2013 Year In Review
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Volume VI, Issue 6 May 2013
Staff List Editors-in-Chief Pippa Raffel Josh Stern Managing Editors Audrey DeBruine Ami Drez Chris Smith Design Editor Julia Saul
Photo Editor Tara Lawrence Multimedia Editor Paul Bienaimé Business Manager Tara Lawrence Columnist Zach Rizk
Senior Staff Scotty Bara Charlotte Biffar Kevin Dukovic Michelle Friedlander Jonny Glazier Hilda Huang Nina Kelty Alan Lamarque Colin Patterson Austin Poore Rohit Ramkumar Nora Rosati
Grant Shorin Sammy Solomon Michael Strong Annie Susco Staff Jordan Gans James Harrison Niall Patrick Contributing Artist Isaac Kasevich Adviser Ellen Austin
Palo Alto High School 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301 650-329-3837 Email contact: vikingeds@gmail.com Letters to the editor The Viking, a sports magazine published by the students in Palo Alto High School’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 magazine’s audience. For more information about advertising with The Viking, please contact the The Viking by email at vikingeds@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.
MAY 2013
The Lineup
May 2013 Volume 6 Issue VI
SECTIONS 8 Zooms Anna Dairaghi (‘13) Winston Wang (‘15) Issac Feldstein (‘13)
15 Kick off
26
Inside the mind
of Cole Tierney (‘16)
10 Questions
with Alexia Garcia (‘13)
Pop culture Hot or not
RECRUITING MAP Senior athletes who will continue to play their respective sports at the next level and where
20 Wrap-ups 32 Paly’s most valuable
by Michelle Friedlander
Coach of the Year Female Yeam of the Year
28
33
BOTTOM AND TOP 10 MOMENTS
COACH OF THE YEAR
A recap of Paly’s best and worst moments from the 2012-2013 sports year
Girls’ lacrosse head coach Jamie Nesbitt
by Kevin Dukovic, Rohit Ramkumar, James Harrison and Jordan Gans
by Sammy Solomon
Male Team of the Year Female upperclassman of the year Male Upperclassman of the Year Female Underclassman of the Year Male Underclassman of the Year Alok Subbarao
46 Columns The Last Word
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34
44
48
TEAMS OF THE YEAR
UNDERCLASSMEN OF THE YEAR
ALOK SUBBARAO
Girls’ soccer and boys’ basketball
Jacey Pederson (‘16) and Quintin Valenti (‘16)
Sean Harvey (‘13)
by Hilda Huang and Paul Bienaimé
by Charlotte Biffar and Michael Strong
by Austin Poore
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Megan Tall Female Upperclassman Athlete of the Year By Tara Lawrence page 40
photo courtesy of Al Cheng
Keller Chryst
Male Upperclassman Athlete of the Year by Colin Patterson page 42
photo by Grant Shorin
From the Editors Dear Readers,
We hope your spring has closed nicely and you are ready to jump into summer! In this issue of The Viking, we highlight the coaches, teams and players who have triumphed this past school year in athletics in our annual Year in Review. Magazine aside, we are delighted to take the reigns from Nora Rosati, Alan Lamarque and Kevin Dukovic. We would like to
take the time to acknowledge all the guidance they have given us during the past nine months. It is with heavy hearts and deepest gratitude that we bid adieu to all the seniors and our advisor, Ms. Austin.
See y’all in August, Pippa Raffel Josh Stern
Safe sailing, seniors!
Scotty Bara
Charlotte Biffar
Kevin Dukovic
Michelle Friedlander
Jonny Glazier
Hilda Huang
Nina Kelty
Alan Lamarque
Colin Patterson
Austin Poore
Rohit Ramkumar
Nora Rosati
Grant Shorin
Sammy Solomon
Michael Strong
Annie Susco
6 | THE VIKING |
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Staff View | Applauding Jason Collins Last week, Stanford alum and current professional basketball player Jason Collins sparked a media frenzy when he became the first current professional male athlete from a ‘big four’ sport in the U.S. to come out as gay. Just weeks earlier, Brittney Griner, the star of the Baylor women’s basketball team and recent number one Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) draft pick, came out publicly as lesbian. The Viking commends both athletes, as well as all athletes past and future, for their courage to come out in a society that still looks down upon homosexuality. Sports fans can be especially opinionated and outspoken, and their criticisms often reach a personal level, so it is admirable that Collins and Griner took the risk to be honest about their sexualities. Part of the outcry surrounding both athletes’ announcements comes from those who claim the coming outs as publicity stunts or as attempts to use sports to progress political agendas. The Viking believes that if our society is going to reach a time when such announcements from public figures do not spark controversy, people such as Collins and Griner must make sacrifices now.
Collins is not a top-tier NBA player by any means. As he approaches free agency this summer, he may very well have jeopardized his appeal for teams concerned with the possible negative impact he will have on their dynamics. If he is not signed, it will be difficult to discern whether or not his sexuality played a role. It is imperative that Collins’ statement be taken at face value: if we do not want sexuality to be a consideration in an athlete’s career, we must treat it that way. We must try to reach a place in the future where an athlete - or any public figure, for that matter - does not draw the same scope of media coverage that Collins has for being honest about their sexuality. When an NFL quarterback is seen in public with his girlfriend, it does not warrant a front-page Sports Illustrated special feature. In a perfect world, a homosexual athlete would not receive any more media attention than a straight one. We do not live in a perfect world. As evidenced by the nature of the reaction to Collins’ coming out, our country is still on its way to being accepting of all sexualities. This process will not happen overnight. Palo Alto prides itself on being tolerant,
but this does not mean that we are completely open-minded. The Paly sports community, as well as the sports community in general, must be encouraged to be open and accepting of all sexualities, just as we have learned to be accepting of gender and race. Efforts such as Paly’s Not In Our Schools (NIOS) Week, which occurred April 22-26, are a step in the right direction towards this type of acceptance in our school. However, we can do more. Coaches should make sure their teams create accepting environments, not only for their own teammates but for their opponents as well. This includes discouraging the use of sexual slurs, which are often casually tossed around. Sports are a catalyst for change. Jackie Robinson, professional baseball’s first player of color, was inspirational to those fighting for civil rights. Maybe one day athletes such as Collins and Griner will be looked upon in a similar light. At the end of the day, the goal we must strive to achieve is a sports culture in which a player’s sexuality is not the focus of any attention, one in which his or her contributions and achievements in sports are allowed to do the talking.
In his article for Sports Illustrated in which he came out, Jason Collins wrote, “I’m a 34 year old NBA player. I’m black. and I’m gay.”
MAY 2013
ZOOM EYE ON THE PRIZE Anna Dairaghi (‘13) handles the ball in sudden death triple overtime against St. Francis in the SCVAL championship game. The Paly girls dropped the heartbreaker 6-15. on May 11. photo by Scotty Bara
ZOOM PARTING THE SEA Winston Wang (‘15) shoots forward in the 100 yard breaststroke at the Central Coast Section (CCS) Preliminary Meet on May 9. The boys’ team went on to place second in CCS finals. photo by Tara Lawrence
12
ZOOM SWING BATTA’ BATTA’ Isaac Feldstein (`13) drives a ball through the gap for a base hit against Homestead High School. The game ended with a 2-1 Paly loss in the 16th inning. photo by Tara Lawrence
Dear readers, Thank you for supporting us with your generosity and kindness.
Thursday
Friday
The “Muelly”
The “Baby Boomer”
Grilled Pastrami, Swiss cheese, Mustard, Mayo and Onion on Light Rye. (One time I heard Andrew Dice Clay say Muelly on TV, then my Daddy turned it off)
channing
University
Lytton
High St.
Tuna Melt with Jalapenos. (No, don’t call me baby. My Daddy doesn’t even call me baby anymore.)
Peninsula Creamery
dairy store
(650) 323-3175 900 High Street Palo Alto
ALMA
ALL OUT BASEBALL
Mervyn’s Plaza in Santa Clara 2118A El Camino Real Santa Clara, CA 95050 Phone: (408)-261-2255 Fax: (408) 261-2254 Monday through Friday 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Saturday 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sunday closed
If you would like to advertise with or sponsor the Viking Sports Magazine next year, please email vikingads@gmail.com We are exceedingly grateful for another great year of publication with the Viking Sports Magazine. Sincerely, The Business Managers Tara Lawrence (2013-2014) Hilda Huang (2012-2013) Michael Strong (2012-2013)
Inside the Mind of Cole Tierney (‘16) AKA THE “GURU”
On wearing a hat everyday
“I take it off sometimes to let my flow do its thing, but sometimes it just gets too crazy and I have to put it away. I just look three times better with a hat on. I would just cut [my hair], but then I would have to quit lax, or do something drastic.”
