SportStars Extra Issue 60, October 13, 2017 by Sport Stars Magazine

SPORTSTARS EXTRA ISSUE 60 OCTOBER 13, 2017

Robert Miranda MENLO SCHOOL-ATHERTON - CROSS COUNTRY - SENIOR Miranda won the West Bay Athletic League meet at Crystal Springs on Oct. 5, covering 2.95 miles in a course-record 15 minutes and 21.1 seconds. Two days later, he took first at the Artichoke Invitational in Half Moon Bay. He conquered the 2.3-mile course in 11:49 — the best time of the day and the fifth fastest time ever on that course. Miranda has won all four meets he has entered this season, also taking gold in the Pacific Tiger Invitational held in Stockton. Miranda was unable to compete in the Central Coast Section Cross Country championships a season ago, but he made up for it during the spring by winning the 3200 meters at the CCS Track and Field Championships. He won the event with a time of 9:10.26, a little more than a second faster than second-place Kent Slaney of Palo Alto.

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BEST OF THE BOYS 2016 The Top 10 finishers in the NCVA Boys Power League point standings from 2016. 18/17s Club.............................................. Points 1. NCVC Asics 18-1........................... 2,487 2. MVVC 17 Red............................. 2,476.5 3. MVVC 18 Red................................ 2,476 4. Bay to Bay 18-1........................ 2,460.75 5. NCVC Asics 17-1........................... 2,434 6. Apache 18-1............................. 2,425.25 7. MVVC 18 Black........................ 2,424.75 8. Bay to Bay 17-1............................. 2,410 9. Main Beach 18-2........................... 2,394 10. Main Beach 17-2...................... 2,384.5 16/15s 1. MVVC 16 Red................................ 2,495 2. Bay to Bay 16-1............................. 2,479 3. MVVC 16 Black............................. 2,471 4. NCVC Asics 16-1...................... 2,459.25 5. Main Beach 16-2........................... 2,428 6. MVVC 15 Red........................... 2.425.25 7. Bay to Bay 16-2........................ 2,418.75 8. Pacific Rim 16-1............................. 2,416 9. Diablo Black 16-1..................... 2,408.25 10. Bay to Bay 15-1........................... 2,402 14s 1. Pacific Rim 14-1............................. 2,489 2. MVVC 14 Red................................ 2,479 3. Bay to Bay 14-1............................. 2,477 4. MVVC 14 Black............................. 2,464 5. Fresno 14 Red............................... 2,447 6. NCVC Asics 14-1........................ 2,438.5 7. Bay to Bay 14-2.......................... 2,431.5 8. Bay to Bay 13-1............................. 2,399 9. Absolute Blue 14-1....................... 2,395 10. Slainte Platinum 14-1.................. 2,337

hile the high school girls volleyball season nears its midway point, the first full weekend in October signals the beginning of the boys clubs season. Northern California Volleyball Association Boys Power League action began across the region with the first of four Power League weekends. The rest of the season plays out on Oct. 22, Nov. 18 and Dec. 2-3. The NCVA Power League Region Championships take place Dec. 16-17 at the San Mateo Event Center and the San Jose Convention Center. As opening weekend approaches, it seemed like a good time to take a look at who some of the top clubs might be this season, primarily in the 18/17s age group. Rosters always shift slightly from season to season, but if we’re basing anything on last season’s final results, Mountain View Volleyball Club’s 18 Red and Northern California Volleyball Club’s Asics 18-1 ought to be on a collision course for the top of the standings. MVVC’s 17 Red finished second last season. Now the club’s 18 Red team, the squad is led by St. Francis High star outside hitter Jerod Nelson. During the high school season last spring, Nelson had 381 kills, 57 blocks and 36 aces to lead the Lancers

