SPORTS & OUTDOORS
THE WALL CALLS
most all-time nationally. McKnight’s Monarchs have won a national title in 2014, 11 state championships, 16 Southern California regional championships, 23 CIF-SS championships and 39 Trinity League championships, with 29 consecutive league titles. Brandi Cumin Baksic is one of the most well-rounded inductees to the Wall of Fame. Cumin Baksic has been representing San Clemente in athletic competitions for nearly her entire life. She began swimming with the San Clemente Aquatic Team at 8 years old and eventually swam as a Triton at SCHS. Cumin Baksic played club volleyball at 13 years old and earned a full-ride scholarship out of SCHS to Florida State University. She went on to become a firefighter 25 years ago and works in Torrance.
At age 30 while still looking for an outlet for her competitive energies, Cumin Baksic turned to running, biking and swimming and took part in Sprint Olympic Competitive Triathlons. She placed sixth in the world in the 2007 Olympic Distance Triathlon for Team USA. Cumin Baksic continued on this path to a ninthplace finish in the 2009 World Championship Hawaiian Ironman. She has gone on into stand-up paddleboarding and canoeing, where she has become a threetime international SUP champion and a four-time U.S. outrigger canoe champion with Dana Point Outrigger Canoe Club. Anyone who was involved in San Clemente youth athletics in the '60s and '70s will know John Springman, who will be inducted posthumously. Springman was responsible for the building of Vista Bahia Little League Stadium and the building of the high school’s baseball dugouts. Springman initiated and coached Pop Warner football in San Clemente. He also coached Little League and Babe Ruth League baseball. Springman also funded, started and coached American Legion baseball. Springman is credited with inspiring several athletes in San Clemente, including Wall of Fame inductees McKnight and Sue Enquist, the winningest college softball coach ever and an inaugural inductee to the wall. The Friends of San Clemente Foundation is a local charity that provides financial scholarships for children to participate in local recreational and parks programs. For more information on the Foundation or to preregister for the 11th annual Friends of San Clemente Golf Tournament on June 24, visit friendsofsanclemente.org or email office@cybercafe.com. SC
mente had won the South Coast League 13 times and never finished lower than second. The Tritons ensured that streak continued on Tuesday. The opening set was a match unto itself, as Tesoro looked as if it would grab the early advantage with runs of 7-2 and 5-1. Tesoro’s lead at 15-8 forced a San Clemente timeout, but the Tritons charged back with a 9-2 run, which tied the match at 17. The opening set went on to be tied 13 times total, as San Clemente fought off five set points by Tesoro. Tesoro fought off three set points by San Clemente, before Luke Shanafelt nailed the winning kill at 32-30. Tesoro came back strong in the second set, and while the teams were close early, with eight ties to 9-9, Tesoro took hold and won the set, 25-21, to tie the match. The third set saw San Clemente grab an early advantage, but the teams would
be tied seven times through the middle points of the set. Tesoro negated two set points by San Clemente and grabbed the lead in the match on its second set point for the 27-25 win. With victory in its sights, Tesoro got sloppy in the fourth set. San Clemente dominated with a 12-2 run and won the fourth set going away, 25-14, to force the decisive fifth set. The Tritons grabbed control of the tiebreaker with a couple of early aces for a three-point lead, 6-3, and held Tesoro at bay. The Titans negated two San Clemente match points, but the Tritons proved stronger to hold on to the set, 15-13, and take the match. Tesoro entered the week ranked No. 13 in the CIF-SS Division 1 and 2 combined poll, with San Clemente at No. 16. A maximum of 12 teams can be selected to the Division 1 playoffs, which begin on April 28. SC
McKnight, Cumin Baksic, Springman Tabbed for SC Sports Wall of Fame BY ZACH CAVANAGH, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES
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fter a two-year hiatus, the San Clemente Sports Wall of Fame will welcome its 25th, 26th and 27th inductees next month. Mater Dei boys basketball coach Gary McKnight, all-around athlete Brandi Cumin Baksic and youth sports pioneer John Springman were selected as the latest honorees for the San Clemente Wall of Fame. The eighth annual—and first since 2019—induction ceremony will take place on May 14 at the San Clemente Aquatics Center in Vista Hermosa Sports Park. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. and is free to the public. The honorees are selected each year by the Friends of San Clemente Foundation in coordination with the San Clemente Sports Wall of Fame Committee. The wall currently consists of 24 world and national champions, Olympians, professional or exceptional athletes, coaches, mentors and inspiring
The San Clemente Sports Wall of Fame will welcome its 25th, 26th and 27th inductees on May 14 at the San Clemente Aquatics Center in Vista Hermosa Sports Park during the first ceremony since 2019. Photo: Zach Cavanagh
contributors to recreational programs that were either born, went to school or achieved their distinctions while living in San Clemente. Before becoming the winningest high school basketball coach in California state history, Gary McKnight was a San Clemente Triton. McKnight’s family moved to San Clemente, where he began school as a freshman at San Clemente High School and graduated in 1971. McKnight played basketball and baseball for the Tritons. McKnight began coaching at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana in 1983, and since then, he and the Monarchs have soared to unreachable heights. McKnight has an overall record of 1,214-127 as head coach of Mater Dei, which is the most wins in California history and the fourth-
Gold Standard SCHS boys volleyball grabs control of South Coast League title race in five-set thriller with Tesoro BY ZACH CAVANAGH, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES
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n a night when the San Clemente boys volleyball program honored former coach Ken Goldstone, the Tritons outlasted Tesoro in a five-set thriller to maintain the Goldstone gold standard. San Clemente stormed back to take the final two sets and beat Tesoro, 32-30, 21-25, 25-27, 25-14, 15-13, vaulting into first place in the South Coast League on Tuesday, April 19, at San
San Clemente Times April 21-27, 2022
Clemente High School. San Clemente (16-10, 6-1) can win the South Coast League outright with a win at Trabuco Hills on Thursday, April 21. Tesoro (14-7, 6-2) was in the driver’s seat after a five-set win at home over San Clemente, but the Titans dropped a stunner to Aliso Niguel last week to open the door for the Tritons. In the previous 22 seasons under Goldstone before the longtime coach’s retirement prior to this season, San Cle-
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