On ask.fm
On being afraid of heights
“I’m not afraid of heights, but for example, if I’m in a baseball stadium, I’m not going to go up to the top. I just don’t want to fall down and kill myself. I’m just scared of falling from super high and splattering and dying. That would suck.”
On the midget squad
“The midget squad is the 5’6’’ and under club. Walker [Mees (‘13)]’s getting in there and he’s a senior so that’s unfortunate for him, but it’s pretty fun. We’re just the short kids on the team. We get beaten up, but it’s all good.”
“I can’t help what the eighth graders want. If they want it, they can ask for it, and I can’t stop them. They tell me I’m smoking hot and I just say “yeah”. I sweet talk the ladies. You should look at it, I’m not lying.”
On twerking
“I’m pretty good at twerking. I hold clinics, so if you want to learn, just hit me up.” photo by Tara Lawrence
MAY 2013
Limited sessions available
BOOK
NOWBEFORE Senior Year begins, college applications are due, & sport season starts!
650-575-5959
www.depolophotography.com
2014 June, July & August
CLASS of
the perfect months to schedule are
2013 Graduation Parents! PAVERS for PALY The Media Arts Boosters is sponsoring a wonderful opportunity for you to leave a legacy. Purchase a Paly Paver to honor your student, teacher, class, program or club.
Your personalized, engraved paver will be installed in front of the new Media Arts building, slated to open next school year.
Visit The Paly Voice (http://palyvoice.com) for more information about the project and to secure your paver.
s e
10Questions with
Alexia Garcia
as told to Annie Susco
The Viking asked Paly track athlete Alexia Garcia (‘13) 10 questions about herself and then asked the same questions to her teammate Jessica Branson (‘14), friend Charlotte Barry (‘13) and track coach Aly Seedman to see who knows Garcia best.
Alexia Garcia
Varsity track runner
Questions
Jessica Branson
Charlotte Barry
Aly Seedman
Teammate
Friend
Coach
Not making the hand-off within the zone
Most embarrassing track moment?
Forgetting her track spikes
Tripping and falling
Falling out of the track blocks
The weather and dresses
Favorite part of summer?
No school
Wearing floppy hats
Spending time with family
4 by 100
Favorite track event?
4 by 100
4 by 100
4 by 100
The vibe, people and weather
Favorite thing about USC?
The campus
School spirit
Get away and make new friends
James Dean
Dream date?
Channing Tatum
James Dean
Channing Tatum
A dress
Go to summer outfit?
Dress
A dress
Maxi dress and sandals
Fruit
Pre-meet snack?
Yogurt with granola
Fruit
Something healthy
Top Gun
Favorite movie?
The Notebook
Top Gun and Nacho Libre
Bridemaids
No streaking
Streaking or no streaking?
No
No streaking
No streaking
My friends
Miss most about Paly next year?
Me
Her friends
Friends
30%
70%
40%
Image taken from
MAY 2013
P Culture Grid
The op W H AT D O P A LY Quitterie Collignon (‘13) Swimming AT H L E T E S S AY ?
Phil Lewis (‘15) Baseball
Julia Farino (‘13) Lacrosse
Andrew Liang (‘14) Swimming
Bryn Carlson (‘16) Track & Field
Best summer food?
Fro-yo
BBQ anything
Fruit salad
Ice cream sundaes
Peaches and nectarines
Streak week is...
Traditional
Revealing
Awkward
Paly’s best tradition
Entertaining
Senior you’ll miss the most?
Nora Rosati
Sophia Bono
Anna Dairaghi
Eren Kiris
Spencer Carlson
Carmel
Best beach?
Anywhere in Santa Cruz
Catalina
Corolla, outer banks NC
Most excited for... this summer?
Getting out of here
Freedom
Sleeping in
HOT
18 | T H E V I K I N G |
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World Championship swim trials
University Club:
Hanging out with friends
Images taken from
With the stress of AP testing and finals looming in the horizon, there’s no better place to unwind than the University Club. Grab your shades and some friends and relax by the pool!
Senior Powderpuff:
Stephen Curry:
There is no doubt that Stephen Curry has been on fire this season. With six three-pointers in Game Two of the Western Conference semi-final series, Curry stole the show, contributing an overall 41 points to the Golden State Warriors’ 100-92 win over the San Antonio Spurs. In Game Four, Curry contributed 26 points, despite a plaguing ankleinjury, to guide the Warriors to a 97-87 overtime victory to tie the series.
All of them
In the annual powder puff tournament, the senior team was eliminated early, falling to the freshman 7-0. Freshmen upset!
Parking Tickets:
This spring, the administration has been amping up parking regulations, issuing parking tickets left and right. While the staff section has been extended, there continues to be a shortage of student parking in the Churchill lot.
N OT Images taken from
Dear Ms. Austin After six years of advising The Viking, Ellen Austin will leave Paly to become the Director of Journalism at The Harker School in San Jose.
I
a letter from Alan Lamarque
n the six years of The Viking’s existence, adviser Ellen Austin has led the way in adapting to the forever changing field of journalism. It is with both somberness and appreciation that we say goodbye to Austin as she parts with our staff in order to take a position as the Director of Journalism at The Harker School in San Jose. Austin originally moved to Palo Alto in 2007 after three years at St. Paul Academy in St. Paul, Minnesota. Since her arrival, The Viking has become a nationally recognized student magazine. This year Austin was honored for her dedication to The Viking and her work with INfocus by being named the Dow Jones News Fund Teacher of the Year for 2012.
photo by Scotty Bara I first met Ms. Austin in the East Palo Alto Summer Journalism Institute, in the summer of 2010. The six week program served as the equivalent of beginning journalism and thanks to her help, I was given the choice to join The Viking at the beginning of my sophomore year. Nothing could have prepared me for such a transition, but even in the commotion of the new year, Ms. Austin found the time to check on my progress and help me out. Her support has led me to consider a career in journalism, and I’ll be forever grateful for her guidance. Over the length of my career at The Viking, I’ve seen two staffs bring home three Gold Crowns from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and witnessed the influence this publication has in the scholastic journalism
world. It isn’t easy to spend several hours a day for several weeks after school producing a magazine, but for every extra minute we’ve spent in the English lab, Ms. Austin has bolstered us with her commitment. No matter how strong our staff writers or editors have been, the biggest figure has always been Ms. Austin, and even in her absence, The Viking will move into the coming year fully equipped to stay dominant. We at The Viking cannot begin to express our gratitude to Ms. Austin for her leadership and for being a good friend. Best of luck to you, Ms. Austin! We hope everything goes well and look forward to seeing you again in the future.
So much more than an adviser: 2012 Dow Jones News Fund Teacher of the Year 2011 California Journalism Educator of the Year Chair of the Student Press Law Center Board member of the Journalism Education Association, Northern California MAY 2013
the 2012-2013
FINISH LINE
The Viking wraps up Paly’s athletic campaigns of the past year >>> For more online coverage and game recaps, check out vikingsportsmag.com
BOYS’ WATER POLO The paly boys’ water polo team finished their season 16-9 after losing to Bellarmine in the Central Coast Section (CCS) quarterfinals. The team played dominantly this season defeating most teams in their league despite being the “underdog’s.” Looking ahead to next year, the team will lose key players including Brent Schroder (‘13), Brian Berry (‘13), Nolan Perla-Ward (‘13), Quinn Rockwell (‘13) and Bret Pinsker (‘13).
“We had a really strong group of seniors and they really led the team when it came to scoring and morale,” Look said. “We have to gel more as a predominantly young team.” Next season the team will be looking towards their fast swimmers to out swim and beat their opponents.
GIRLS’ WATER POLO
After losing starters Shannon Scheel (‘12), Eve Higgins (‘12) and Skylar Dorosin (‘12), from its 2011-2012 season, the girls’ water polo team had a number of veteran players returning to its 2012 season including Quitterie Collignon (‘13), Martin Leclerc (‘13), Tara Lawrence (‘14) and Abby Bromberg (‘13). Along with underclassmen, Katie Francis (‘16), Tess Van Hulsen (‘15) the Lady Vikes demonstrated hard work and dedication in its successful 13-11 (8-4 in league) season. “We had a really good season overall consider-
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ing we lost one of our best players, Skylar Dorosin,” Senior starter, Quitterie Collignon (‘13) said. “We changed the way we practiced and ran plays and had everyone become a good player rather than just relying on one or a couple good players. We still did really well in our league and in CCS and achieved the goals we wanted to achieve.” The team placed third in leagues, and made it to the quarterfinals in Central Coast Section (CCS). Returning impact players such as Lawrence, Van Hulsen, Francis and Emma Wolfe (‘14) will benefit the Lady Vikes in their 2013-2014 season.