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to a 34-3 record. His high school coach, Jonah Carson, coaches MVVC 18 Red as well. Other standouts for MVVC 18 Red include Homestead-Cupertino outside hitter, Danny Wong. Wong had 484 kills during the 2017 high school season. His setter at Homestead, Josh Bockholt (951 assists last spring), also suits up for MVVC. The Asics 18-1 Blue team of Sacramento’s NCVC took the Power League points title a season ago. This year’s group has the talent to add another title for the club after finishing fifth as the 17-1 Blue team a year ago. They were just 43 points behind MVVC 17 Red. The NCVC 18s are led by the power tandem of Dawson Fugate (Del Oro-Loomis) and Jacob Cole (Roseville). Fugate, who has committed to Long Beach State, posted 393 kills and 266 digs during the 2017 high school season and Cole led Roseville to the CIF Division I Northern Regional championship with a phenomenal all-around season. He had 390 kills, 366 digs, 77 aces and 57 blocks.

Danny Sharrah, a star setter who posted over 1,000 assists for Whitney-Rocklin in 2017, will have the luxury of setting Fugate and Cole. Another team to watch will be the Bay To Bay 18-1 team of San Jose (finished 8th in point standings as 17-1s last fall). Coach Steve Siegmann leads a roster featuring BellarmineSan Jose standouts Brett Allen (312 kills, 138 digs for the CIF Div. I runner-up) and setter Brian Ross (763 assists,151 digs). The roster also includes Lynbrook-San Jose serve-receive star Daniel Lien. The Diablo Valley Volleyball Club 18-1 group could be a bit of sleeper in this division. Keep an eye out for 6-foot-5 Aaron Fox of Pittsburg. Look for Pacific Rim Volleyball Club of Pleasant Hill to be a major factor in the 16/15s field after its 14-1 group won the 14s point title a season ago. MVVC will also be a force. To follow the Power League’s tournament results, point standings or view upcoming event schedules, be sure to visit ncva.com/boys-division/ ✪

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Volleyball Notes

Trottier Is Killing It For Small School Power

Records are through Oct. 10 1. (1)

—

Archbishop Mitty-San Jose

19-4

2. (2)

—

Marin Catholic-Kentfield

19-3

3. (3)

—

Monte Vista-Danville

22-1

4. (5)

▲

St. Ignatius-S.F.

25-5

5. (4)

▼

St. Francis-Mountain View

16-7

6. (8)

▲

Menlo School-Atherton

18-3

7. (10)

▲ Carlmont-Belmont

8. (7)

▼

Sacred Heart Cathedral-S.F.

20-8

9. (9)

—

Turlock

19-4

10. (12) ▼

James Logan-Union City

19-2

11. (11) —

Branson-Ross

17-1

12. (6)

Valley Christian-San Jose

12-9

13. (13) —

St. Francis-Sacramento

21-4

14. (14) —

Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills

15-4

15. (15) —

Ponderosa-Shingle Springs

19-2

16. (16) —

Palo Alto

15-3

17. (18) ▲

Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland

16-5

18. (20) ▲

Cosumnes Oaks-Elk Grove

22-5

19. (NR) ▲

California-San Ramon

23-2

▼

20. (19) ▼ Campolindo-Moraga

20-2

17-7

DROPPED OUT: No. 17 Tracy THE NEXT FIVE: 21. Notre Dame-Belmont (15-8), 22. Lincoln-Stockton (19-4), 23. Tracy (26-9), 24. Granite Bay (19-9) and 25. Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove (15-9). BIGGEST MOVER: Carlmont-Belmont was the most upwardly mobile over the first week-plus of October. The Scots moved from No. 10 to 7 thanks in part to the West Catholic Athletic League schools beating up on each other, and also the fact that they’re the only team in the rankings who can boast a win over No. 1 Mitty. No. 12 Valley Christian-San Jose suffered the largest drop, falling six spots from No. 6 after an 0-3 stretch in the WCAL — all three losses were to teams ranked within the Top 7, however.

