and exciting. We worked really hard post season to get there, and I think that we definitely deserved it. The Vikes’ first opponent in the playoffs was 11th seed Watsonville, whom the Vikings easily defeated with a 7-0 victory. With their win, the Lady Vikes advanced into the quarterfinals against 3rd seed Leland (12-4-6). They defeated Leland by a margin of 5-2 with all five goals scored by Kelly Jenks (‘10). The Vikings next faced number two seeded Woodside (15-2-4) in the semifinals. Before the game, Duller was confident the Vikings would win. “We played them two years ago and we lost,” Duller said. “But we played really badly, so I think we can beat them this year.” After a long, close match, the Vikings came out on top with the game-winning goal scored by

hoopla The Lady Vikes celebrate their victory after defeating number two seed Woodside (15-2-4). The Vikings beat Woodside with a score of 1-0, qualifying the Vikings for the CCS finals for the first time in 20 years.

Maeve Stewart (‘10) for a final score of 1-0. The girls then looked ahead to the CCS finals, which the Vikings reached for the first time in 20 years. The final would be the last game for seniors Amelia Alonis, Sammi Bengston, Sarah Brown, Jessie Duller, Shaine Kaye. Sydney Lundgren, Mira Parekh and Elizabeth Petit. It also would have been the first CCS win for the varsity girls’ soccer team in 29 years. However, the Vikings suffered a 2-1 loss to number one seed Monta Vista. The team struggled in the first half of the game even with a goal by Jenks. “The last CCS game went pretty well,” head coach Ernesto Cruz said. “We were a little intimidated the first half, and we weren’t connecting. But in the second half the girls came out very strong, exactly the way we have always been playing, and we did a pretty good job. They fought until the end and I’m very proud of the girls.” Hoglund agrees that the final game was very close. “It was disappointing to come that close and not win the championship,” Hoglund said. “They’re a good team but we know we can beat them. Hopefully next year we will just come back even stronger.” Cruz is very pleased with how the season turned out overall. “Man we made a lot of noise,” Cruz said. “No one expected us to be as strong as we were, and we did a tremendous job. We were prob-

Beast Kelly Jenks (‘10) heads a ball in the Vikes’ first CCS game against Watsonville. Jenks went on to score all five goals for Paly in their second game against Leland.

ably one of the best teams, even though we didn’t get the championship. Overall, the way we played, it was very fun.” Cruz and the remaining players are optimistic about next year’s season. “We are blessed at Palo Alto High School, at least in the soccer department.” Cruz said. “It feels like they always send us a lot of good athletes. We have a lot of juniors who are going to be great next year. Also, the freshman and the JV team are both very good. We have a lot of freshman coming up next year and we are gonna keep going strong.” <<<

by Chase Cooper

photos by malaika drebin

THE TRUTH BEHIND SUPPLEMENTS The Viking looks into the reality of supplements in Palo Alto sports community. 32

to beginning his exhausting exP rior ercise routine, sprinter Bobby Hol-

man (‘09) consumes a dose of creatine monohydrate mixed with water to assist him during his weightlifting regimen. The tasteless five grams of white crystalline powder mixes well with any liquid, and is most effective when taken 30-45 minutes before the exercise. “One of the reasons I used creatine was because it was so easy to use,” Holman said. Creatine monohydrate, a legal and common dietary supplement, is often confused with a form of anabolic steroid. However, creatine and other supplements, such as glutamine and protein powder are used by Paly athletes on a regular basis to enhance their athletic performance. Creatine assists athletes when they engage in activities that entail explosive movements. “Supplementing with creatine gives the muscles extra energy to be able to perform at a higher level for the duration of the exercise.” personal trainer George Harding said. Creatine differs from steroids in that it has not been banned by the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), nor the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF). “Creatine is completely legal, and I simply used it to help me get through my workouts,” Holman said. “I don’t see why people look down upon it.” Holman is not the only Paly athlete to experiment with supplementation. Many Paly athletes have paid a visit to the local General Nutrition Center (GNC) themselves. All of the featured supplements inside dietary stores are by all means legal, but seem to carry along an attached stigma. “People definitely view supplementation as a form of cheating,” an unamed source said. “They associate it with steroids for no apparent reason.” There are many skeptics who simply see the effects of its usage, and question the legality of the substance. “I just see people that get a lot bigger and stronger after using creatine,” the

unnamed source said. “If I weren’t educated on the subject, I would probably think they were using something illegal and probably cheating.” This is where most people go wrong. Creatine is a substance that is produced naturally in the body, and supplementing with it serves as an additive to the athlete’s diet. Anabolic steroids, on the other hand, provide the body with an illegal and unnatural amount of testosterone, dramatically increasing protein synthesis within cells. Anabolic steroids also fill the body with foreign substances, and have the ability to alter the athlete’s facial features, among other various side-effects. Creatine can also be found in many foods such as fish, beef and other meats. “Steroids and substances like creatine and glutamine belong in two juristically different categories,” Doug Balster M.D.P.H.D, a pediatrician at Menlo Medical Clinic said. “They operate differently in the body, and vary greatly in the danger of its usage.” Steroids also differ from creatine and glutamine in that they affect cells throughout the entire body, including brain cells. Creatine and glutamine are building blocks of amino acids. “Since creatine and glutamine do not affect the cell levels and cell splitting like steroids do, they are completely safe to use in moderation.” Balster said. Another discrepancy between the

Creatine will always be exempt from any type of testing, due to its natural existence in the body. “It would be impossible to ban creatine as a supplement,” Harding said. “Unless they are going to ban people from eating meat.” The purpose of creatine is to give the muscle and increased amount of energy during a workout, by supplying them with ATP (adenosine triphosphate), as well as hydrating the muscles. “Creatine enables me to work out for a longer period of time,” Holman said. “I have a lot more energy and can do more reps with more weight, and ultimately become stronger.” There has always been members of the sports world who are suspicious of creatine, shining a negative light on all other supplements as a result. “Since people have always frowned upon the usage of creatine, I think it is just natural for them to associate it with every other supplement,” exercise enthusiast Peter Tseng (‘10) said. “It is an unfair assumption.” While there are currently no known side effects of creatine usage, there is a lack of extensive research regarding long-term us-

“Since people have always frowned upon the usage of creatine, I think it is just natural for them to associate it with every other supplement,” Peter Tseng (‘10) said. “It is an unfair assumption.” supplements is that steroids become stored in the body after they are consumed, while creatine, glutamine and protein powder exit the body through digestion. “When steroids are taken, they stick around in the body and do harm to cells, even unnaturally altering their size,” Balster said.

age, simply because the substance has only been in common use since 1995. “The fact that creatine has not been studied for a long period of time is certainly alarming,” Harding said. “You just never know if some side effect simply comes out of nowhere.”

Despite the lack of long-term reletes consume to enhance their training. supplement,” Harding said. “It helps search, high school athletes continue to The substance can be found naturally both with training for athletes, and with experiment with supplements, in hopes circulating in an athlete’s blood stream, upholding a standard level of health for of improving their athletic ability, and and in the skeletal muscle. It also can be an average human being.” ultimately winning admission to college found in meats, and dairy products such Palo Alto High School head athletic with an athletic scholarship. as milk and eggs. The main purpose of trainer Stacy Kofman feels that athletes “I am confident in the safety of using glutamine supplementation is to stimushould strive to get all the proper nucreatine,” Holman said. “Since it is natulate muscle growth and shorten the retrients through their everyday diet, but rally made in the body, it is less likely to covery time between workouts. can supplement with glutamine and be of harm to me” “When I take an extra dose of gluprotein powder if needed. The extreme pressure involved with tamine, I feel like I could work out every “I am fine with athletes taking glucompetitive high school athletics gives day,” an anonymous Paly athlete said. tamine and protein, because they athletes great incentive to experiment “My muscles recover faster and grow in have no side effects and improve one’s with supplements. strength as a result.” health,” Kofman said. “Although they “These days there is so much riding Along with glutamine’s positive efshould try to receive those nutrients by on the performance of eating natural foods.” high school athletes,” “When people found out that I took While lifting weights, Harding said. “I can see muscle tissue inside supplements, they immediately thought the why someone might the body are being torn supplement their diet in that the things I was taking were apart and broken down. order to give them an illegal and I was cheating,” Holman When the workout is over, edge on the field.” said. “It is something that athletes the muscles immediately Although creatine these days must deal with.” begin to recovering and tops the charts as one of the most popular supplements among teens, it is not alone in fect on weight lifters and other athletes, grow stronger to be able to endure the the list of supplements that has received it also has a beneficial health effect. next exercise. Protein helps the muscle criticism and has been tagged as an ilSupplementing with glutamine can in the recovery process, ultimately helplegal substance by many. Critics, subsestrengthen one’s immune system, subing it grow bigger and stronger. Proquently having them be associated with sequently allowing the athlete to train tein supplementation directly after the anabolic steroids, have also targeted more often and not be set back by illworkout results in optimal gains for the other dietary enhancements such as ness. Glutamine, which is approved by athlete. Protein powder is a common glutamine and protein powder. the Food and Drug Association (FDA), choice among athletes due to the fact Glutamine, one of 20 amino acids enhas also been known to cure ulcers, and that protein is absorbed by the muscle coded in the standard genetic code, is serves as a nutrient to one’s intestines. in the shortest period of time. Along another common supplement that ath “Glutamine is a multi-dimensional with its effectiveness, protein powder