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FOOTBALL
Capping off another successful season, the Paly football team finished with an 8-3 record (6-1 in league). The team’s season came to an end when the Vikes fell to the Junipero Serra Padres in the first round of the CCS playoffs, 52-35. Quarterback Keller Chryst (‘14) followed his impressive sophomore debut with another successful season behind center. Also an impact player, Matt Tolbert (‘13) stepped in to fill Paly’s running back position, churning out a tremendous season marked by 1,161 rushing yards on 152 carries. The two, along with receiver Malcom Davis (‘14), contributed to an offense
VOLLEYBALL
Paly volleyball was coming into the 2012-13 season with very low expectations by many people having lost eight seniors, including superstars Maddie Kuppe (‘12) and Melanie Wade (‘12), who now play at University of Washington and University of Connecticut respectively. However the Lady Vikes used this as motivation to play even better and they had a chip on their shoulders to prove the critics wrong. With no standout player on the team this year and only two return-
that averaged an outstanding 40.9 points per game. Despite losing two of their first three home games, the Vikings went on a hot streak in league outscoring their opponents, 281-116 in weeks five through ten. Looking to the future, the offense will return starters Keesean Johnson (‘14), Jack Anderson (‘14), Justin Rittman(‘14), Chryst and Davis. The team will need to fill in spots for the 15 graduating seniors, however, as Jayshawn Gates-Mouton (‘13), Justin Gates-Mouton (‘13), Tolbert, Erik Anderson (‘13), Drew Rider (‘13) and all league defensive end, Larry Allen ‘13) leave their spots up for grabs.
ing seniors, the team had to rely on everyone which brought them closer as a unit. The Lady Vikes were unable to win their third straight State title, but they finished the season (28-7) overall and (12-2) in league play. Overall the Volleyball team had a better year than expected but they eventually fell to Homestead in the CCS semifinals.
BOYS’ CROSS-COUNTRY Following a disappointing 2011-2012 season, the boys’ cross-country team emerged this year under new coach, Marcus Stone. Despite the change, the team resulted similarly from its previous season finishing in sixth place at the SCVAL league race in Crystal Springs. Varsity runner Nate Cook (’15) finished first for the Vikings placing 15th overall with a time of 16:56, followed by captains Justin Zhang (’13) and Ben May (’13)
who placed 28th and 31st. The only Viking to qualify for CCS, Cook failed to continue on to the state championship. Although the team lost strong runners such as Zhang, May, co-captain Kevin Lavelle (’13), and Matan Geller (’13), multiple veterans such as Cook, Jensen Hsaio (’14) and Paul Bienaimé (’14) will return for the 2013-2014 season.
GIRLS’ CROSS-COUNTRY
A successful season for the girls’ cross-country team culminated in a third place finish at the Central Coast Section (CCS) Division I championships on Nov. 10, 2012, an improvement over the past season’s sixth place finish. The team missed second place by five points, which would have qualified them to the state meet. Team member Katie Foug (‘15) placed third in CCS and qualified individually for the state championships. Throughout the regu-
lar season, the team placed highly at league and invitational meets, such as a third place finish at the Lowell Invitational on Sept. 16. Paly was able to place higher than Gunn and Monta Vista at the CCS meet despite being defeated by both in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) championship two weeks before. Strong underclassmen buoyed the team this fall and will allow the team to continue to improve over past seasons in the future.
MAY 2013
GIRLS’ TENNIS
The Paly Girls’ tennis team ended the 2012 fall season after losing to Saratoga 11-7 in the second round of Central Coast Section (CCS). The team played much better this season than last. “Our goal was to make CCS, and we not only made it but we also won the first round”, Aashli Budhiraja (‘14) said. Before closing their season, the girls made a strong appearance in CCS by beating Stevenson High School in the first round 16-2. Throughout the year, the team won more
WRESTLING
The varsity wrestling team finished its season fourth in SCVAL, after overcoming numerous challenges including skin disease and injuries throughout the season. Midway into the season, many wrestlers were unable to practice and compete due to an epidemic of skin fungus amongst the team. Despite this setback, six wrestlers placed in the SCVAL tournament and continued on to CCS. Erik Anderson (‘13) and Andrew Frick (‘14), two main contributors to the squad, both placed
matches than last with a record of 15 and 7. The toughest match the Lady Vikes played, according to Budhiraja, was against defending state champs Monta Vista. Although the team lost 4-3, it came down to doubles players Madeline Lee (‘15) and Katy Abott (‘13), who lost 7-6 in the third set. With the losses of Sammy Solomon (‘13), Tiffany Nguyen (‘13) and Abott the team may experience some turbulence next season but, with the addition of new players, the team, according to Budhirajah, will be able to play their hearts out.
fifth in CCS. Gary Hohbach (‘13) was the only Viking wrestler to advance to the State Championship. Hohbach feels the team did well considering the various obstacles they were forced to overcome. “Overall it was a good end to the season,” Hohbach said. “Unseeded guys placed at CCS and I achieved my personal goal of getting to state.”
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
Coming off of an impressive 2011-2012 season (19-6), the girls’ basketball team (9-14) ended disappointingly, recording its first losing-record season in four years. Things were looking up after an exciting 4438 win over Los Gatos, as the team looked for vengeance from their first loss to Gunn earlier in the season. However, the Lady Vikes failed to record the win against the Titans in a 55-19 loss. The team will have to rebound next year
after losing seniors Annie Susco (’13), Josie Butler (’13), Robin Bickford (’13) and Stephanie Allen (’13); however, the team will have returning impact players Coco Lovely (’16), Maddy Atwater (’16) and Charlotte Alipate (’14) next season.
BOYS’ SOCCER
Following its winless season last year, the Palo Alto boys’ soccer team (8-4-1 league,12-5-2 overall) finished high in the El Camino division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League. Winning 12 more games than last year, the team worked hard to show that the year before was just a fluke. Forward Chris Meredith (‘13) led the league in goals scored in his first year on the varsity team. Unfortunately, along with Meredith, five other seniors will be going off to college leaving a void in the lineup. The biggest win for the team was their 2-0
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victory over Alisal in a preseason tournament. The Vikings beat Alisal who was ranked 20th in the nation at the time in the final to win the whole tournament. Later, however, in the CCS quarterfinals, Alisal came back and won its match against Paly, knocking the Vikings off their path to a championship. The Vikings didn’t earn the top spot in the El Camino division, which was needed in order to move back up to the De Anza division. Look for boys’ soccer next year to clinch first place in their league and move back up into the De Anza division.
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BASEBALL
Losing it’s whole starting lineup and facing a tougher schedule was not the way Palo Alto High School’s baseball team wanted to step onto the diamond this year. In 2012, the Vikings’ star players Jack Witte (‘12), Ozzy Braff (‘12), Kevin Kannappan (‘12), and B.J. Boyd (‘12) led the team to a successful 13-1 league record, and a 27-7 overall record. However, the Vikings came out strong for an unexpected season. Although an overall 16-13 record, the Vikings held on tight in their league to win
the regular season title. Losing to the out of league North Coast Section (NCS) and West Catholic Athletic League (WCAL) teams prepared the Vikings for their league and the Central Coast Section (CCS) playoffs. The team went on to lose to Saratoga High School 4-3, who knocked them out of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) De Anza division league playoffs. On May 15, the Vikings defeated the Watsonville Wildcatz 12-4 in the first round of CCS and will advance to the quarter finals.
BOYS’ LACROSSE The boys lacrosse season started off strong with three out of league game wins but then struggled with league games as they lost to Menlo Atherton and Sacred Heart Prep, and Burlingame. Then, the Vikings lost a tough out of league game to Granite Bay. The team fought back and beat the league champions from the year before, Menlo-Atherton who was undefeated in their league. They are now competing in the SCVAL playoff and face Sa-
cred Heart Prep for a championship berth. The team will be losing many key seniors such as Jonny Glazier, Skyler Anderson, Walker Mees, Tyler Valenti, Scotty Bara, Logan Mendenhall and Andre Kouchecky. The program has three freshmen; Matt Seligson, Quentin Valenti, and Cole Tierny who will help carry the team next year.