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hrough the first two weeks of October, NorCal is home to the state’s leader in kills per set. Though she likely doesn’t play for any of the schools you might guess. Megan Trottier doesn’t compete in the Central Coast Section’s West Catholic Athletic League — which is home to five teams currently ranked in the SportStars NorCal Top 20 — or the North Coast Section’s East Bay Athletic League, or the SacJoaquin Section’s Sierra Foothill League. Trottier is far away from that level of competition, but in the world of Division VI, her Woodland Christian team is as elite as it gets. Trottier, a 5-10 junior outside hitter, has an SJSbest 360 kills through 24 matches. That total ranks her second in NorCal and fifth in the state, according to stats reported to MaxPreps.com. The same MaxPreps stats show Trottier as the state-leader in kills per set at 5.9. Woodland Christian is 20-4 through Oct. 12 with a perfect 6-0 mark in the Central Valley League. An Oct. 12 straight-sets win over Vacaville Christian extended the Cardinals winning streak to nine games. The team has lost just five sets over the nine-match stretch. Woodland Christian has four regular season games left before it begins defense of its SJS and CIF NorCal Div. VI championships. There are no state finals for Division VI, so a regional crown is the ultimate prize. Last season, the Cardinals stormed their way to both titles without dropping a single set. In addition to Trottier, who also boasts 174 digs, the Cardinals are led by junior hitter and middle blocker, Alissa Pascoe (138 kills, 139 digs and 23 blocks), and junior setter Abby Leon (559 assists, 135 digs and 90 aces). Senior defensive specialist Adriana Velasquez leads the team in both digs (256) and serve-receives (257) while also posting 40 aces. Teams expected to challenge the Cardinals defense of the NorCal title include Fall River- McArthur, California School for the Deaf-Fremont and last year’s runner-up to Woodland Christian, Stone Ridge Christian-Merced.

CLASSIC CLASH NorCal’s last major tournament of the season is also its best. The Stockton Classic takes place Oct. 14 at Lincoln-Stockton and will undoubtedly play a part in shaking up the NorCal Top 20 rankings. That’s because the 20-team field features 10 teams ranked within the Top 20 and another four teams that are listed in the “Next Five”. Leading the draw are the top four teams in the ranking, No. 1 Archbishop Mitty-San Jose, No. 2 Marin Catholic-Kentfield, No. 3 Monte Vista-Danville and No. 4 St. Ignatius-S.F. Mitty’s preliminary four-team bracket will feature No. 24 Granite Bay. Marin Catholic’s bracket includes No. 18 Cosumnes Oaks-Elk Grove and No. 10 James Logan-Union City. Monte Vista is paired with No. 15 Ponderosa-Shingle Springs and No. 25 Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove, and St. Ignatius shares a bracket with No. 14 Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills and No. 21 Notre Dame-Belmont. Preliminary bracket play begins at 8 a.m. with championship bracket action beginning around 12:30 p.m. ✪

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Redding Is Rich In Outdoors Options There’s something about a scenic trail that invigorates and revives your soul. This fall, discover a mosaic of crisp yellow, burnt orange and deep red, canopied corridors and riverbank paths in Redding, California, where 225-plus miles of trails within a 15-mile radius are waiting to be explored. Whether you hike, bike, walk, run or ride, Redding offers a trail for everyone. Journey from Shasta Dam to the worldfamous Sundial Bridge — the hub of the nationally acclaimed Sacramento River National Recreation Trail. Or, pack some dirt in your mountain bike tires at the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. If you’re craving more, trek to any of the nearby 50 waterfalls that reach up to 220 feet in height. With Redding boasting 300 days of sunshine per year as the sunniest city in California, there’s always a great chance to get out and embark on a trail for the first time. The opportunities for adventure are vast, and even the San Francisco Chronicle took note by labeling Redding’s extensive paths as the “gem of the U.S. trail system.” For the more daring enthusiasts, another 250-plus miles of trails are waiting to be conquered with your off-highway vehicles in the Chappie-Shasta OHV Area, navigating through BLM land and the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Shred the wide jeep trails in any vehicle or find the smaller tracks for ATVs and dirt bikes. The terrain takes you through dozens of creek crossings and steep hill climbs, and includes a large staging area on the river with new facilities. To top it off, stunning scenic views of Shasta Dam, Shasta Lake, Mt. Shasta and the Sacramento River accompany your entire ride. If you’re looking for easy paved paths for all kinds of recreation, or dirt trails for the daring enthusiasts, visit Redding – Where Fun meets Adventure! ✪ — All copy and photos provided by VisitRedding.com