has never been associated with any side effects. “Taking protein powder is a no-brainer for me just because of the results it gives me,” an unnamed source said. “The fact that there are no side effects also helps me with my decision to use it on a regular basis.” Since high school is a time where athletes are still growing and maturing physically, many athletes also use multi-vitamins, assuring them that they receive the proper nutrients during a period of growth. “We recommend that high school athletes take a multi-vitamin before any other supplements,” a Vitamin Shoppe employee said. “It consists of the most basic nutrients that are essential to the body’s maturation.” Multi-Vitamins provide the body with an abundance of vitamins and minerals that may not get consumed in an average diet. “Without these key nutrients, one’s body may not be able to reach its full potential in terms of growth,” Vitamin Shoppe employee said. Although supplementation gives an athlete an advantage on the playing field, it comes with the price of being associated with steroid usage among their peers.

“When people found out that I took supplements, they immediately thought that the things I was taking were illegal and I was cheating,” Holman said. “It is something that athletes these days must deal with.” Supplementation among athletes has become increasingly popular due to the level of its availability, along with their moderately low prices. “Kids come in here all the time looking for a new product that will help them in their respective sports,” an anonymous Vitamin Shoppe employee said. “All they are looking for is some sort of edge.” Some critics feel as if supplementation is simply not needed, and has no place in a high school locker room. “Creatine is simply not needed in high school sports,” Palo Alto High School Athletic Director Earl Hansen said. “ Athletes can get by relying on their natural ability alone.” There are athletes who are opposed to taking supplements, trusting their natural abilities, and not willing to live with any unknown side effects that may occur. “I would never put any substances like that into my body,” tennis player Drew Pearson (10’) said. “I prefer to take my chances with my natural talent.” Even athletes who choose not to use supplements can see the other side of the spectrum, and see why others give in to the temptation of supplementing. “While I dont personally see a need for supplements, I can understand why some athletes think it is necessary” Pearson said.

The unwanted social stigma has prompted many athletes to supplement anonymously, hiding their usage. “Now that it is discouraged by everyone, I have been forced to do it without telling anyone,” an unnamed source said. “It puts me in a tough situation where I am hiding it from others.” Kofman, who has been around high school athletes her entire career, has come to a conclusion as to why athletes are secretive about the supplements they use. “I feel like athletes are hesitant to disclose information regarding their supplement usage due to the unknown side effects of products like creatine,” Koffman said. The question of whether supplementing with products like glutamine, creatine and protein powder is cheating is still being discussed today, with members of the sports world on either side. “If the product that an athlete uses is legal, then there is no reason for it to be considered cheating,” Tseng said. “Other athletes have the choice of whether or not to take supplements, but cannot accuse others of cheating if the supplements they use are allowed.” <<<

Meet the Supplements Creatine Increases muscle capabilities and endurance Protein Powder Increases Muscle Mass Glutamine Helps Muscle Recover Multi-Vitamins Boosts overall nutrition level 35

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By hana kajimura Photography by hana kajimura and malaika drebin

n a crisp October afternoon in 1972, two bright-eyed seventh grade girls crept stealthily into the deserted boys’ locker room of Columbia Junior High in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey. For the past four years the girls had successfully competed with their male counterparts on the schoolyard basketball courts. Each day after school, they watched as the boys hurried to the school’s gym for an afternoon basketball team practice, while the girls walked home. The school had no basketball program for girls, why should they? Basketball was for boys.

“There were no teams for us,” Eileen Roche, 50, said, recalling her motives for violating strict school policy that day. At the time, a thirteen year old girl’s plea to play was not heard over the demands of a successful boys’ program, and Roche often found herself powerless in the face of school administrators. “They [the boys] knew we could play,” Roche said. “It was the school administrators and the boys’ parents who had the problem.” The sign-up sheet for the only basketball team-all male-at Columbia Junior High

School was posted inside the door of the boys’ locker room. Defiant and angry, Roche and her friend pushed open the door of the locker room, penciled their names on the sign-up sheet for the boys’ basketball team, and waited for a reaction. The response was immediate. Roche was called into the vice principal’s office the next day. “There was talk of suspension for entering the boy’s locker room-classic avoidance tactic-until my mother showed up,” Roche said. “She ripped the school

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No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. -20 U.S.C. Section 1681

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administration up one side and down the other. She questioned why they put the sign up sheet in boys’ locker room. They had no good answer.” While the Berkeley school administrators were silent, the United States Supreme Court found words to transform the face of girls’ sports in America. A young girl dribbling a ball across the concrete court at recess would no longer feel inferior, but as a rival to the boy playing next to her. This landmark ruling, known as Title IX, flipped Roche’s world upside down. Over 35 years later, Eileen Roche enters her fifth season this year as the Director of Women’s Basketball Operations at Stanford University after spending three years as assistant coach to the Stanford Women’s Basketball team and a 15 year stint as an event coordinator and championship director for the CIF-Central Coast Section (CCS). A three-sport athlete at Ohio Wesleyan University, Roche played basketball, softball and field hockey, and was inducted into the university’s sports hall of fame in 1989. “Now having this 30 year perspective, I can see that it has taken us this long hard fight to stand our ground and demand equality,” Roche said. Hot off the presses, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 had passed only a few months before Roche challenged her middle school authorities. Written by Congresswoman Patsy Mink from Hawaii, the amendment guaranteed

gender equality in all federally funded educational institutions. Yet even as Title IX upset school athletic programs across the county, achieving equal opportunity for women, even under the law, would prove to be a long, hard fight. When Paly Sociology and AP Psychology teacher Kathie Laurence was a sophomore at Gunn High School in 1972, Gunn had no swim team for girls. During Laurence’s junior year, girls were allowed to swim on the boys’ team and her senior year; Gunn finally added a girls’ swim team, all due to Title IX. “I was an anomaly [for girls],” Laurence said. “I was swimming twice a day.” Laurence went on to swim at Stanford University. Her freshmen year in college, the Stanford athletic department allotted scholarships to women for the first time ever. A decade later, schools began to catch up with the young legislation. Current Paly math teacher Kathi Bowers, played softball at Stanford from 1979 to 1982 and later coached softball at Paly in the early 90’s. Bowers always felt that she had the opportunity to play her sport. “We got everything we needed,” Bowers said. “We didn’t have to beg.” Decade after decade, women have been propelled into sports by the addition of more athletic opportunities for girls in high school, decreasing the disparity overall between male and female participation in athletics. According to a report put out by the

“It’s a really visceral topic; people get really fired up about it,” Foudy said. “Title IX is one of the most profound civil rights acts to pass in this country. We’re not asking for millions of dollars, we’re just asking for what’s fair.”

