SPORTS
10
THE MATADOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014
2014-15 Fall Sports Scoreboard BOYS FOOTBALL
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
CO-ED CROSS COUNTRY
GIRLS TENNIS
VARSITY 8/29 vs. Montclair 9/5 vs. Glendale 9/12 vs. San Marino 9/19 vs. Bev. Hills 9/26 vs. Temple City FRESHMEN 8/28 vs. Montclair 9/4 vs. Glendale 9/11 vs. San Marino 9/18 vs Bev. Hills
VARSITY 9/11 @ Arcadia 9/16 vs. John F. Kennedy 10/2 @ Schurr
VARSITY 10/1 @ Legg Lake (G) (B)
5th 6th
JV 10/1 @ Legg Lake (G) (B)
no score 5th
VARSITY 9/9 @ Rosemead 9/12 vs. El Monte 9/25 vs. Montebello 9/30 @ Alhambra 10/2 vs. Schurr
9-9 15-3 12-6 11-7 13-5
W W W L W
FRESHMEN 10/1 @ Legg Lake (G) (B)
4th 5th
JV 9/9 vs. Rosemead 9/12 @ El Monte 9/25 @ Montebello 9/30 vs. Alhambra 10/2 @ Schurr
9-9 10-8 15-3 10-8 12-6
T W L L W
42-0 35-0 65-0 35-0 34-0
L L L L L
40-20 34-08 42-0 44-14
L L L L
3-0 3-0 3-0
JV 2-1 9/11 @ Arcadia 9/16 vs. John F Kennedy 2-1 3-0 10/2 @ Schurr FRESHMEN 9/11 @ Arcadia 10/2 @ Schurr
3-0 2-1
W W W W W W W L
Illustrations by Cassandra Chen
Tennis serves their way into season
Cross Country practices for Almont League, runs toward success
Athletes fighting against heat
K i m P ham
A n g e l a Fong With preseason already over and the official season just beginning, San Gabriel’s junior varsity (JV) and varsity girls tennis teams are already preparing for their upcoming matches against Mark Keppel. Despite one canceled match against San Marino, two rescheduled matches against La Salle and Maranatha, and a slew of canceled practices due to the passing heat wave, varsity tennis has managed to win two out of the three league matches they have played so far, losing only to Alhambra’s tennis team. “Our first match against Montebello was difficult since all of our matches the previous week had been canceled, but we managed to win despite some difficulties we had in the first round. When we lost against Alhambra, everyone was really disappointed, because we knew we could have done much better, but it was just an off day for all of us. A few days later, we managed to come back strong and beat Schurr, with all of our doubles players winning all their matches,” varsity captain senior Hui Fu said. JV tennis, however, has had a more difficult time since the start of league., again, due to the number of canceled matches and practices. Although they have won only against Schurr and lost to Montebello and Alhambra, the JV team continues to work hard during practices in order to better prepare for the remainder of the season. “So far, we’ve lost two-thirds of the league games we’ve had, but since we play each school two times, and our rank depends on both games, there’s still a chance for a comeback. I believe we could have definitely done better; we just lacked a little confidence and assertiveness. Our line-up is also a little shaky…[which is] throwing us off. Hopefully, when the time comes, we can give it our best and win league again this year,” JV starter sophomore Diana Kou said. Despite getting off to a rough start, both San Gabriel’s JV and varsity girls tennis teams remain undeterred and continue to express their optimism for their upcoming matches.