Story by IKE DODSON Photos by JAMES K. LEASH 12

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Records are through Oct. 6 1. (1)

—

De La Salle-Concord

6-1

2. (2)

—

Folsom

7-0

3. (3)

—

Oak Ridge-El Dorado HIlls

6-0

4. (4)

—

Pittsburg

4-1

5. (6)

▲

Central Catholic-Modesto

5-0

6. (7)

▲

St. Mary’s-Stockton

4-2

7. (5)

▼ Freedom-Oakley

5-1

8. (9)

▲

Valley Christian-San Jose

5-1

9. (10)

▲

St. Francis-Mountian View

4-2

10. (11) ▲

San Ramon Valley-Danville

6-0

11. (13) ▲

Serra-San Mateo

4-2

12. (12) —

Milpitas

6-0

13. (14) ▲

Marin Catholic-Kentfield

5-0

14. (15) ▲

Clayton Valley-Concord

4-2

15. (16) ▲

Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland

4-2

16. (17) ▲ Sacramento

5-1

17. (18) ▲ Oakdale

5-1

18. (8)

4-2

▼ Manteca

19. (19) —

Granite Bay

20. (NR) ▲ Inderkum-Sacramento

5-1 7-0

DROPPED OUT: No. 20 Archbishop Mitty-San Jose THE NEXT FIVE: 21. Half Moon Bay (6-0), 22. Rancho Cotate-Rohnert Park (6-0), 23. Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa (5-1), 24. Foothill-Pleasanton (4-2) and 25. SheldonSacramento (5-1). BIGGEST MOVER: Unfortunately for previous No. 8 Manteca, the biggest movement of the week was downward. The Buffaloes dropped 10 spots as they fell to third place in the Valley Oak League now with losses to both No. 5 Central Catholic and No. 17 Oakdale. Almost all other movement was minimal following the first weekend of October games. TEAMS REMAINING FROM PRESEASON TOP 20: 16

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hough he’s just 6 feet and 170 pounds, dual-threat Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills quarterback sensation Marco Baldocchino is impossible to miss. But fans can’t pat themselves on the back for knowing the signal caller of the No. 3 team in the SportStars NorCal Top 20 without understanding the wingmen most responsible for his prolific success. Baldocchino is being recruited by Azuza Pacific, West Point, Cal Poly, University of Arizona and Colorado State, and his numbers are gaudy (78 for 121 passing, 1,662 offensive yards, 17 touchdowns) across six games, but his excellence is emboldened by another 10 players each snap. Two of them — Justin Poerio (6-0, 180) and Austin Jarrard (6-3, 220) — are his aerial engineers. The savvy seniors are such rare talents that, despite a deep roster competing in the Sierra Foothill League — often mentioned among the toughest leagues in Northern California — both are designated for a two-way workload. Poerio is also arguably one of the better kickers in the entire SacJoaquin Section. Their likeness only extends to their productivity. Poerio is a possession receiver who runs precise routes with speed, quickness and sure hands. He has 34 catches for 506 yards and four touchdowns. Jarrard has the hulking frame of a tight end, but he has good acceleration and expertly lofts his body between defenders and the quarterback to bring down jump Austin Jarrard balls in traffic. His ability to see the field and make plays has accounted for 20 catches for 348 yards and three scores — one per week since Sept. 15. The threat of Oak Ridge’s aerial assault gives opposing defenses a lot to fret about when the pair bolts downfield, and that opens holes for a Trojan rushing attack mostly comprised of Baldocchino’s own jaunts upfield. “I tell people all the time that if they look at my highlight film, or come to practice, you see that these guys make it easy for me,” Baldocchino said. “You have Poerio here, a guy that’s shifty, has great hands and will break you down in a route; and then you have AJ with a big, lengthy body that you can throw it up to. “It just really makes my job easy.” Baldocchino doesn’t earn a paycheck. The guy who does, Eric Cavaliere, can attest to the comfort his big three provides. “We have a lot of confidence in those guys,” the Oak Ridge coach said. “They are future college football players. “You get a lot of confidence playing with guys like that — who make big plays and give me and the offensive coordinator courage to go for it on fourth down.” The playmakers, a strong offensive line and running back Davin Simmons Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, like us on Facebook!