Women’s Foundation in 2008, Female NCAA participation since Title IX in 1972 has increased by 456% and high school participation has increased by 904%. During the early 1970’s there were 3.4 million more males participating in athletic programs than women; by the early 80’s the gap had halved to around 1.6 million. Throughout the 90’s the figure remained around 1.5 million. The number of girls participating in sports at Paly mirrors the climb in national statistics. In 1975, only 63 girls played on all Paly sports teams combined. In 1982 there were 290 girls. In 2008 the statistic had almost doubled to 440 girls

on Paly teams. Since Title IX came into effect in 1972, Paly has added 13 girls’ sports teams. Athletic Director Earl Hansen has seen over 20 years of continued change at Palo Alto High School. “The level of commitment and talent of the girls has changed tremendously from when I started,” Hansen said. “They’re competitive players now.” In communities, like Palo Alto, across the country, girls are raised to compete and excel in athletics. “In elementary school I was always the only girl out on the football field with the boys and I loved it,” Helene Zahoud-

reach Liza Dernehl (‘09) blocks a shot during a water polo game. Paly athletics added girls’ water polo, the last girls’ sport added other than lacrosse, in the fall of 1997.

anis (‘09) said. “I can’t imagine not being given the opportunity to play. I honestly don’t know what I would do or who I would be.” For young girls, immersion in sports can make all the difference. It teaches them to apply the concepts of teamwork and perseverance to situations they may encounter in life. Competitive volleyball has shown Marissa Florant (‘10) the importance of teamwork and compassion. “Sports have taught me about winning as a team and to not just think of myself in pressure situations,” Florant said. Though many female student athletes today experience the advantageous impacts of Title IX, controversy still impedes the legal side of the legislation. At the turn of the century, the government struggled to find a balance between obeying the legal aspects of Title IX and coping with the legislation’s implications. In 2002, Secretary of Education Rod Paige created the Commission on Opportunity in Athletics (COA) to assess the effectiveness of Title IX, and to strengthen enforcement. When the COA released a final report in 2003, two members of the commission, Donna de Varona, an Olympic swimmer, and Julie Foudy, former captain of the U.S. National womens’ soccer team, both refused to sign. Foudy felt that the report presented biased facts, and minimized the continuing discrimination towards female athletics. “Because Donna and I couldn’t sign onto the majority report,” Foudy said, “we made our own minority report. On the commission you would be saying all these things knowing that you represented

all those girls out there and that you were the voice of them.” Without unanimity of the entire commission, Paige announced that he would only consider the four unanimous recommendations of the original 23. “The commission was interesting because a lot of the members were proponents of scaling Title IX back,” Foudy said. Foudy felt that the report blamed Title IX for the loss of some male sports. A commonly held opinion among Title IX critics, Title IX is not discriminatory towards male athletics. While Title IX requires that schools distribute participation opportunities and funds equally between mens’ and womens’ athletics, institutions are free to decide how to allocate them. In order to make room for more female sports, institutions may need to eliminate a few of the men’s programs. While some male athletes resent Title IX for this reason, a new generation acknowledges that sacrifice is necessary to achieve equality. “The addition of new women’s athletics teams is fair because there are a few mens’ sports that are not customary for females to play, like wrestling and football,” frosh/ soph quarterback Christoph Bono (‘11) said. Because many schools refuse to give less money to high revenue sports, they are forced to cut others. “I’ve always contended that schools are told not to discriminate, but they’re not told how to run their programs,” Foudy said. “They end up cutting mens’ wrestling or swimming because they don’t want to streamline other sports like football. You can’t turn around and blame womens’ sports.” “It’s emotional from both sides because you don’t want to see mens’ sports being

Perseverance Helene Zahoudanis (‘09) played a major role in establishing a girls’ lacrosse team at Paly last year. Now a captain for the varsity squad, Zahoudanis leads the team from the midfield. lost,” Foudy said. Foudy remembers being the minority voice on the commission, but still having the courage to speak up. “It’s a really visceral topic; people get really fired up about it,” Foudy said. “Title IX is one of the most profound civil rights acts to pass in this country. We’re not asking for millions of dollars, we’re just asking for what’s fair.” Foudy’s athletic and professional career is a testament to the success of Title IX. Since age 16, she had been a member of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team and a top recruit across the country. While the allure of a full scholarship from a womens’ soccer powerhouse like University of North Carolina was enticing, Foudy preferred an education from a top university. Told that scholarships would soon be available for female soccer athletes, Foudy committed to Stanford University in 1989. Foudy’s senior year, exactly 20 years after the enactment of Title IX, she received the first scholarship ever offered to womens’ soccer at Stanford University. But Foudy also recounts many experiences traveling abroad with the national team where she felt ridiculed by foreign cultures for being a female athlete. “I would go play pick-up soccer with the guys in Spain,” Foudy said. “They would stop the game and look at me like ‘Who are you?’ and ‘How can this chick play soccer?’ That was the hardest thing to try and change the culture of-supporting womens’ sports. Not just providing the

opportunity but providing a platform for them to be successful.” Palo Alto High School has spent decades building that platform. Female athletes are not only provided with ample opportunity, but also are esteemed in the Paly community. “I give women athletes a lot of respect since they definitely are playing with a chip on their shoulder being doubted by so

“We have to keep the fight going and keep the information and communication flowing,” Roche said. “We have to keep a diligent eye that our sports are being treated as fairly as the men’s are.”

many people,” Paly golfer Pierce Marchant (09’) said. “It can be humbling to see women athletes do the same thing that anyone else can do in sports.” Other male students at Paly echo Marchant’s opinion that girls are no longer perceived as a lower class of athletes but as competitors. “To be honest, there are many girls who could beat me in the sports I play,” Bono said. Last year after prolonged discussion, Paly added a girls’ lacrosse team. Before fighting for a high school team, then sophomore Helene Zahoudanis took the lead in establishing a club team for high school girls. “We figured it would be easier to have the Tomahawks team established for a year or so, and then talk to Paly about adopting the team,” Zahoudanis said. With cooperation from Bill Glazier, the director of the Tomahawks program, the club established a high school club team. Zahoudanis next turned her attention to Hansen and the Paly administrators, who argued that the funding for a girls’ lacrosse team would be better spent on an academic program. “It was beyond frustrating because it seemed like no one really cared how passionate we were about the sport, and how badly we wanted to play,” Zahoudanis said. “Everyone was making up every possible excuse as to why we couldn’t have a team.” Luckily, Title IX gave Zahoudanis’s cause huge leverage in the face of the administration.

“Paly was in violation of Title IX which was a big deal,” Zahoudanis said. As athletic director, Hansen strives to create an environment of athletic equality for all students. “I try to balance as much as I can,” Hansen said. “When girls swimming became a spring sport it killed girl’s gymnastics. To make things balanced, we added girl’s water polo.” Reluctant at first, Paly held tryouts for the new girls’ lacrosse team in the spring of 2008. “We didn’t have a winning season by any means,” Zahoudanis said. “But we won a few and I think we proved a lot of people wrong.” In its second season, the lacrosse team has won its first four games, a significant improvement from the first year. “The new addition of the girls’ lacrosse team is good because it makes up for the difference in how many male sports there are compared to how many female sports there are,” Bono said. “Sports equality is good and it doesn’t seem to interfere with anything.” Though Title IX has come a long way, women are still not complete equals of their male counterparts in the athletic world. A DeHass survey in 2006, later published by the Women’s Sports Foundation, shows gender participation percentages evening out among athletes at NCAA Division I schools, but male sports receive 68% of the total operating budget while female sports receive only 37%. “I’m not going to say we’re equal now, because I know we’re not,” Roche said.

“Men get paid more, they have more staff and they bring in more money.” While there is still a fight to strike a gender balance in athletics, almost four decades of gradual change has surmounted to a definite adjustment of public opinion. “Here in the United States, we are light years ahead of other countries in terms of acceptance of female athletes,” Foudy said. “Men here have great respect for women who compete.” Bowers also acknowledges the shift in public opinion. “It used to be that the pinnacle of a girl was not to play sports,” Bowers said. “Today, girls are proud to be athletic and we celebrate them in society. It isn’t an either/ or any longer.” Title IX continues to be monitored at both the high school and college levels, and suggests a promising future for female athletes. “We have to keep the fight going and keep the information and communication flowing,” Roche said. “We have to keep a diligent eye that our sports are being treated as fairly as the men’s are.” Thirty seven years ago, Roche was a 13 year old girl looking into the eyes of her vice principal hoping to make a change. Today, Roche is a testament of the momentous change. The encouraging mother of two sons, who admire the skill sets of their female peers, Roche has seen Title IX come full circle. “People talk about us because we hit a nerve,” Roche said. “We were athletes and we were not backing down.” <<<

The Three-Prong Test

In 1979, the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare introduced the “three-prong test” to determine the compliancy of an issue.