GIRLS’ LACROSSE Coming off a season disrupted by season ending violations, the Paly girls’ varsity lacrosse team came back in 2013, accumulating a strong 15-2 overall record over the year, and an even more impressive 11-0 record in their league, despite the key losses in graduating seniors Kimmy Flather (‘12), Emy Kelty (‘12), Layla Meimar (‘12) and Ashley Swendseid (‘12) from its 2012 season. After finishing first in league, the team continued on to the SCVAL championship where
they would fall to St. Francis, 16-15, in triple overtime, after losing a 9-3 lead at the half. The team will come back next year returning multiple impact players such as Ami Drez (‘14), Kristen DeStefano (‘14), and Allie Peery (‘14), however, will miss graudating 2013 seniors Genevieve Lucas-Conwell (‘13), Charlotte Biffar (‘13), Nina Kelty (‘13), Emma Beckstrom (‘13), and Anna Dairaghi (‘13).
BOYS’ TENNIS Despite the losses of Nicky Hu (‘12), Will Lichtenger (‘12), Justin Wang (‘12) and Dar Shavit (‘12), the boys’ tennis team came out strong this 2013 season. With returning stars Blake Smith (‘14), George He (‘14) and Peter Sorokhodov (‘13) and number one single players Austin Leung (‘14) and Mason Haverstock (‘13), the team put maintained its veteran roster and captured another successful season, also gaining a star in Ronak Baldua (‘16). “Despite losing some key players last year,
new additions to the team did a great job filling the void,” Smith Said. “We had fun, gave it our all, and can’t wait until next season.” The team made it to the second round of CCS, but fell to Burlingame for the second year in a row; this time, however, with a higher score than last year’s match.
MAY 2013
BOYS’ TRACK & FIELD After winning the CCS championship and sending several athletes to the CIF state meet last year, the boys’ track and field team has lost some key team members: E.J. Floreal (‘13), Tremaine Kirkman (‘12), Morris Gates-Mouton (‘12) and Nikolai Solgaard (‘12). However, the team was not plagued with the absence of old stars; they flourished as they took first place in SCVAL, undefeated the entire season. The team’s success is highlighted by 400m sprinters Nick Sullivan (‘14) and Eli Givens (‘16), a strong relay
team consisting of Matt Tolbert (‘13), Justin Gates-Mouton (‘13), Jayshawn Gates-Mouton (‘13) and Givens along. WIth the help of a new jump coach, Tolu Wusu, but struggling without jumping pits, jumpers Victor Du (‘13), Eilon Tzur (‘13) and Grant Shorin (‘13) were very successful in long, triple, and high jumps. Michael Johnson (‘13) also contributed in the 300m and 110m hurdles. Going into CCS, the boys hope to repeat their success from last year.
GIRLS’ TRACK & FIELD The Palo Alto High School girls’ track and field team finished their season 5-1 in the De Anza League, earning second place to crosstown rival Gunn. With talented underclassmen, Julia Asin (‘15) and Katie Foug (‘15) are moving onto CCS semifinals in their the 400m and 800m, respectively. Additionally, Charlotte Alipate (‘14), and the 400m and 1600m relay teams are moving onto CCS. During and prior to the season, Audrey
DeBruine (‘14), Pippa Raffel (‘14) and Nora Rosati (‘13) three out of the four girls’ captains we forced to stop competing due to injuries. After this season filled with both triumphs and and let downs, the team seems to have a promising future.
BOYS’ SWIMMING Boys’ swimming and diving ended its season with a second place finish at CCS and first place at the SCVAL Championships. This marked the eighth SCVAL Championship in head coach Danny Dye’s nine seasons at the helm for Paly. The team was lead by captains Alex Francis (’13), Eren Kiris (’13) and Bret Pinsker (’13). The team will be graduating seniors Alex Francis, Eren Kiris and Bret Pinsker. Despite these losses, the team has the potential for a
strong season next year and is looking to Andrew Liang (’14), who qualified for the U.S. Olympic trials, Willy Lee (’14) and Ryan Drover (‘15). Drover had the most time drops in CCS.
GIRLS’ SWIMMING Girls’ swimming and diving ended its season with a 10th place finish at the 2013 CCS Championship. The team got second place, snapping their 10th consecutive SCVAL championship this year. Captains Quitterie Collignon (’13) Abbey Kinnaman (’13) and Molly Zebker (’13) lead the team this year. The team will be graduating seniors Chelsea Chen, Quitterie Collignon, Abbey Kin-
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naman, Masha Toulokhonova and Molly Zebker. The rising talent includes Kayleigh Svensson (’16) and Jayna Wittenbrink (’14).
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GOLF
This 2013 season, the Paly golf team had a stellar season winning all of their matches, becoming 2013 league champions and making it into the final round of CCS (Central Coast Section). Dominating the teams they faced, Paly placed 9th out of 409 teams in their first tournament and laterin the season, in a second tournament at Rossmoor Country Club, the Vikings placed 7th out of 407 teams. Grant Raffel (‘13) had a great season as a team leader, both on and off the field. His
SOFTBALL
The Paly softball team ended its 2013 spring season 3-22 overall, 0-12 in league, however, things started to pick up after the team won its first two games of its season. Also losing senior starters such as Anna Rizza (‘13), Maya Padilla (‘13), and Rachel Day (‘13), the Lady Vikes will need to look for new talent. As the Lady Vikes season started to pick up, impact players like middle infielder Hannah Bundy (‘14) felt like they could turn their losing season around.
attribution to the team, as a player and as a captain helped lead the team to their victories. “We were very consistent throughout the season,” Raffel said. “We had a lot of depth and different people stepped up at different times.” At the end of this year, the team will lose key players Mathais Schmutz (‘13) and Raffel. Paly golf will go into next season with lots of confidence and skill despite losing two important seniors.
“If we keep up the intensity and competitive attitude that we had, I think a new leaf could be turned”, Bundy said after losing to Los Altos, 2-3. Unfortunately, the season did not turn around for the team. After losing 5-6 to Monta Vista, the softball team’s season came to an end. As they continue into the off season and into next spring, the girls will look to play better as they drop from the De Anza to the El Camino League. Returning next year are key players such
as Bundy, Julia Saul (‘14), Madeline Martinson (‘16), and Casey Glassford (‘15).
BADMINTON With professional coach Wesley Hsieh at the head of Palo Alto High School’s badminton program, the team underwent a satisfying season with more improvement to come. Hsieh is new at Paly and implemented a stricter program for the team, hoping to lead them far in their El Camino division. The 2013 Varsity co-ed badminton team has won eight of the 11 matches they have played this season, and proceeded to go into the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) playoffs. After their strident season, the team un-
DIVING
Both boys’ and girls’ diving ended their 2013 season first in SCVAL with Vikings Cole Plambeck (‘13) and Mimi Lin (‘16) taking second in their CCS competition. Paly sent a maximum allowed eight divers to CCS, its success not only dependant upon Plambeck and female co-captains Serena Yee (‘13) and Nadya Nee (‘13), but from underclassmen Lin, Reed Merritt (‘16) and Scott Hillen (‘16). Though the team will lose three of its most accomplished seniors, head coach Danny Dye
fortunately fell to the Fremont High School Phoenixes, which ended the team’s chance to win the SCVAL tournament. However, 30 or so individuals will compete individually in the SCVAL tournament. “In spite of our losses and our setbacks during this season, we have given it our best,” Ghenki Okumoto (‘14) said. The team hopes to win the SCVAL tournament as a team next year, and will practice during the off-season until then.
can also look forward to an exceptionally strong team in the next three years, with Merritt and Lin showing great potential on top of their current proficiency. Juniors Jonathan Kosaka and Phoebe So will be expected to attend CCS finals again in their senior year, and along with Lin and Merritt will give Paly another strong showing in Leagues and CCS.
MAY 2013
Class of 2013 Univ. of Puget Sound, Quitterie Collignon (swimming)
By sport:
Lacrosse UC Davis, Serena Yee (diving)
Track and field
n ori t Sh ran yG to b pho
6 5 4 3 2 1
Montana State Univ., Matt Crist (football), Jayshawn Gates-Mouton (football)
Football
Diving Swimming Soccer
Pomona College, Noam Hurwitz (track and field) Claremont McKenna College, Erik Anderson (football), Spencer Drazovich (football)
Univ. of Arizona, Michael Johnson (track and field)
Baseball Rowing Basketball Figure Skating Cheer Volleyball Golf
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UC Berkeley, Charlotte Biffar (lacrosse), Sara Billman (figure skating) Foothill College, Stephanie Allen (basketball), Amir Malekpour (soccer) College of San Mateo, Isaac Feldstein (baseball) Cal. Polytechnic State Univ. , Jordan Smith (soccer), Michael Sullivan (soccer), James Foug (football) Santa Barbara City College, Sean Harvey (baseball) Univ. of Southern California, Nina Kelty (lacrosse) UC Los Angeles, Tia Rabinovitz (cheer)
ph oto by Gr an t
Sh or in
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College Recruiting Map See where athletes of the class of 2013 will continue their athletic careers next year.