(429 yards, eight TDs), have allowed Oak Ridge’s spread offense to catch fire. The Trojan defense is anchored by box defenders Nate Otto (6-1, 205), Hayden Nabors (6-3, 215) and Sam Sanders (6-1, 205), while Poerio (four interceptions) has made huge plays in the secondary. He had two interceptions in a landmark win over perennial Nevada state-power Reed-Sparks on Sept. 15. Jarrard is the team leader in sacks. He had five against Reed and another against Burbank-Sacramento. “Going both ways gets tiring, but you have to do what you can to help the team,” Jarrard said. “It is so fun being out there and helping my team out.” Playing teams like Reed will allow undefeated Oak Ridge (6-0) to complete in one of the toughest schedules in Northern California this year. Despite that, the Trojans are enjoying the hottest start to a season in over 15 years. In fact, even when Oak Ridge won section titles in 2002, 2003 and 2004 under coach Chris Jones, they didn’t start 6-0. The 2002 team went 12-1, losing to Grant-Sacramento (13-12) in nonleague action before edging Granite Bay (20-17) for the school’s second blue banner. The 2003 Trojans (12-1) fell 29-28 to Cordova-Rancho Cordova in Week 6 of that season, but came back to shellack the then-undefeated Lancers 34-0 in the section finals. A year later, Oak Ridge went 11-2, falling to Del Oro-Loomis and Grant across the first three weeks before a 10-game winning streak and 34-27 vengeance over Del Oro in the section finale. The 2017 squad is still chasing the school’s first SFL title since joining the conference with Folsom in 2014. The Bulldogs, No. 2 in the NorCal Top 20 behind De La Salle-Concord, have never lost an SFL game since the league was created for the 2014 realignment cycle. Folsom’s league winning streak actually stands at 31 games and goes back two-plus years into the now-defunct Delta River League. Folsom’s last league loss was a 48-34 defeat to Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove on Oct. 28, 2011. That Pleasant Grove team was led by current San Francisco 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead and practice squad tight end Cole Hikutini, among others. To unseat the champs, Oak Ridge will have to first take care of business against NorCal Top 20 No. 18 Granite Bay (5-1) on Oct. 13. Granite Bay slipped 35-14 to Folsom on Sept. 29 and utilized a bye week to prepare for Oak Ridge at home. The Grizzlies have one of the best offensive lines in the section and a stout, playmaking defense. Both Oak Ridge and Granite Bay beat Vacaville by one point in nonleague play. “Every week is a big game in this league,” Cavaliere said. “Home game, away game — it doesn’t matter — it makes you so much better. “If you show up and don’t play well, you lose. It keeps you on your toes, and that’s how it should be.” ✪

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Section Tennis Championships Set For Roseville