1. Proportionality

2. Expanding Opportunities

3. Accommodation

The percentage of male and female athletic opportunities is equal to the percentage of males and females in the student body.

The institution has shown a continuing practice of expanding opportunities for the underrepresented sex or at most schools, females.

The institution must be effectively accommodating all interests and abilities of the underrepresented sex including participation opportunities, facilities, equipment, etc.

Baramee Wongbanchai Gets His Stroke On

After his move to the United States, Baramee Wongbanchai continues to pursue the sport of badminton at Palo Alto high school.

s he picked himself up off the court he felt a searing pain in his left wrist. He had fallen before, but this time the pain was more intense. This did not keep him from continuing to play. Finally, his mother insisted that the referee stop play and rushed her son to the hospital, where they discovered he had broken his wrist and would need surgery. Baramee Wongbanchai (‘11) is the kind of tennis player who will not be stopped by a broken wrist.

As a freshman, he played on the Paly varsity boys’ tennis team, and this year looks forward to playing number one singles. What sets Wongbanchai apart from the rest of Paly is he was born in Lumpang, Thailand and spent his childhood there. At the age of five, Mrs. Wongbanchai decided that Wongbanchai needed to play a sport. Tennis was the logical answer because their neighbor was a tennis coach and had a tennis court in his backyard. At the age of seven, he began playing tournaments and kept winning. By the

time Wongbanchai turned eight, he was a national champion. “When you are good at a sport, you enjoy doing it,” Mrs. Wongbanchai said. “And he kept winning.” In Thailand, he never went to school, except when to take tests. All his friends were fellow tennis players. His commitment clearly paid-off when Wongbanchai joined the top five junior players in Thailand. In 2006, Wongbanchai, his parents and two brothers moved to Palo Alto because the company his mother worked for expanded to the US. When Wongban-

BY SOPHIE BIFFAR Photography by Sophie Biffar

chai heard the news, he had no idea what to expect. “I did not really think about [moving to the United States] too much,” Wongbanchai said. “I was a little excited because I had never been to the United States before.” Wongbanchai notices many differences between Thailand and the United States particularly: weather, food, culture and lifestyle. “The one thing I miss is the Thai food,” Wongbanchai said. “The best place to get Thai food is in Los Angeles Thai Town. Once, I played a tournament in Palm Springs, we flew there, but I asked my mother to drive back so we could stop at Thai town.” He also now sees that the people in Thailand are more polite and shy while Americans are open and confident. “I gained more confidence once I moved here” Wongbanchai said. The biggest change for Wongbanchai is the tennis. In Thailand there are fewer

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players than in the US. However, the serious ones quit school and spend their time practicing and competing internationally. When Wongbanchai lived in Thailand, tutors came to their home in the evening. Attending school everydaywas an adjustment, but Wongbanchai does not mind the change. “I love Paly,” Wongbanchai said. The two school systems are completely different from each other. Both Wongbanchai and his mother agree that in the Thai system focused more on math and memorization, while Paly focuses on research and presentations. The schools in Thailand teach you how to think, but not communicate, according to Mrs. Wongbanchai. She also believes that

body and practice off the court,” Jessup said. Jessup’s long term goal for Wongbanchai is a world ranking. “My job is to leverage his strengths and hide his weaknesses,” Jessup said. Wongbanchai enjoys working with Jessup on a daily basis to improve his game. “He is an extraordinary coach,” Wongbanchai said. “I wish I had him as my coach when I was younger.” Wongbanchai’s favorite part of the game is competing. “I like to compete to win,” Wongbanchai said. In the spring, Wongbanchai plays on the Paly team and is ranked #2 in the school league. Coach Andy Harader says he is an aggressive player and will play a key role in the

“He runs down every ball and is willing to fight to the death...” - Coach Michael Jessup on wongbanchai Paly is supportive when Wongbanchai misses school for tennis. “It is the best school he could be at,” Mrs. Wongbanchai said. Even with the adjustment of going to school, Wongbanchai still finds the time to play four to five hours of tennis a day. He mostly works with his personal coach, Michael Jessup, who played on the ATP professional tour. “He runs down every ball and is willing to fight to the death,” Jessup said. Jessup has been coaching Wongbanchai for the past two years during which he has vastly improved, but notes that Wongbanchai needs to learn more about training off the tennis court. “As an athlete he needs to take care of his

determination Wongbanchai returns a serve with a vicious forehand during a match against Los Altos on February 26th. Wongbanchai went on to win the match 6-2, 6-3.

success of the team this year. “We have a chance to be the #1 team in Northern and Central California,” Harader said. “We are going for it.” Although Wongbanchai dreams of becoming a professional player he is currently focused on the near future. He is using the next year to think about the role tennis plays in his life but expects he will continue tennis in college. Jessup believes it is Wongbanchai’s fire and his determination that will take him to the next level. It is this same determination that kept him playing in a tournament match with a broken wrist that Wongbanchai will bring to the team again this year. “My goal is to win every match for the team,” Wongbanchai said. <<<

Profiles

nothing unusual 44

You’d never be able to tell by seeing her play...

but junior Kristen Dauler’s life is an everyday struggle. As the rain steadily falls from the dark clouds above Palo Alto High School’s softball field, a group of girls slowly form a circle on the sodden field for the first time in their 2009 campaign. The only sound is the rhythmic beat of the raindrops striking the tops of the girls’ heads. Last year, the girls’ softball program became a Central Coast Section threat, doubling their win totals from 2007 to 2008. The leaders take their places in the formation and begin to guide the rest of the girls through stretches. There is a quiet confidence about this team, as if they are starting to visualize the spectacular things that they have the chance to accomplish this season. The silence continues unobstructed, until a wide-eyed freshman startles the group by naively pointing out the glaring gap in the leaders’ formation. One of the veteran players explains that the spot belongs to Kristen Dauler [‘10]. A few minutes pass until the silence is broken again, as the freshmen is clearly concerned. The other girls glance around the circle, seeking eye contact for affirmation, then look towards the freshman with a surprised, “Don’t you know?” kind of look. The silence is broken for the final time.

BY MARCO SCOLA

photography by hana kajimura

“She’s at the hospital,” one girl explains, “Nothing unusual.” That freshman will eventually learn what each of Palo Alto High School Kristen Dauler’s (‘10) teammates have already learned: she lives with type one diabetes. Also known as juvenile diabetes, type one is a metabolic disease, which affects approximately 171 million people worldwide. With type one diabetes, the body’s white blood cells attack the pancreas, tricked into thinking that it doesn’t belong. The pancreas, which is respon-

sible for producing insulin in the body, eventually shuts down. Without this organ, the body lacks a method of producing and regulating insulin. The reason for this phenomenon is still a mystery to doctors and researchers. “I don’t let [diabetes] interfere to the point where I can’t play,” says Dauler. “I try to control it as much as possible.” In order to be able to function on a day-to-day basis, diabetics have to constantly draw blood to check their insulin levels and inject the insulin into their bodies, often checking around 11 times a day depending on the individual circumstances. Dauler wears a tic-tac box sized pump filled with insulin on her waist. The pump’s needle stays injected an inch and a half into her body at all times to provide insulin. Though famously modest, Dauler struggles with

her disease much more than she would ever let on, conceding that it is a daily battle. “Diabetes affects how I feel 24/7,” she admits. “If my blood sugar is high, I get tired to the point where I am falling asleep. It will also cause migraines, thirst,

grab food and wait for it to absorb into my blood stream. I can go into a seizure if it isn’t treated.” Even with such a debilitating disease, Dauler never asks for, nor expects, any special treatment. “I know I have diabetes,” she says, “and sure that isn’t very common, especially for athletes, but I have never felt any different than any of my teammates. I’m not Kristen the Diabetic, just Kristen.” Daulers’ feelings are reciprocated by many of her teammates. “She doesn’t just get by, she excels,” says second baseman Gracie Marshall (‘11). “It’s not like she’s just

bunt down better than anyone else. She’s the perfect team player.” As a third year varsity starter, Dauler brings a lot to the table. She is a tremendous contact hitter who can get the bat on the ball in any situation and force the defense to make a play. In the field, Dauler anchors the hot corner, snagging anything that comes her way. “I don’t know how she does it,” shortstop Lauren Bucolo (‘10) says. “She is so brave. She really inspires me, as well as a lot of the other girls, to appreciate what we have. Yeah, she plays at a disadvantage, but you would never know it watching her in the batting cage or fielding grounders.” All the support from her teammates, as well as her friends, makes it easy for Dauler to embrace her illness.