Commentary
Summary: San Gabriel High School’s cross country team are focused and determined for their upcoming races this season, with returning Coach Steve Morales leading the team. With the frosh/soph and junior varsity teams placing top three in the Almont Leagues last year, Morales has raised the bar in terms of practice and mindsets. Qualities: Key runners include junior Allen Auyeung, sophomore Brandon Lau, and sophomore Nathan Ta. For girls, senior Janette Nguyen, senior Genesis Echeverria, and sophomore Kimberly Wong were highlighted. Morales explains that there is a healthy combination of seniors and underclassmen this year. “There’s a good balance of learning going on, where the upperclassmen are teaching the underclassmen more about running and the underclassmen are inspiring the upperclassmen to step it up,” Morales said. Comments: Runners feel excited for the upcoming season, and are ready to see their hard work and training pay off. “We’ve definitely been more dedicated and serious about winning this year,” Auyeung said. “The expectations are higher, and we have to try to live up to them.” Ultimately, Morales is seeking to secure all three divisions a spot in the top three places at the league races this season. He believes that this year’s team consists of hard-working individuals who will put out nothing less than their best efforts.
Photo by Tran Lam
Sophomore Brandon Lau leads the varsity team in drills prior to the first official race of their season.
C a ro l i n a G a rc i a
A gigantic burning ball of gas shooting radiation to Earth known as the sun is predicted to raise temperatures into the 100s. Despite the intense heat many San Gabriel athletes are still required to attend outdoor practice. Cross country, football, and tennis are a few of many athletic programs that endure practice outside. While experts are recommending that civilians should stay out of the heat, cross country members are out running in absurd temperatures. Not only are students being exposed to high levels of UV rays, but also to other hazards as well. If an athlete does not drink enough water, they are at risk of passing out or falling victim to a heat stroke. During a San Gabriel girls soccer practice, a few players vomited because they were dehydrated. The coach then decided to have every player carry a gallon of water in order to prevent this from occurring again. “Bringing a gallon of water benefits us against the heat,” freshman Janelle Cabrera said. “We do a lot during practice; Illustration by Emmanuel Maresca everyone is trying to stay hydrated, and this seems to be a great solution.” Other athletic programs are limiting the intensity of their practices and encouraging all athletes to drink large amounts of water in order to beat the heat. Athletes are at constant risk when they are practicing. Coaches and athletes need to take precautions in order to avoid any misfortunes. The main things to focus on are staying hydrated and refraining from over working the players.
Clash of gender rights in co-educational sports Rol and Fang
Photo by Carolina Loaisiga
Junior Anastasia Ramirez sets her sights on an incoming tennis ball as she takes part in a practice drill that works on improving both tennis strategy and technique.
Since the passage of Title IX of the Education Act in 1972, the gender inequality between males and females regarding their participation in high school and college sports has been progressively declining, as more women have been competing in sports. Currently, Title IX still serves as an important federal education policy that has been a major influence in increasing athletic opportunities for girls and women. Title IX prohibits gender discrimination in educational programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance, including school athletics. Since the establishment of Title IX over 40 years ago, the number of female students who participate in athletics have dramatically increased. According to the Feminist Majority Foundation, the approximate number of female students who participate in high school sports increased from about 300,000 to about 2.7 million in the 40-year time span. The implementation of Title IX into San Gabriel High School can be seen through co-ed sports such as badminton, cross country, swim, and track and field, as well as all of the girls sports teams that serve as counterparts to the boys sports teams, with the exception
of football. According to Athletic Director Patricia Hill, all sports strive to maintain a gender-friendly team, where everyone receives equal practices for what each sport needs. “Girls never got what the boys got,” Hill said. “If you do something for the boys, you have to do it for the girls, too. Some teams didn’t think about the girls, so when a brand new stadium was built for the boys baseball team, the girls claimed Title IX [and received equal treatment].” Although Title IX positively impacts the female sex, it has negatively affected the presence of males in high school sports. Title IX requires that each team have an equal or an almost equal number of boys and girls, making it a problem for teams that have majority of boys. “Title IX has really limited the amount of boys we could have on the team,” said Head Coach Steve Morales, head of cross country and track and field. “I think this really hinders because some [of the boys] cannot race during cross country.” Ultimately, Title IX protects against sex discrimination in high school and college athletics programs. In the past four decades, Title IX has seen both achievements and setbacks; however, it has undoubtedly improved gender equality that has never been recognized before. Photo by Carolina Loaisiga