On Nov. 2-3 the top girls high school tennis players in the Sac-Joaquin Section will arrive at Johnson Ranch Racquet Club in Roseville with hopes of securing section championship medals. The SJS Girls Championships will showcase nearly 100 players from Merced to Nevada City and from Napa to Yuba City with seven leagues out of Division I and seven leagues from Division II. Tournament director and Rocklin High coach Dale Eckenburg explained that each league sends its top two players in singles and top two doubles teams to this tournament. It is single-elimination with a draw of 16 for each division and all matches are best-of-three sets. “Basically there are four tournaments being run at the same time with Division I singles and doubles and Division II singles and doubles,” Eckenburg said. “Johnson Ranch is a wonderful spot for this event as it is a first-class facility and a great supporter of high school tennis, having hosted the tournament since 2006. “I really enjoy watching kids come together from all walks of life who can all enjoy the sport of tennis. We have USTA tournament players, but we also have girls who started playing tennis as freshmen who make the tournament. It gives them a huge reward for their hard work.” Several local Placer Valley girls out of the Sierra Foothill League are vying for spots at these sectionals and will know in late October if they made the cut. Canela Luna (2015 doubles champion) and Bailey Greenwell, both from Rocklin, have a great shot. Ali Isaac from Del Oro-Loomis, Olivia Treement and Kat Skrbec of Granite Bay are also ones to watch. Good luck to all! ✪

William Jessup Invitational Turns 3 On Saturday, Oct. 21 the William Jessup University (WJU) cross country team will host the third annual Warrior Invitational at Johnson-Springview Park in Rocklin. Placer Valley Tourism is thrilled to partner with WJU in welcoming several teams from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) to this extremely competitive cross country invitational. The WJU Warriors will have three meets under their belts going into this invitational on their home turf in October. Parker Daniells, head coach for both the men’s and women’s teams, is excited that on both sides they have nine returning runners and four incoming freshmen runners this season, making for very strong Warrior teams. “We have received a lot of support from the local community in putting this event on and the meet brings in some of the best NAIA teams from around the country with 12 teams traveling from Idaho, Washington, Oregon, the Bay Area and Southern California,” explained Daniells. He added that it also gives the local high schools a chance to experience a college-level race, “There are not many opportunities for high school student-athletes to watch a collegiate race in the area and this is a great opportunity to get exposure to a collegiate race but more importantly, to meet some great coaches from wonderful colleges and universities in the West.” After this meet, the Warriors will head to Irvine for the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) Championships on Nov. 4 with their sights set on making it to the NAIA National Championship on Nov. 18 in Vancouver, Washington. ✪ — All photos and copy provided by Placer Valley Tourism

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L to R: Grace Tehaney, Katrina Drake, Skylar Savar, Francesca Veverka (with ball), Carson Broad and Kelly Murphy

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With A 17-0 Start Against A Loaded Schedule, Miramonte May Have One Of Its Best Girls Water Polo Teams In Program History

iramonte High’s girls water polo team is pointing out there are two elite varsity water polo programs at the Orinda school. Granted, the Matadors boys are an established dynasty, with 15 North Coast Section titles over the past 22 years. The Matadors girls own four NCS championships, including a Division II title in 2015. But this season, the girls have taken it to a new level. They are at 17-0 through the first third of October, with victories over some of Northern California’s most renowned programs. “The competitive side of our team definitely comes out, because, personally I’d just want to show the boys that we’re the dominant team. We’re the ones in charge here,” senior Kelly Murphy said with a grin. The Matadors’ roll includes a 14-8 win Oct. 4 over six-time defending NCS Division I champion San Ramon Valley-Danville . It was a bit of payback for the Wolves.

“The competitive side of our team definitely comes out, because, personally I’d just want to show the boys that we’re the dominant team. We’re the ones in charge here.” — Kelly Murphy

Story by MIKE WOOD Photo by KRISTEN TEHANEY Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, like us on Facebook!

“It felt great to beat SRV this year, because last year we lost 5-4 in the (NCS) finals to them, which was very disappointing,” Murphy said. “So it felt really good to come back and beat the reigning champions.” Last season was Miramonte’s first in Division I, having moved up because of competitive equity. “I think we went in knowing we weren’t on top anymore, and we had to work our way to get back up there,” said senior Carson Broad. “So it was a higher level of competition, so that made it more challenging. I thought we did pretty well last year with getting second. Hopefully this year we’ll be able to finish on top.” The Matadors have built quite a case for that to happen. They are 3-0 against Monte Vista-Danville, a power which has played for the NCS championship 12 of the past 14 years, winning seven in that span. Those wins were in the finals of both the Acalanes Tournament and California Capital Challenge at Woodcreek-Roseville, and in a Sept. 23 nonleague match in which Miramonte prevailed 9-7. “I think we knew it would take a lot of effort to being where we are right now, as to being undefeated,” said senior Katrina Drake. Their closest margin was 7-6 on Oct. 7 against Davis, owners of eight of the last 10 Sac-Joaquin Section Division I titles.