“I have never felt any different... I’m not Kristen the Diabetic, just Kristen.” some diabetic who watches from the bench; she’s one of our best players.”

and affects my vision, all of which makes it extremely hard to follow the ball when I’m playing.” Low blood sugar can be even more dangerous if not treated immediately. “If my blood sugar is low,” Dauler explains, “I have to sit out because I get super shaky, dizzy, and unable to breathe. It makes me sweat like crazy. I have to

“Tough” is the first word out of second-year coach Jake Halas’ mouth as he begins to describe Dauler. “Kristen Dauler is the kind of girl that every coach needs on his team,” Halas says. “I couldn’t think of a nicer girl. She works hard and never complains. She hits in the middle of the lineup, but can get a

“It has helped me be super open about diabetes,” she says. “When I was first diagnosed in 4th grade, there weren’t a lot of people who knew what diabetes was, so I wasn’t too open to talking about it. But now I’m totally fine with it. It has opened me up more to who I am and how it has affected my life.” Outside of her hectic world of sports, as both a softball and volleyball star, Dauler finds solace and fulfillment in community outreach. She often spends afternoons at

Diabetes Clinics, talking to other diabetic children about the disease, and teaching them how to live a life as successful as her own. Dauler spends hours each week answering emails from parents of young diabetics asking for advice on how to explain to their children that there’s nothing wrong with being different. She also fills a much-needed role in the lives of families living with a young diabetic. Dauler spends many weekends babysitting for diabetic children, providing peace of mind for parents who know that their child is safe in the care of an experienced diabetic. Dauler organizes, and participates in several charity events to raise money for research to find a cure.

Most important of these is her annual “Walk to Cure Diabetes,” part of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Each October, Dauler receives pledges for the walk. It is extremely successful through donations, and increases awareness. To date, Dauler has personally raised an astounding $33,000 for diabetes research. However,

instead of bragging about her success and accomplishments, her unrivaled modesty kicks in once again. “Yeah, it’s fun.”

“Kristen dauler is the kind of girl that every coach needs on his team,” says coach halas. As Dauler takes the field this season as a third year varsity starter, she will be a part of one of the best teams in the area. In what is an extremely rare occurrence for high school sports, the varsity softball team is returning every player from last year’s league championship team. “The absence of senior leadership from last year’s team really proved to be beneficial to us in the long run,” Dauler says. “We were forced to step into leadership roles as sophomores and juniors, and now we have a team of experienced leaders, ready to go out and compete for a CCS title.” Junior Kelly Jenks, a standout on the mound last season, is expected to be one of the most dominant pitchers in CCS and Paly history. With senior catcher Allie Coleman, junior shortstop Lauren Bucolo, and a number of key underclassmen, the team is predicting great things. “If we play up to our abilities and minimize mental errors, a CCS title is definitely within reach,” Dauler says. “It’s just all about execution.” “I’m not going to say we’re going to win CCS,” says Halas, “but if we did win it, I wouldn’t be surprised. We practice with the intention of winning the title.” As the team is wrapping up stretches, one of the girls notices a figure in the distance. She alerts the other girls, and as the silhouette gets closer, they realize it is Dauler, jogging across the field towards the team. They meet somewhere in the middle. “What happened? We were worried about you. Is everything OK?” The girls’ questions pelt her like the raindrops overhead. “Really you guys,” she begins, choosing her words carefully, “I’m fine.” <<<

For competitive swimmer Jasmine Tosky, life’s purpose is to swim. Text and photography by Allie Shorin

t’s mid-summer in Minnesota, and sticky moisture clings to the air like in a sauna. Inside a swim complex the announcer’s call of, “200 fly, Heat one” echoes off the walls, and all the swimmers take their places on their assigned blocks. Uniform in appearance: tall, muscular, broad shoulders, caps stretched tight, and their goggles suctioned to their eyes, the swimmers adjust their stance before the final whistle. Although the other racers are from different clubs and states, all the competitors look the same, except for lane six, where a noticeably smaller girl from California stares motionless at her reflection beneath her. The buzzer sounds, and like a trigger, she bolts off the block and dives into the ice blue water. Two minutes, 15.24 seconds later she slams into the wall, goggles filled with water, dripping wet and beaming. She looks up at her time: a personal best. 48

Last summer, Paly swimmer, Jasmine Tosky (‘12), swam with a thousand other swimmers at the Junior National swim meet in Minnesota. She competed in seven events, ranging from the fifty free to the 400 individual medley (IM). Out of all of her events, she received the best overall placement, in the 4x200 free relay with a time of 8:23.69 seconds. In each of her events, Tosky recorded new personal bests.

stronger and bigger. It was a really different atmosphere [at Junior Nationals].” Tosky’s coach, Tony Batis, the senior coach at Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics (PASA), agrees with Tosky that the size, age and capability of her competitors does not affect Tosky’s ability to race. “Once the race begins she just has that innate ability to want to get out and race,” Batis said. “Being small in her case can be assets for her because I think in

ing her to practice or helping her with swimming altogether, has played a major role in her swimming. “My dad has always helped me out on my stroke,” Tosky said. “He was always there for me. For example, I remember when I was younger, before I even could join PASA, everyday we would go to a nearby pool and just practice. He really helped me and pushed me to get better.”

Going through the motions Swimming swiftly and gracefully, Tosky practices her stroke twenty hours a day.

This year, Tosky will be racing for Palo Alto High School girls’ varsity swim team. She has competed in various elite meets ranging from Far Westerns to Junior Nationals, and even qualified for the 2008 Olympic Trials. She has qualified again, for this summer’s Junior Nationals. At last summer’s Junior Nationals, Tosky competed in an open meet, a meet in which there are no age limits for the races. Swimmers compete against those in a similar time range. “Competing against bigger kids was surprising, but I’m not intimidated by them,” Tosky said. “They do have the advantage on me though, because they’re

some ways people underestimate how good she can be. So I think she uses that to her advantage.” Tosky’s interest in swimming began from watching her dad swim laps at a local pool. Julian Tosky, realized that she had a growing interest and potential in swimming, he decided to put her in the water. “Her first experience was when she was one and a half [years old],” Mr.Tosky said. “I took her to an nearby pool, and when I put her in the water, she just screamed with delight.” Ever since the beginning of Toksy’s swim career, Mr.Tosky, whether it be tak-

Sports have always been a part of Tosky’s life. Although Tosky grew to love swimming, the first sport she played was soccer. “I was playing soccer while I started swimming, but I kept spraining my ankle, and so I realized that it wasn’t going to work out.” Tosky said. “From my injuries I decided to focus on swimming.” After dropping soccer at age ten, she would spend most of her time in the water, and swimming began to consume her life. When she was six years old, Tosky swam on her first swim team, the Gilroy Gators. There, the Gators’ coaches

helped lay the foundation for Tosky’s future swim career. “The Gator coaches got my stroke going,” Tosky said. “They taught me how to swim, and the basics of how to move in the water.” After taking a year off from swimming and moving from Gilroy to Palo Alto at age seven, Tosky started what would become a long a rewarding career with her current swim club, PASA.

members, and a person who was as high as 2nd in the NCAA championships.” Although she has swum with PASA since was seven, Tosky has only been swimming with this group for a few months. Batis explained that Tosky is still learning a lot about what it takes to be a senior level swimmer.