Williams College, Grant Raffel (golf) Wesleyan Univ., Eren Kiris (swimming) Columbia Univ., Molly Zebker (swimming)
Univ. of Wisconsin- Madison, Skyler Felt (soccer), Alec Fishman (rowing)
Univ. of Pennsylvania, Nadya Nee (diving) Princeton Univ., Victor Du (track and field)
Kalamazoo College, Anna Dairaghi (lacrosse) Wheaton College, Shelby Knowles (volleyball)
Carnegie Mellon Univ., Shaheen Essaboy (cross country/track and field) Kenyon College, Walker Mees (lacrosse), Aldis Petriceks (basketball) Univ. of Virginia, Colette Lucas-Conwell (rowing) Duke University, Cole Plambeck (diving) High Point Univ., Julia Farino (lacrosse)
Univ. of South Florida, Matt Tolbert (football)
MAY 2013
The Viking’s
BOTTOM
Sports Moments of 2012-2013
While Paly is often considered an athletic powerhouse, the 2012-2013 year has had its mishaps along with its successes. Here are The Viking’s bottom 10 Paly sports moments of the year. by JORDAN GANS and JAMES HARRISON
photos by Grant Shorin
10 End of an era 9
Dressy clothing for casual play
The Paly boys’ basketball team had a hot start this season with a 21 game win-streak early in the season went on to take first place in SCVAL. The team had a league record of 12-0, but fell short in the CCS and NorCal tournaments with three losses to end the season. They lose key players Aubrey Dawkins (‘13), Eilon Tzur (‘13) and Aldis Petriceks (‘13), who are heading off to college.
After a 12-year dynasty, the girls’ swimming team lost the SCVAL title. The Vikes closely lost to Gunn by 30 points and took second place. The Lady Vikes lost key seniors including Jasmine Tosky (‘12), Margaret Wenzlau (‘12) and Laura Cui (‘12). The team finished 6-2 overall and 4-2 in leagues.
8 7
This season is the pits
What ever happened to track meets at Paly? This year, all meets are away, because there is no jumping pit due to construction. Jumpers are unable to practice in real pits and have to make due with the turf and track surface.
Need a lift?
Boys’ lacrosse can no longer take buses to games for the remainder of the year, after an incident on the bus on the ride back from the away game loss in Granite Bay. The players involved were suspended for 2-3 games and had to do community service. The team served its punishment the following week and moved passed it as they look to compete in the SCVAL playoffs.
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6 5 4 3 2
Swing and a miss
The boys’ baseball team is a disappointing 16-14 overall and 11-6 in league as of May 7. The Vikes started the season with a tough non league schedule but fell into a slump with the most recent loss against Saratoga 4-3, a lower-seeded team. Last year, the Vikings won the SCVAL league and the CCS titles. Recently, the team lost its first round of the SCVAL playoffs to Saratoga ending their chances of a repeat SCVAL title, but look ahead to the CCS playoffs.
Close but no cigar
The boys’ football team lost to Mitty 28-27 on a missed PAT in the final seconds of the game. After being down in the fourth quarter, the Vikings scored three consecutive touchdowns in the final seven minutes, including a Keller Chryst (‘14) 64-yard touchdown pass to Malcolm Davis (‘14) to put the Vikings in range to tie the game up. A mess up during the PAT led to the Vikings falling short by one point.
Shooting Blanks
The girls’ basketball team lost to rival Gunn 55-19, scoring a mere two points against Gunn High School in the entire first half of the game. The two points came from two separate freethrow attempts and the girls scored only 17 more points in the next half. Gunn outscored Paly in all quarters and had one less point in the fourth quarter than Paly had in the entire game. They lost to the team twice and finished the season 9-14 overall. This came after two years of lots of success.
Demotion
The girls’ softball team (0-12-0 league, 3-22-0 overall) had been on a 16 game losing streak with no wins in league so far as of May 7. They started off the season with two wins and have only had one more this season as they lay in last place in the De Anza Division. Next year team leaders Julia Saul (‘14) and Hannah Bundy (‘14) will try to turn the tides as they play their final year with Paly.
Lanced
The girls’ lacrosse team lost to Saint Francis in the SCVAL championship in sudden death overtime after beating them twice in the season. They were up 13-6 with eight minutes left in the game and fell apart to lose 14-13. They lost to Saint Francis in the semi-finals the year before and looked to sweep them out this season.
1
Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me
The girls’ soccer team forfeited three league victories and a first round CCS championship playoff win this season due to a violation in CCS eligibility rules. The girls made it into the CCS playoffs and were looking forward championships. This rude ending is the lowest moment of the year in athletics at Paly as the strong season for the girls was crushed. This is not the first time in the last few years that a team has had to forfeit games due to CCS rules. Look into our previous issue “Canceled” for a more in-depth story. MAY 2013
The Viking’s
TOP
Sports Moments
of 2012-2013
While there were no state champions crowned at Paly this year, 2012-2013 still offered plenty of excitement and unforgettable moments. Here are The Viking’s top 10 Paly sports moments of the year. by KEVIN DUKOVIC and ROHIT RAMKUMAR
10 9
photos by Grant Shorin
Boy’s lacrosse Bears down
On Menlo-Atherton High School’s Senior Night (May 2), the Paly boys’ lacrosse team crashed the party, rallying late to top the Bears 13-11 and to spoil M-A’s undefeated league record. This would be the first time in two years that the Vikings would beat the Bears, who won the league title this year.
Girls’ lax exacts revenge in epic comeback The Lady Vikes avenged their season-ending loss to Saint Francis in last year’s SCVAL semifinals when they overcame a four-goal deficit to clip the Lancers 13-12 in dramatic fashion on March 21. Paly then proceeded to defeat St. Fancis again April 18 8-6, but the Viking’s failed to win their most important meeting with the Lancers May 10 in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic Valley (SCVAL) tournament championship.
Foug’s walk-off lifts Paly over Maria Carrillo
8 Baseball tags Toga for five bombs 7
In the seventh inning of 1-1 game against Maria Carrillo on March 2, with runners on second and third, James Foug (‘13) slapped a two-out, two-strike curveball into shallow left field to cap a late comeback victory for Paly. The Vikes, who had lost three of their first four games, desperately needed the victory to get going. Sure enough, after the victory over Maria Carrillo, Paly went on to win 10 of its next 11 contests.
This moment is in the same spot as it was last year and there was no change except for the venue. Isaac Feldstein (‘13) (twice), Sean Harvey (‘13), Austin Kron (‘14) and Foug (who had never homered in his entire baseball career) all went yard for the Vikings, who drubbed the Falcons 11-3 on March 15.
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64-yard TD pass completes comeback
6 Girls’ basketball’s historic comeback 5 Golf ends decade-long drought 4
...well, sort of: The Paly football team found itself down 14 points with four minutes remaining in a low-scoring bout with Archbishop Mitty High School on Sept. 21. Suddenly, a Matt Tolbert (‘13) score cut the deficit to seven, and in the waning seconds, Keller Chryst (‘14) connected on a 64-yard bomb with Malcolm Davis (‘14) to pull the Vikes within a point of overtime. However, a failed extra point attempt resulted in a heartbreaking loss for Paly.
Two days after its nail biting victory over Wilcox (see no. 6), the Paly girls’ basketball team, down 10 points to Los Gatos with 1:30 remaining, stormed back to force overtime on an Atwater three-pointer at the buzzer. Despite having various key players foul out in regulation, the Lady Vikes still managed to prevail 37-36.
On April 29, the Paly golf team captured its first SCVAL league tournament victory since 2004. Sophomore Michelle Xie (75) and senior captain Grant Raffel (71) (right) led the way for the Vikes, who defeated second place Saratoga by 15 strokes.
3 Atwater is ice water 2
Boys’ basketball wins 21 straight
Despite losing standout center E.J. Floreal (‘13), Aubrey Dawkins (‘13) and company didn’t lose for 77 days until falling to Riordan High School 58-47 in the first round of CCS Feb. 22. During the streak the Vikes went a perfect 12-0 in league play.
1
Maddy Atwater (‘16) point guard sunk two free-throws after time expired to cap a late comeback and shock the Wilcox Chargers 43-42 on Jan. 16. The victory improved the Vikes’ record to 7-8 on the year.