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“We controlled 75 percent of the game, and Davis made a big run toward the end,” coach Lance Morrison said. “Guess you can say we let our guard down a little bit, and Davis being the team they are, weren’t ready to quit and were going to fight to the very end. That’s why we play the game.” Said senior Skylar Savar: “We wanted to keep our streak going and didn’t want to lose sight of our goals.” The team keeps a strong mental approach regardless of the caliber of opponent. “We know not to go into every game thinking that we’re just going to win; we have to go out really strong Skylar Savar no matter who we’re playing,” senior Grace Tehaney. The Matadors returned their entire starting lineup for this season. Of the five senior captains, Drake is bound for UCLA, Savar is headed to USC, and Murphy, Broad and Tehaney are undecided. For those who have followed girls water polo, there’s something special going on. “What I like about this group is the leadership of the captains is tremendous,” assistant coach Chris Lloyd said. “They are an inclusive team, from the top player on varsity to the least experienced player on junior varsity. You don’t get a lot of cliquishness. I’ve been familiar with the program —

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I’ve had four daughters go through it. This is hands down the best team I’ve ever seen.” Morrison, who played at Fairfield High, Santa Rosa Junior College and Pacific, is in his first year as Miramonte’s varsity head coach, having been the JV head coach the previous two seasons. He worked with all five captains in club water polo as part of the 680 Drivers program, so he had a strong notion of the talent he’d been getting. “Our goal as coaches is to work with the players so they can be a positive influence in other areas of their lives,” Morrison said. “It’s kind of a nice bonus to get the wins. I’m especially lucky to be a first-year varsity coach and have such a talented team.” With the NCS playoffs less than three weeks away, the Matadors senior captains remain focused. “We’re excited to finish the season strong, especially since it’s our last year,” said Broad. And they’ve been able to enjoy what they’ve accomplished thus far. “There’s definitely a fun dynamic on the team,” Drake said. “Everyone has the same goal. That’s different than past years. We’re super committed and motivated. That’s what brings us to this point.” ✪

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Get your step counter on; it’s time to get ready for the eighth running of the Diablo Summit Stump, a 30K marathon where the Mount Diablo summit is just the halfway point. The event, which is staged out of Castle Rock Park in Walnut Creek, takes place on Nov. 4. Runners of the 30K will run from Castle Rock Park, all the way to the summit of Mount Diablo and back. Those not quite ready for the 18 miles of running can still participate in the 5K, 10K or half marathon. Runners who sign-on for the 30K also get a chance to “make a deal with El Diablo” at about Mile 9. At that point, if the runner isn’t feeling ready to make it to the summit that day, they can switch to the half marathon and be counted as an official half marathon finisher (except they go in the “surrendered” division for that race so aren’t eligible for any special awards). Finishers are awarded a special finisher medal. Those who finish in the top three of their age/gender division receive special awards. The event helps raise funds for Save Mount Diablo (via participant donations), but the main goal is to build community and support for our parks and outdoor activity.