This past year, she moved up swimming levels. After leaving her old PASA coach Ricky Silva, she started swimming with Batis’ PASA group at Riconada. Her current group, the Senior level, has produced and developed some of the most competitive and achieved swimmers from this area. “We had a Paly grad last year, the fastest 18-and-under in the country, who is now a freshman on scholarship at University California at Berkley, Liv Jensen,” Batis said. “We’ve had three or four people at Olympic trials, national team

“She obviously comes to the group with pretty good credentials,” Batis said. “She’s a talented girl, a lot of skill, she’s put up a lot of really good times.” Currently Tosky holds nine PASA records for 11-12 [age] long course and short course, as well as one 13-14 [age] long course record. Long course pools, also called an “Olympic size pool,” are 50 meters, or 164 feet, and are significantly larger than Paly’s 25-yard pool. Tosky also broke a previously longstanding Pacific Swimming record last

year in the 200 Fly. Her record sits among other record holders in Pacific Swimming, which include Natalie Coughlin, Katie Hoff, Amanda Beard, and Rebecca Soni, all members of past or the current U.S. Olympic swim team. “[Swimming has] opened up a lot of opportunities for me, I made more friends, I got to travel.” Tosky said.

dIVING Above the water, Tosky flys through the air to complete a backstroke dive.

However, swimming has taken a toll on Tosky’s life outside of athletics, and she has found that swimming takes a lot of energy to manage as well as participate in. “[Swimming] has limited my social life and my schooling,” Tosky said. “I can’t study as much as other people because I’m always swimming, but I manage to do my best that I can.” Batis realizes that swimming also takes a non-physical toll on the athlete. “[Tosky] does sacrifice a lot of her spare time to swimming,” Batis said.

“And I’m sure sometimes some of her non-swimming friends want to go to a movie or do something, and she can’t go because she’s training.” Batis has found that Tosky has been able to experience and participate in “once-in-a-life-time” experiences and she has been able to compete with some of the most elite in the country.

not otherwise made. “Swimming is not really an expense for Jasmine, she enjoys [swimming]. She’s very competitive,” Tosky’s father said. “Plus she’s made a lot of really great friends through swimming.” Tosky’s father and Batis both agree that Tosky’s fierce competitiveness and love of racing helps her ability to swim.

Stroke Tosky works relentlessly on her stroke to improve her times and ability.

“[Tosky] gets the opportunities to travel to a lot of places that other people don’t get to go. She has traveled around the country for national level meets and competitions and met a lot of different people. Part of growing up is learning how to deal with the good and bad sides to things, and she’s doing a fine job of it.” In a normal week, Tosky swims twenty hours, Monday through Saturday, both in the morning and afternoon. However, Tosky’s father feels that swimming has not restricted her. Rather, it has allowed her to make friends that she would have

“The one skill set that she has, that you really can’t put a price on, is that she loves to race,” Batis said. “And that’s a big part of it, you can put her next to Natalie Coughlin or you can put her next to a girl that’s never swum before, and it’s not going to make a difference to her.” Batis said. Tosky has high hopes for her future, and has a positive outlook on her swimming career. She wants to see how far she can go with swimming before settling down. “My goals for this year are for me to do

my best, and to see how far I can go,” she said. Batis believes that Toksy has the ability to go as far as she wants to, as long as she still has the tenacity for swimming as she does now. “The limiting factors in her success are whether she will have the same amount of passion and desire, eight, nine, or ten years down the road,” Batis said. “She’s already got the focus and drive, and she’s a

very talented athlete.” Tosky has the ability to go as far as her driving will takes her, and how far that is entirely up to Tosky herself. “[Tosky] has this enthusiasm and determination to have these bigger long term goals. And I think at the end of the day that separates her from the people who just want to use swimming to be with their friends, to get physically fit. She raises the bar a little bit higher because she wants to reach her long term goals,” Batis said. <<<

THIRD TIMEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S THE

CHARM text and design by noah sneider photography by hana kajimura and malaika drebin

Victory: a success or superior position achieved against any opponent, opposition, or difficulty. In our daily lives, victory is gray, complicated by the inevitable repercussions and consequences of human interaction. In sports, however, victory is clean-cut. When the clock reads 00:00, there is a winner and a loser, a final score that leaves no room for argument. No matter what jersey you wear or what language you speak, three is bigger than two, two bigger than one, and one bigger than zero. 52

During the past two seasons, Paly’s varsity boys’ soccer team became all too familiar with the crushing pain of victory’s ugly alter ego – defeat. In the winter of 2006, the Vikes snuck into the CCS playoffs as a 15seed and made a miraculous run to the finals, powered by strong upperclassmen and a quartet of then-sophomores – right back John Christopherson, utility man Greg Stewart, goalie Peter Johnson, and center midfielder Adam Zernik. There, under the lights at Milpitas High School, the Paly upstarts fell to Gonzales 3-1. “I thought that was my last chance ever to win CCS,” Zernik said. “I was sad that we peaked so early. I remember going home and telling my parents that it was the end of an era, that the team was never going to be that good again.” The following year, two talented juniors, midfielders Michael Hanabusa and Kevin Ashworth, joined the team and helped lead the eighth-seeded Vikings to a second straight CCS final. This time, under the same Milpitas lights, Pajaro Valley downed Paly 1-0 on a goal in sudden death triple overtime. “The feeling is terrible,” Johnson said. “You’ve played this whole season and if you narrow it down, it’s just one game. That’s all it is. One game. You play that whole season and in a split second its over.” So, on February 28th, when the referee sounded the whistle signaling the end of a scoreless regulation in the CCS Division I final game between Paly and perennial powerhouse Bellarmine, Johnson looked up once again at the Milpitas scoreboard and remembered that feeling. “We aren’t losing this f****** game.”

DETERMINATION They didn’t lose. But, 20 minMidfielder Michael utes and four overtimes later Hanabusa (‘09) the epic battle was over, and the chases down the score remained 0-0. Co-champiball in the CCS ons. There was no loser, but was Final against there a winner? Bellarmine. For Paly, winning was a season-long journey. Winning was building a team. Winning was making progress. Winning was not losing. Yet, 0-0 manages to escape that fundamental clarity that sports strive for, and in turn begs the question – what is victory?

It is the night before the biggest game of their lives, and the Paly team has gathered for a pre-game ritual they call “the pasta feed.” Gatorade bottles litter the table and apple juice boxes stand on the windowsill in domino formation. Plates piled with an only-ata-potluck combination of sushi and lasagna have been abandoned around the house. At this point, defining victory is still simple. The next day will bring a chance at redemption, a chance to erase the pain of the last two years and to permanently etch their names in the Paly history books. All they have to do is keep the other guys from scoring. Or, as they call it, ‘refuse to lose.’ ‘Refuse to lose’ began as a favorite saying of Coach Don Briggs, but it developed into a mentality for the ’08-‘09 team. “I always told them, if you keep the other team from scoring you can’t lose,” Briggs said. “The team devel-

0-0 manages to escape that fundamental clarity that sports strive for, and in turn begs the question – what is victory?

oped a pride that we wouldn’t let other teams score.” With this approach ingrained in their minds, and led by a group of six seniors who were determined not to repeat the outcome of years past, the Vikings put together one of the most remarkable seasons in Paly history. They finished the year 21-1-3, the best record in Paly soccer history, with the lone slip-up coming in a 2-0 loss to Gilroy in late December. During league play they allowed only one goal, shattering the previous Paly record of seven, and posted 11 shutouts with a microscopic .08 goals against per game average in the process. While they began the season ranked in the middle of the pack by the San Jose Mercury News, their dominant early season play quickly shot them up to the top three, and then to the number one spot, where they remained for the rest of the year. Even national scouts caught the buzz: The Vikings finished the season ranked 13th in the nation by ESPNRISE, the first Paly soccer team ever to be nationally ranked. “They were pretty much the most exciting team I saw this year,” Mercury

News high school sports writer Dennis Knight said. “They wanted it bad this year. They’d been there before, and it helped them have the composure and confidence not to get worried or intimidated in the big situations.” And, while none of them will willingly bring it up, Paly also swept the postseason awards in near-Titanic fashion. 10 Paly starters were named first or second-team all-league, Zernik was league co-MVP, Ashworth the league defensive MVP, and Johnson the league MVP goalie. Zernik, Ashworth, and Johnson were three of only eleven players from the entire Bay Area selected for the AllMercury team by the SJ Mercury, with Johnson winning ‘senior of the year.’ Nevertheless, ask any one of them about their awards and you are sure to hear the same answer. “Our team played well together, it wasn’t any single individuals that made it,” Ashworth (’09) said. “If we were missing people we’d play without them and win. It was a combined effort from everyone. It was a team.” While most stars would likely say something similar – athlete-speak 101