Liang Spitz on record
Swimmer Andrew Liang (‘14) set a new SCVAL meet record with a time of 47.88 in the 100-fly event. In the process, Liang happened to break the league record of 46 years, previously held by swimming legend Mark Spitz. Spitz won seven gold medals in the 1972 Olympic Games, so Liang’s achievement is pretty impressive. So impressive that it is our top moment of the year. MAY 2013
2012-2013
PA ALY
thletic wards
COACH OF THE YEAR
Recognizing the figures that sacrifice themselves for the Vikings, this award goes out to the coach who made a significant contribution to the Palo Alto High School athletics team that he or she is involved in. Coaches are such a vital component in the athletic realm, not only for their teams, but for the Paly community as a whole. It is important to give one Paly coach the proper recognition for his or her hard work; a ‘thank you’ for their dedicatation and focus to better the team and individual players.
TEAMS OF THE YEAR
Paly’s high caliber athletic program holsters some of the most competitive teams in the Bay Area. The Team of the Year Award recognizes one male and female team for exhibiting their hard work, dedication and outstanding performance throughout their season. These two teams are the teams that have competed at the top level and that have had success doing so, bringing impressive results back to Palo Alto.
ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
Granted to one male and one female athlete who stand out as the leading force behind his or her team’s success, the Athletes of the Year Awards are given to the impact players who demonstrate undeniable skill and who shine on their respective teams. The athletes chosen are those who have proved to be the core of their team and are always reliable in the clutch.
UNDERCLASSMEN OF THE YEAR
Given to one male and one female freshman or sophomore, the Underclassmen of the Year, is given to the players who have demonstrated athletic excellence in their sport(s) despite their young age. These athletes exhibit outstanding performances given their short time and lack of experience with Paly athletics and are projected to dominate throughout the years to come.
ALOK SUBBARAO
The Alok Subbarao Award is given to the player whose greatest impact on his or her team is not necessarily printed in the newspaper or visible at the top of every statistics category. The Viking grants this award to the player who carries his or her team with great leadership and acts as the glue that keeps the team working as one cohesive unit. The value of this athlete cannot necessarily be measured by statistics, but rather by the motivation he or she brings to the team.
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COACH OF THE YEAR Jamie Nesbitt photo by Scotty Bara
by SAMMY SOLOMON
CALL ME JAMIE Nesbitt coaches the Lady Vikes during the SCVAL Championship game vs. St. Francis. The Lady Vikes fell short to the Lancers 16-15 in overtime.
J
ust two years after the first varsity girls’ lacrosse team was fielded at Paly, the Lady Vikes triumphed over St. Francis to win the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) Championship, under the guidance of Jamie Nesbitt. Following that impressive season, Nesbitt was promoted from assistant coach to head coach. Nesbitt attended Stanford University, where she played Division I lacrosse, before attending graduate school. Lacrosse has always been a dominant part of her life and after graduating Stanford in 2009, she was able to see the coaching side of the sport. “It’s evident that she loves the sport and that she’s [a coach] because she loves it so much,” varsity goalie Emma Beckstrom (‘13) said. Her love and passion for the sport is evident in her motivational coaching style. “She maintains intensity but at the same time she wants to have fun and she wants us to, so she drives us to play not for the win but to have fun and through the fun we win,” Beckstrom said. Under the guidance of Nesbitt, the girls’ la-
crosse team has earned a winning record for the past three years, one of which ended in a SCVAL championship win. The Viking is awarding Nesbitt the Coach of the Year award for her dedication to the lacrosse program, her unrelenting support for her players and her ability to inspire. “She’s inspired our team to push themselves beyond their limits,” defender Olivia Cornfield (‘13) said. Nesbitt’s unwavering faith in her team and goal-oriented leadership has driven the girls to strive for success. “She doesn’t settle for okay or alright, she wants us to continue working and learning and achieving greatness,” Cornfield said. In addition to her guidance on the field, Nesbitt provides support and friendship to the girls outside of lacrosse. “She maintains a perfect balance between coaching and being a friend,” midfielder Allie Peery (‘15) said. Nesbitt chaperoned Paly Prom this year and attends other events outside of practice such as team pasta feeds. An integral part of Nebsitt’s coaching method is her emphasis on team
building. During practice Nesbitt runs exercises such as the ‘buddy run,’ which involves running sprints while holding a teammate’s hand. The bonds between the girls that have been fostered through lacrosse translate to success on the field. This year, under Nesbitt’s leadership, the Lady Vikes have earned an impressive 13-0 league record, highlighted by a 13-12 win over rival St. Francis. However, the season ended with a heartbreaking loss when St. Francis took the SCVAL championship with an overtime win. “Although the ending was not what [Jamie] wanted it to be, she was proud of how everyone left their heart on the field and played it out until the end,” attacker Lauren Maltz (‘13) said. It is Nesbitt’s positive outlook that keeps the girls going and moving forward. “When she guides you, you can do anything,” Cornfield said. Although the girls’ lacrosse team will be losing 13 seniors, there is hope for the future, because with Nesbitt’s guidance, anything is possible. <<<
MAY 2013
TE A M O F TH E YEAR the TEAM Head Coach
Kurt Devlin 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 25
Erin Chang (‘13)* Olivia Musil (‘15) Jess Branson (‘14) Pricilla Bell (‘15) Isabelle Kelsey (‘14) Aida Goma Petit (‘15) Nina Kelty (‘13)* Aoi Sugihara (‘15) Coutney Hull (‘15) Sunny Lyu (‘14) Lena Chang (‘15) Catherine AngellAtchison (‘13) Katie Foug (‘14) Katherine Maniscalco (‘13) Anna Dukovic (‘15) Alys Olmstead (‘16) Jacey Pederson (‘16) Megan Tall (‘14) Pauline Na (‘14) Heidi Moeser (‘16) Julia Kwasnick (‘14) Alyssa Maharaj (‘14) Paige Bara (‘15) *Team Captains
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Girls’ Soccer by HILDA HUANG
I
t was never too good to be true. From the deepest pits Palo Alto girls’ soccer drove through its 2012-2013 season with a dramatic comeback, going undefeated for its last twelve games, capturing the El Camino Division Santa Clara Valley Athletic League championship title, dominating its first Central Coast Section game against San Benito and achieving its season goal of advancing into the De Anza Division. In a heartbreaking administrative error, they would lose months of hard work and commitment to a CCS violation, ending their 14-4-2 season 10-8-2. The Viking awards the girls’ soccer team the female team of the year for its resilience, growth and maturity on the field. “Our team was very special this year because we really wanted it,” Sunny Lyu (’14) said. “We all really worked hard [to get back into the De Anza Division]; everyone took their part on a young team and that brought us together.” Facing challenges such as young players and rocky previous seasons, the team discovered its success bonding over tough preseason practices and putting more faith in its head coach, Kurt Devlin, who started as head coach in 2011. However, this season didn’t start out smoothly. Devlin and the team suffered frustrating losses in its own opening tournament, the Winter Classic, on their home turf. They didn’t even make it as far in the tournament as they did last year. “We had a really rocky tournament,” co-captain Erin Chang (‘13) said. “We didn’t make it very far in our own tournament so it was discouraging, but once the season started we started gaining momentum and went on [a
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12] game winning streak remaining undefeated for the season.” It took only a few games lost and tied to spur a turning point in the season. The pressure of another impending loss to end the preseason just wasn’t going to rest well. “Before the league games started we played Menlo - we were down 2-0 and then we came back and tied it up,” Megan Tall (’14) said. “That was when our playing came together and we found our rhythm and from then on we were just dominating.” Dominating it was: at one point in their season, the girls were winning games 6-0 and 8-2, scoring more goals in one game than the previous paly teams did in the past two seasons combined. This momentum and victorious enthusiasm encouraged the flourishing team to drive on until the end, becoming the only team from the El Camino Division to qualify for the CCS tournament and smashing San Benito 5-0 in the first round. Some players attribute some of the team’s success to its time in the lower El Camino Division, as the fear of a dismal season record motivated the team to work and play hard, and easier opponents allowed the team to see its hard work mature to fruition. The coach understood the team’s need to work hard, and the team in turn respected Devlin’s efforts. “He just drilled the same ideas over and over and we thought it was really redundant, but then it stuck in and we really appreciated it,” Tall said. “He kept on telling us that we could succeed if we listened to him, and so we listened, and we succeeded.” A very young yet talented team with many elite and club players also contributed to the