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Concord Helps Host A Pair Of Fitness Forward Events In October, November Entry fees are as follows: ›› 5K: $48 until 9/18, $53 until 10/16, $58 after 10/16 ›› 10K: $53 until 9/18, $58 until 10/16, $63 after 10/16 ›› Half Marathon: $74 until 9/18, $79 until 10/16, $84 after 10/16 ›› 30K: $79 until 9/18, $84 until 10/16, $89 after 10/16 Registration fees will include all parking and shuttles fees, however each participant will also be charged a mandatory $7 fee to go to Mt Diablo State Park. Find out more about the Diablo Summit Stomp at brazenracing.com/r/summit stompmain.html#

International Functional Fitness Championships Now if you want to get yourself psyched for the Diablo Stomp, get to Concord Pavilion Oct. 21-22 to see some of the world’s most fit athletes compete in the 2017 International Functional Fitness Federation Championships. The pinnacle event of iF3 competition features world-class functional fitness athletes representing a variety of nations in a two-day competition. The event holds Team Medley and Individual Medley competitions. The Individual Medley features the iF3 standard six tests over two days, one in each categories: aerobic capacity, strength, bodyweight endurance, bodyweight skill, mixed modal, and power.

A quick description of each skill: Aerobic Capacity — This test contains repeatable cyclical work. It tests the athlete’s ability to pace, perform work, and recover quickly. Strength — This test contains strength work with a barbell. It tests the athlete’s timing, coordination and athleticism while working under a heavy load. Bodyweight Endurance — This test contains bodyweight movements paired with cyclical movements. It tests relative muscle endurance. Bodyweight Skill — This test pairs advanced gymnastics skill work. It tests the athlete’s pacing ability, range of motion, skill and core control. Mixed Model — This tests contains a variety of tasks and challenges. It tests the athlete’s ability to transition between movements, perform movement variations, control pacing and handle load variations. Power — This test contains a high demand of work to be performed for a short time frame. It tests the athlete’s ability to execute movements quickly with a proper strategy in order to display speed and pure power. The list of participating countries for the championships include the USA, Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico, Ireland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster for $13.75 plus fees. To purchase tickets, or to learn more about the event, visit functionalfitnessfederation.org/if3-championship/ ✪

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October 13, 2017

SportStars™

get mental: erika westhoff The idea of readiness in sports can be a tricky thing. The myth of needing to get fired up for most athletes is just that, a myth. Every sport has its own unique intensity requirements (think hitting a golf ball vs. playing offensive line in football) and, each person has his or her own ideal level of intensity to achieve optimum performance. Physically you need to be warmed-up, energized and ready to compete. Chances are, this is already built into your routine. You get your heart rate up, get sweaty and get your body ready to compete. Mentally you need to be focused and free of worry to perform your best. For many athletes this is a missing link, since most of us don’t learn the value of calming our minds. However, many athletes have the experience where they stumble upon a calm day. Athletes tend to describe this day as easy, effortless or simple and confidence soars. A calm mind is key to reaching this ideal zone. How do you create this magic combination of mind and body? Here are a few tips.

PHYSICAL INTENSITY To raise the intensity of your warm-up, challenge yourself. If you normally finish your warm-up at a level 6 (out of 10), set a goal to go hard in your warm-up and get to a level 9. See how this impacts the early stage of your competition.

CALMING YOUR MIND Breathe — Early and often. Slow, deep breaths are simple and effective. They work best if you build a conditioned response (teach your body to relax through breathing). However, anyone can reap some benefits to slowing down to breathe and relax. Progressive Relaxation — There’s great research behind this technique, which relaxes your body through repeatedly contracting and then relaxing your major muscle groups. Find a muscle group where you carry a lot of stress (neck, back and shoulders are common areas) and tense them as tight as you can, count to three, release. Repeat. The last step is to personalize it by considering your sport and your personality. Set goals for your ideal combination. For example, on a scale of 1-10 (1 low intensity, 10 very high intensity) set goals that look something like this: Physical Intensity = 8, Calm Mind = 4. Once you’ve set your goal, practice! When you’ve gotten the hang of your magic combination in practice, it’s time to take into competition. Good luck! ✪ Erika Westhoff is a CEO and certified mental trainer at EW Performance in Pleasanton.

SportStars™

October 13, 2017

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Dawson Hurst, a receiver and defensive back for Del Oro-Loomis, reacts to a play on the field during the Golden Eaglesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 28-21 loss to Granite Bay on Sept. 22. Photo by James K. Leash