– for the Vikings, this acknowledgement of team actually rings true. “At the end of the day they weren’t going to boast about whether they got athlete-of-the-week or how many goals they scored, they just wanted to win,” former Paly midfielder Ian Kelly (’08) said. “They had a team mentality, a Paly mentality. It wasn’t a collection of individuals, all of those guys cared about how the team did.” ‘Team’ is a concept that kids learn about on elementary school playgrounds but often struggle to truly achieve, even as adults. Yet, for this group, chemistry seemed to come naturally. “We all played soccer but I feel like there was more behind it,” defender John Christopherson (’09) said. “We were all really good friends, and that’s what made the season so successful. Friends on and off the field.” When asked what they will remember from this season, one answer was constant among all of the seniors: the closeness of the team. “I’ll always think of all the friendships we had,” Stewart (’09) said. “Everyone got along, it was so much fun hanging out with the team. Everyone was close with their teammates on and off the field.” Watching the team share their pasta, this camaraderie stands out. It’s almost impossible to distinguish starters from reserves, or seniors from freshman. Everyone is included, everyone respected, and everyone trusted. Perhaps more importantly though, everyone

TEAMWORK Michael Hanabusa (top) and Kevin Ashworth (‘09) helped solidify the Viking’s top-class midfield. is laughing. This time, like most times, the catalyst is midfielder Mike Hanabusa (’09), whose latest one-liner has the room in stitches. The chemistry begins with Hanabusa, a self-proclaimed clown whose playful attitude belies his physical play on the field. Paly’s practices were famously relaxed, in large part thanks to Hanabusa’s joking. “Michael brought everyone together,” Zernik (’09) said. “Without him there would’ve been a bigger gap between the seniors and the rest of the team. Everyone laughs at him, and he does it to include everyone, to make them part of the team.” Come game time, however, Hanabusa was the designated shutdown man. Anytime the other team had an extraordinarily talented player, Hanabusa drew the assignment. “We’d put him on their best scoring threat,” Briggs said. “And he’d

KEEPER Goalie Peter Johnson (‘09) was named SCVAL Goalie MVP en route to a league championship.

“There were no weak spots,” Hanabusa said. you were nervous when take them out of the game.” Hanabusa joined the Paly team his junior year, after club team commitments kept him away from Paly during the first two years of high school. Although it took a little while to find his role on the field, Hanabusa meshed with the rest of the team almost instantly. “He always kept practices light so that people enjoyed coming to practice and enjoyed being out there with the team,” Christopherson said. “He made it fun for the other 10 players out there.” Ashworth, who played on the same club team as Hanabusa, also joined during his junior year. From his spot at center mid, Ashworth is an all-around threat, the only player in recent memory to have won league offensive MVP and league defensive MVP in consecutive seasons. “I can’t think of anyone who can do so much so well the way he does,” Briggs said. Ashworth’s arrival sparked the team’s play, as he quickly integrated into the group, and single-handedly gave the offense a new look. “His legs seem to extend every time he dribbles,” Stewart (’09) said. “He always seems to be able to bring the ball back in. I was always excited when he had the ball because there was a possibility he could just take it all the way and score. With the ball at his

feet something incredible could always happen.” The connection that the Vikings developed on the practice field carried over to games, where trust in teammates is key. “One of the things about soccer is that you have to play the ball to the person who’s open and who has the opportunities to score,” Briggs said. “It was maybe the ultimate team, as far as players really playing together. Very unselfish players that would do whatever they needed to do to be successful.” Even the underclassmen were incorporated into the flow of the game. “The older guys made me feel like part of the team right away,” midfielder John Richardson (’11) said. While the six seniors provided much of the punch, the team would have gone nowhere without the stellar play of the juniors and underclassman. Forwards Spencer Sims (’10), John Anderton (’10), and Kris Hoglund (’12) were constant scoring threats, while Ryan Holland (’10), Riley Smith (’11), and Mark Raftery (’11) helped anchor the unshakeable Viking defense. In the middle, Eliot Sanborn (’10) gave Paly a unique weapon with his always dangerous flip-throw-in, and Jenner Fox (’10) was missing for much of the season after going down with a foot injury in early December, but came back to help the team come playoff time. Richardson, who was called up from JV partway through the season, filled the void while Fox was out, and emerged as a key component by the end of the season. “There were no weak spots,” Hanabusa said. “There wasn’t one part of the field where you were nervous when the ball was there.” With Hanabusa still holding court around the living room table at

HEART “He’d be playing against someone who outweighed him by 40 pounds and he would not back down,” Coach Briggs said. “The guy has more heart and plays harder than anybody I know.”

d. “There wasn’t one part of the field where hen the ball was there.” the pasta feed, another senior, Greg Stewart, slowly hobbles across the room for another drink. Stewart was injured in the opening minutes of the semi-final game against Watsonville, and while he longs to play in the final, his ankle will keep him sidelined. For Stewart, the sidelines are unfamiliar territory. “Some guys will ask to get taken out of a game [when they’re tired], but in the three years [I coached Greg] he never once asked to get taken out of a game,” Briggs said. “You could tell he was exhausted or would get hit and be limping and he never asked to come out. I’ll always remember Greg because whatever challenge you put out there, he was always up for it.” The feisty utility man is usually all over the field (literally) for the Vikings. While most players have specialized to focus on one area of the field (attack, midfield, or defense) by the time they reach high school, Stewart can play all three. Wherever the team needed him, Stewart went, playing every position except goalie and sweeper throughout the course of the season. “Greg was the heart of the team,” Christopherson said. “He never stopped hustling and he’s the most versatile player ever. You could put him in left wing, right wing, mid[field], back and you knew he’d give the other team hell as long as he was in there.” If Stewart was the heart, then Zernik was the team’s brains. An immensely gifted midfielder with a knack for the subtleties of the game, Zernik has commanded the Viking attack since joining the team sophomore year. Always calm and always patient, Zernik dictated the flow of the game.

“I always knew that if I was even just a foot open, Adam would be able to play me the ball,” Stewart said. “He’s always so confident with the ball, I was always comfortable playing alongside him.” “He can put the ball wherever you want,” Christopherson said. “You could just be like ‘oh hit that tree’ and he’d nail it.” Even though Zernik was not as vocal a leader as some of his teammates, his presence was never forgotten. “Even if he didn’t talk as much overall, whenever Adam talked, people were listening,” Johnson said. Sure enough, as the players emptied their plates, Zernik spoke up and told the team to quiet down so they could set up the TV to watch game tape. The talk in the room slowed to a mere murmur and the opening frames of the Vikings semi-final victory over Watsonville flickered onto the screen. While the final against Bellarmine was a great game in its own right, the game of the year – by far – was Watsonville. “The game against Watsonville was the best I saw all year,” Knight said. “It had everything a sportswriter would want. The story wrote itself.” Coming off of a 1-0 victory of Alisal in triple overtime in the quarterfinals, number one seeded Paly en-

LEADERSHIP Greg Stewart (below) and Adam Zernik were part of a stellar group of six experienced seniors on this year’s team. tered into a draining seesaw battle with an impressive Watsonville squad. The Vikings opened up the scoring with an early goal, but Watsonville answered with two of their own. Then, after trading goals one more time, Paly found itself needing a miracle, as it trailed 3-2 with time winding down. That miracle, in the form of an Eliot Sanborn flip-throw goal, arrived, and Paly went into overtime riding a wave of euphoria. “Scoring that goal late was insane,” Stewart said. “It’s bigger even than hitting a 3-pointer at the buzzer, because it just doesn’t happen in soccer. Goals are so rare and for us to score with basically no time left is almost unprecedented.” They couldn’t lose. Not now, not when they had come so close. It seemed that the big guy upstairs agreed, and so

in overtime when Christopherson began pushing up the sideline, the ball took a series of unfathomably lucky bounces, eventually landing at Spencer Sims’ left foot. As he watched himself finish the goal – and Watsonville’s season – on TV, Sims stood up Johnson’s couch and started swinging his sweatshirt around his head. Even then, three days later, the team could barely believe it was real. The tape ended, the TV buzzed off, the chatter died down, and it was time to go. As the team filtered out of the Johnsons’ house, Christopherson’s voice trailed over the team: “Don’t be afraid to dream of greatness.” The statement was vintage Christopherson – slightly cheesy, potentially motivational, and 100% genuine. Christopherson was the team’s ‘motivation man.’ He took on the responsibility of the always important pre-game speech. “He’s the guy that pumped me up for the games,” Ashworth said. “He got me into the game, it got me focused.” For Christopherson, soccer is about