photo by Scotty Bara
ALL AS ONE Though the girls’ soccer team had to forfeit a 14-4-2 record to a Central Coast section regulation violation, it emerged stronger, wiser and loaded with potential, ready to compete again in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League. photo by Scotty Bara team’s openness and willingness to learn, and the increased harmony and cooperation between teammates and coach played a large role in unifying club and high school players. “For soccer you have club and high school soccer, and the change in technique is very different - club is a little more technical, and the level is much higher in club - but high school is more of a game, and the club players do a great job of adjusting quickly,” Chang said. “We had a lot elite players this year so to be able to pull it together and play as a team together the way we did gave us an advantage that other teams didn’t have.” Pulling together many elite athletes set the stage for the team’s success this season. In sharing their team experiences and friendships over bus rides and sleepovers the athletes grew to be sisters, and discovered the benefits of their closeness on the field. “Because we did a lot of team bonding and we had a lot of optional and weekend practices where we’d go on runs, that really helped us come together as a team and the same ap-
plied on the field,” Jacey Pederson (‘16) said. “It helped create relationships between the players, so that as a freshman I had relationships with the seniors.” This network of support became increasingly valuable moving towards the end of the season, as they celebrated hallmark achievements together, proving the efficacy of Palo Alto girls’ soccer. Younger players started scoring alongside the senior players, and the level of play steadily increased. It was, in the words of Tall, a rebirth of the Palo Alto soccer program: It was the turnaround season. And just when it all seemed too good to be true, it became too good to be true. CCS regulations whisked away the girls’ last four victories, cutting their soaring season short. But in the team’s eyes, their journey and growth didn’t culminate in a regulatory error that cost them a fall from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. It was instead their resilience, their determination and their support that dug each other out of a litigator’s mess and proved to be the most valuable. If anything, the
team only became closer, stronger and wiser. “After we found out [that our season was over] we were all really upset but one of our freshmen, Heidi Moeser, had this great idea that we would see the boys’ team in their first CCS game so we drove all the way down to Milpitas and made signs and cheered them on even though they lost,” Chang said. “I felt like we were all sisters just having to deal with all of the stuff we [dealt with].” The sense of friendship and camaraderie was not lost on the field, and the unified battle against struggle has uncovered a new family, a new family of Palo Alto soccer. Perhaps it really was too good to be true, for these experiences have matured them, and helped them grow. The commitment and understanding grown out of the team’s focus have changed a patchwork, hesitant squad into a kind, optimistic and motivated team. “Our success started something new for the soccer program,” Pederson said. “We’re just beginning now and it’s set the standards for years to come. This is what we need.”<<<
MAY 2013
T E A M O F T H E YEAR the TEAM B oys’ Ba ske tb al l Head Coach Adam Sax
Noah Phillips (‘14) Keller Chryst (‘14) Scotty Peery (‘13) Kenny Jones (‘13) Aldis Petriceks (‘13)* C.J. Patterson (‘14) Mathias Schmutz (‘13)* Eilon Tzur (‘13) Kevin Mullin (‘15) Clark Schmutz (‘14) Matt Fogarty (‘14) Aubrey Dawkins (‘13)
A
fter graduating four starting seniors and losing star player E.J. Floreal (Laurence Dunbar ‘13) from the 20112012 season, the Paly boys’ basketball team came into 2013 with big positions to fill. Floreal averaged 11.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, and, with the seniors, led the team to the Central Coast Section (CCS) semi-finals where the vikings fell to St. Francis in overtime. Last winter, Palo Alto High School’s male Varsity basketball team was forced to create a new starting lineup hoping to go far in the 2012-2013 season. Starting on a blank slate with no returning starters, the team had to pull it together while mapping out their new lineup and new plays,
photo by Grant Shorin
*Team Captains
by PAUL BIENAIMÉ
JUKED Aubrey Dawkins (‘13) cruises past a Mountain View Spartan. The Vikings breezed past the Spartans 41-30 on Jan. 25. 36 | T H E V I K I N G |
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preparing for certain games and tournaments and, most importantly, figuring out how to create the strongest team with the potential found in all new players. This year’s team put the loss of a star lineup and forward behind it and collaborated its talent as a whole rather than being successful through one key player. Combining skill sets found in each player to create an ultimate team, the Vikings were able to finish their season with a 23-4 overall and a 12-0 league record. In 2011, Scotty Peery (‘13) and Eilon Tzur (‘13) decided to play on their National Junior Basketball team rather than getting minimal playing time with the Vikings. The two came back for their senior season in 2012 and were crucial to the team’s success.
photo by Grant Shorin
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LORD P Aldis Petriceks (‘13) sprints past a Spartan guard to drive for a layup. Petriceks will be playing basketball next year for the Kenyon College Lords.
photo by Grant Shorin
FANTASTIC FIVE Mathias Schmutz (‘13), Eilon Tzur (‘13), Aubrey Dawkins (‘13), Keller Chryst (‘14) and Aldis Petriceks (‘13) stand in the paint for a team picture after ending their season in the CCS semi-finals. “Scotty has been probably our best 3 point shooter percentage wise,” head coach Adam Sax said. “He’s also [did] other things like getting loose balls and [was] a very good shooter and we want him to continue to shoot the 3 point shot.” Along with the two seniors, Varsity quarterback Keller Chryst (‘14) decided play again this season, after his injury enabled him to play his sophomore year. Although this brought attention to others regarding the effect on his football career, worrying about the future was the least of his concern. “I’m not really too worried about looking too far ahead in my future and career,” Chryst said. “I just wanna have fun and enjoy what I have right now and you can’t live life just thinking your gonna get hurt doing everything you do.” Despite the loss of a strong starting lineup and key forward E.J., the boys’ Varsity basketball team has been given the 2013 Male Team of the Year award for their perfect league season and 21 game winning streak led by their new rooster and starters. Returning point guard Aldis Petriceks (‘13) played Paly basketball all four years and has
experienced being on the team with and without E.J. The newer team quickly found their strength which led them to success. “The chemistry of this team is a lot better this year,” Petriceks said during the season. “I think guys are much more relaxed and I think the offense flows much better. We’re playing better basketball thats for sure.” With the dozen of points E.J. put on the
it. We’re definitely more guard oriented, as opposed to having a big guy scoring” The seniors on the team fused a bond through already built friendships, leading to a stronger team with a different dynamic than found in previous years. “On this year’s team we’re all friends,” Petriceks said. “We all enjoy being with each other and the locker room vibe is especially relaxed. No one is tense, we’re laughing, and we’re having a good time.” The boys’ basketball team finished this year’s season with a different game plan and motives than last year’s graduated lineup and E.J did. Unexpectedly, the team’s chemistry and sense of family led them further than expected in their season. Granting the team the Male Team of the Year Award is nothing short of the recognition that they deserve. Scotty Peery and his team didn’t play only to win, but to work as a family and see what happens on the court. “We aren’t playing for our coach, we aren’t playing for us,” Peery said. “We are just playing out there to have fun and I think that’s doing wonders for our team chemistry and our game.”<<<
“We are just playing out there to have fun.”
- Aldis Petriceks (‘13) board per game and the seven rebounds or so he fought for, the 2011-2012 basketball team had confidence in the 6’4” forward, and when in doubt, gave him the ball for a better chance at putting points on the board. “Last year with EJ, we were more inside game, trying to get [the ball] to him,” Sax said. “This year we’re more of a perimeter team. If our 3 point shooting is not going, we can drive
MAY 2013
UNDERCLASSMEN Jacey by MICHAEL STRONG
Pederso n (‘16)
A closer look at Jacey Pederson, a starting freshman forward and defender on the Paly girls’ versity soccer team. Pederson is an all league performer in just her first season at Paly.