“I feel like a winner,” Johnson said. “We had an amazing season and we won a championship. I see it as the bigger picture rather than the single game that we tied.”

determination. Weighing in at 120 lbs, ‘The Stick’ (as his teammates call him), has no business anchoring the best defense in the CCS. Yet, when he steps on the field, any physical limitations are forgotten. “John would fly to balls,” Briggs said. “He’d be playing against someone who outweighed him by 40 pounds and he would not back down. The guy has more heart and plays harder than anybody I know. Per pound he hits harder than anyone out here.” And, in the rare occasion that Chris-

topherson’s defense broke down, there was no better last line of defense than his long-time teammate, Johnson. Standing 6’3”, with long arms, athleticism, and an almost crazed fearlessness, Johnson is the prototypical goalie. “One of the biggest reasons we made it three years in a row is that we had someone making every save that could be made,” Zernik said. “Most goalies will miss a few that they could get, but Peter WINNING “When it actually happened it felt so weird, it was somewhere in between [winning and losing],” Stewart said. “As it gets further away, I think I’ll realize that we won, basically.”

didn’t. Some of the saves that he made were so ridiculous that you couldn’t look past it anymore.” Johnson’s skills and athleticism are only part of the equation. With over 70 varsity games under his belt, his leadership at the back is crucial to Paly’s success. “He has this aura,” Briggs said. “He has this presence in the goal so everyone knows it’s going to be hard to get by him.” Back at Johnson’s house, only Johnson and Zernik remain, Johnson drops onto the now empty couch and looks up at the ceiling. “We’re so gonna win tomorrow.”

They did win – sort of. As fans, it is easy to dismiss the outcome as you

stroll away from the stands, to say that a tie for the championship is ridiculous and never think about it again. But the players do not have that luxury. They must grapple with it, live with it, carry it with them. For four of the six seniors, the game marks the end of their competitive soccer careers (Zernik and Hanabusa plan to play in college). “The next soccer game I’ll play is in some old man’s soccer league,” Christopherson said. “This is the last time I’m going to play soccer and have it matter.” For all of them, it marks the end of a truly special three-year run. “I feel like a winner,” Johnson said. “We had an amazing season and we won a championship. I see it as the bigger picture rather than the single game that we tied.” Not everyone sees such a rosy picture, however. Going into the game even, and coming out 110 minutes later in the same state was hard to stomach. “It feels like we played for nothing,” Hanabusa said. “It would’ve been the perfect way to cap off our season, playing Bellarmine, this epic school, coming off the Watsonville game, playing with all of my buddies who I grew up with, and then we freaking tied.” For many, though, a little bit of perspective helped. The initial shock, the disappointment, with time gave way to an inner peace. “When it actually happened it felt so weird, it was somewhere in between [winning and losing],” Stewart said. “As it gets further away, I think I’ll realize that we won, basically. The people who’d been [on the team] the longest realized that this was a lot better than it had been before.” And, no matter how complicated their feelings, the trophy they hoisted following the game doesn’t lie. “Technically,” Zernik said, “We are champions. We didn’t lose.” <<<

DAY

at Carlmont (3:30) at SHP (3:30)

APRIL SU N

5 12 19 26

at Gunn (4:00)

vs. Notre Dame (4:00) at Homestead (3:30)

14 21 at Burlingame(4:00) vs Saratoga (3:30)

28 at Burlingame(4:00)

8 15

vs Los Gatos (3:00)

2 9 16

vs Gunn (3:00) at Monta Vista (3:30) vs Gunn (3:30)

at Sacred Heart (4:00)

vs Monte Vista (3:30)

vs. Harker (4:00) vs Gunn (3:30) at Milpitas (3:00)

at Gunn (3:30) vs. Los Altos (3:30) at Mountain View (3:00) at Menlo (3:30)

at Cupertino(3:30) vs Leland (3:30)

vs Milpitas (3:30)

22 29 vs Monta Vista (3:30)

Baseball Golf Lacrosse Softball Swimming

Tennis Track and Field Diving Badminton

vs Lynbrook (3:30) vs Woodside (3:30) at Los Altos (3:30)

vs Gunn(12:00) at Paly (9:00)

vs Serra (12:00)

vs. Cupertino (3:30) vs Mercy (4:00)

at Milpitas(3:30) vs Gunn (4:00) at Paly (3:30)

at Notre Dame (4:00) vs Homestead (3:30)

The Last Word A New Passion by Ben Brown I have always loved football because it’s a great workout. The games can be very intense, and the feeling of giving a big hit is incomparable. Watching football is a big part of my weekend life, with Michigan on Saturdays and the 49ers on Sundays. Until recently, I also played football, first on JV, and then on Paly’s varsity team as a center and long-snapper. When I played football, I felt like I almost ruled the field. I am not always the best at expressing myself, but during games, I could show my true colors. On the field, if I wanted something, I could go and make it happen. If I wanted the middle linebacker to be blocked, I wouldn’t have to go explain how to do it, I did it. I was always physically and mentally empty after a game, nothing left but bruises. But what kept me going was if we won -- in my head-- I could push away the pain and hold the happiness of winning. About six months ago, I started seeing stars, not after one specific hit but during blocking drills. The trainer told me I might have a concussion. Then I lost my lunch that night and ended up in the emergency room, and doctors told me I definitely had a concussion. That kind of freaked me out. I couldn’t suit up, run, anything for three weeks. That’s a long time to be sitting around thinking. I thought about whether I wanted to continue playing. I didn’t have energy for anything else. Some days I went home and went to sleep, and my homework wasn’t always the best. I took a step back, both from football and from life itself. The injury made me take a deep breath. One reason I stayed with football was because the team deserved my respect, and I admired Coach Hansen. The other reason was that my position, long-snapper, was unique and I felt there was a possibility that this skill could help me get into college. However, I realized I wasn’t playing football anymore because I loved the sport. So, at the start of my junior year, I decided I was done with football. This decision was a huge one. After I turned in all of

my equipment, I walked out of the locker room. There had been something weighing me down, and I found out that it was football. The only problem now was finding a way to fill my free time after school, and finding a new passion. I thought of myself as an athlete, and definitely wanted to continue sports. I just didn’t know which sport to do. A few days after leaving football, I found myself sitting in a motorboat in Redwood City checking out what it would be like to row with NorCal Crew. Why would I want to do this? It’s the same thing over and over again. Why on Earth would I want to do this every day? It took me until seeing it to see in no way was crew wimpy. It required strength and aerobic endurance that pretty much put my body into a little shock. The whole crew activity looked like a ton of fun to me. It looked like a way to stay in shape because of the strength required to accelerate the boat. Rowing also looked nice out on the peaceful water at dusk or dawn with my new teammates. There is no person on Earth that would have an easy time rowing 5,000 meters in a 56-foot boat with seven other rowers. To finish a race, my team has to have a huge amount of perseverance and teamwork. By being able to convince myself to row through an entire regatta (nautical word for race), I can convince myself to do almost anything. Switching from football to crew has probably been the best decision of my life. I have found a sport that few people do, and I have met some great people that make crew a lot of fun. Neither my parents, nor I have to worry about concussions, and perhaps most importantly, I have found a new passion. Football is still part of my life. I will always love watching football on TV, playing pick-up games with my friends, or even just throwing the ol’ pigskin around. And of course, I’ll always be there to root for my former Paly varsity football teammates. And, oh yes, GO BLUE.

One reason I stayed with football was because the team deserved my respect, and I admired Coach Hansen. However, I realized I wasn’t playing football anymore because I loved the sport.

Sharon Witte Coldwell Banker

sharon.witte@cbnorcal.com www.sharonwitte.com (650)269-6700

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