J
scey Pederson (’16) walked onto the Palo Alto High School campus less than one year ago. However, if you are a soccer fan, or are simply a person who appreciates talent, then you most likely already know of her. With the school year coming to a close, the Viking Magazine has awarded Underclassmen Female Athlete of the year to Jacey. She wins this award for her play on the soccer field. This season, Jacey was awarded first team all De Anza league honors. Jacey has been playing soccer since first grade. From day one she found an extreme passion for the game. “My favorite thing about soccer is how you can step on the field and forget about everything,” Pederson said. “You can just express yourself completely.” Being a high school student is not easy and Pederson is definitely grateful that she has soccer to help her “get away” from the many stresses Paly and most high schools have. Although soccer is Jacey’s outlet for fun, her schedule is far from relaxed. Besides playing for the Paly girls varsity soccer squad, Jacey also plays for a year-round travel soccer club called PSV Union FC. “I practice Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and usually have a game on Saturday and/or Sunday,” Pederson said. Practicing nearly ever day of the week simply isn’t enough for Jacey. On top of her excessive practicing, Jacey works on her own time to get even better. “I usually train by myself 2-3 times per week working on more individual skills,” Pederson said. Teammate Sunny Lyu (‘14) plays on Paly and for PSV Union FC with Jacey and is extremely impressed with Jacey’s work ethic. “In my opinion, despite her incredible ath-
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leticism, her differentiating qualities are her work-ethic and determination,” Lyu said. All of Jacey’s extra work and intense practicing doesn’t go unnoticed. She was named a member of the Under-14 and Under-15 United States Women’s National Soccer Team. She is also currently in a pool of players that compete for the Under-17 women’s national team. Jacey loves the game immensely. She does not want to stop playing after high school. In fact, for quite some time, Jacey has had her hopes set on playing college soccer. “I have known I wanted to play soccer in college probably since sixth grade” Pederson said. Although Jacey is still just a freshman, she has already gotten some interest from impressive schools such as the University of North Carolina, Duke University, UCLA, and USC. Lyu (‘14) definitely thinks that Jacey is athletic enough to play at the next level and says the two work all the time to push one another and get as good as they possibly can be. Paly is more than excited to have such a gifted young athlete be a part of its soccer program. Jacey is equally happy with being a member of the team. “Paly soccer was fun, frustrating at times but fun,” Pederson (’15) said. “The training environment was a lot less intense/demanding then at club, but it was good getting to represent my school and play with people from my school. My favorite moment was our first CCS game at home when we won 5-0 and there were a ton of people there and it was just awesome.” Foug, just like Pederson, is excited about upcoming seasons with this young, talented soccer team. “We were quite a young team this year and without the disqualification I think we could
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y ob ot ph
ty ot Sc
ra Ba
have made it far,” Foug said. “With the similar team next year I feel we will be able to do even better because we are all already familiar with each other.” Jacey is not the only member of her family to be excelling at a high level in their respective sport. Her oldest brother Tyger Pederson is currently a senior at the University of Pacific and plays second base for the team. Joc, the second of Jacey’s three older brothers, is currently playing professional baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Joc was drafted in the eleventh round of the 2010 MLB draft and was awarded Dodgers minor league player of the year last season. Needless to say, Jacey comes from a long line of gifted Pederson athletes. Despite being apart of an extremely competitive family, Pederson does not feel any pressure to be any greater than her best effort. “I’d say that my family definitely isn’t the pushy type,” Pederson said. “They’re going to support me but not force it upon me. Ultimately, they let me make decisions regarding soccer and sports.” Pederson is this year’s Viking Sports Magazine Girl Underclassmen Athlete of the year. The award is voted off of pure athletic ability as well as a good work ethic. Foug (‘15) and Lyu (‘14) both agree that Jacey possesses both of these important traits and is going to be a very exciting athlete to watch over the years to come.<<<
ATHLETES by CHARLOTTE BIFFAR
YEAR Quintin
OF THE
Va le nt i (‘16)
A
awre y Tara L photo b
nce
A look at how goalie Quintin Valenti backed the varsity lacrosse team as just a freshman.
s the Palo Alto boys’ lacrosse players prepare to face-off, the team relies heavily on the speed, strength, and skill of its upperclassmen. However, as the ball passes the Vikings’ defenders, suddenly the only person between the vicious shot of the opponent and the soft white mesh of the cage is not someone with four years of varsity experience. As the attacker releases the ball towards the net, freshman goalie Quintin Valenti (‘16), springs forward to make an impressive block. In the four seasons the Paly boys’ lacrosse team has been in existence, three brothers from the Valenti family, Cory (‘11), Tyler (‘13) and Quintin (‘16) have thrown on a green and white jersey to represent the Vikings. This year, Quintin joined starting defender and senior brother Tyler, and both brothers cherish the opportunity to play together. “I love getting to play with him,” T. Valenti said. “It’s amazing that my last year at Paly I get to play defense with my little brother having my back as our goalie.” Q. Valenti attributes his growth as a player to the guidance of his older brother. T. Valenti
in turn also feels he benefits from playing with someone to whom he has such a close connection. “It’s great to have him out there because we obviously know each other so well and can communicate well and criticize each other to make each other better,” T. Valenti said. Despite the fearlessness Q. Valenti demonstrates when guarding the cage, when first moved up to varsity, Valenti felt anxious about playing at a higher level. “I was pretty nervous because of the faster speed of play,” Q. Valenti said. “I knew that there were a lot of big seniors, especially on our team, that have really fast shots.” However, according to head coach Craig Conover, Q. Valenti has begun to grow out of his “Freshman-Varsity nerves” from earlier in the season and has proven a reliable asset to the team. In the Vikings’ recent victory over top rival Menlo-Atherton in the team’s final regular season game, Conover recalls how playing Q. Valenti in the second half presented a new challenge for the Bears to grapple with. “Q came up with some remarkable clutch saves that really emboldened our defense to play even harder,” Conover wrote in an email to The Viking. The young goalie’s ability to back the skill and experience of a top team has earned him immense respect from his teammates. “I think everybody’s impressed seeing how he can take [on] such an important role on a competitive varsity team as a freshman and we all realize that he’s an essential element to our success this season,” T. Valenti said. Q. Valenti feels he has progressed due to the individual attention he receives from the coaches as a goalie. “Before this year I never really had a coach focus on me and bettering my skills as a goal-
ie,” Q. Valenti said. His achievements are directly related to his ability to deal with the immense pressure he faces. “He has several games under him now and he’s looking more confident and making better decisions under pressure,” Conover wrote. Q. Valenti has learned to cope with highstress situations through the support of his teammates. “I just take deep breaths and shake it off because I know my team has my back and they’re not ever going to get down on me,” Q. Valenti. said. Looking towards the future of Q. Valenti’s lacrosse career at Paly, Conover feels that Q. Valenti’s performance will be key to success of the program as a whole. “If we can just keep him healthy for the remainder of his time at Paly, we’ll all be able to walk onto the field with confidence that our goal will be well-guarded by a seasoned player in the position,” Conover wrote. “It really takes a lot of stress off the team to know that.” <<<
Honorable Mentions MALE:
Nate Cook (‘15) Eli Givens (‘16)
FEMALE:
Maddy Atwater(‘16) Mimi Lim (‘16) MAY 2013
by TARA LAWRENCE
MEGAN TAL L
ATH LE TE
OF THE
YE A R
UPPERCLASSMAN
“I was that kid that played every sport,”
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Megan Tall (‘14) said, speaking of her childhood, “I played softball and basketball but... I’m more talented with my feet.” “Talented with her feet” is one way to put it. Tall has played varsity soccer and run track since sophomore year– two big feats for what was an underclassman swimming in a pond of upperclassman big fish. In 2012, she set the league record for the JV 200 meter dash. Now a rising senior, Tall has made a name for herself both on the soccer field and track. For these accomplishments Tall is a worthy recipient of the Upperclassman Athlete of the Year award. This past soccer season, Tall recorded 24 points in goals and assists to her teammates, including the game-winning goal over Gunn when she dribbled around Gunn goalie and fellow Stanford Soccer Club teammate Adriana Noronha (`14) for a 1-0 Paly triumph. Averaging .9 goals per game, Tall proved herself a valuable asset to the team as a midfielder and part time forward. Through most of the season, Tall played right outside forward or midfielder in front of teammate and peer Julia Kwasnick (`14). Kwasnick further emphasized Tall’s value to the team. “She was always a really consistent and positive player to work with. She improved a lot over the season and actually became one of our top goal scorers,” Kwasnick said. Looking back, Tall finds herself thinking more of the experiences with her teammates than of the number of goals she was able to rack up. “Soccer season this year was by far my favorite for high school season because our team was really close,” Tall said. “We were a really good group of girls…We really committed to soccer this year, went photo by photo by Scotty Bara really far and kind of proved people wrong Megan Tall (‘14) moves in front of the goal as she moves because people weren’t
PULL A MOVE to shoot. Tall is a two sport varstiy athlete for the Lady Vikes. w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m
expecting us to be very good…we kind of gained a little respect back for soccer as a sport at Paly.” Ending their 2011-2012 season with a 2-8-2 league record, the girls’ soccer team was forced to drop down to the SVAL El Camino league. Then, suffering a hard and abrupt end to their season this past January, the girls’ had to forfeit multiple games and a CCS tournament game due to player ineligibility. “We were a really close soccer team so it just helped that we were behind each other for everything so we tried to improve as a team and we were always supportive of each other so it helped a lot, and made it better,” Tall said. Looking even farther back, Tall attributes her active upbringing to her family and friends. “My family is really athletic, they’ve always encouraged me to do sports and they tell me that I can do whatever sport I want. They’ve been really supportive that way. Also most of my friends are athletic so I’m just around it a
photo by Scotty Bara
photo courtesy of Mary Tall PASS IT ON Megan Tall (‘14) passes the baton in the 400 meter relay in the De Anza League meet.
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN Tall passes a Saratoga midfielder and begins to run down the field with speed.
lot,” Tall said, “I think its always good to play a sport at least sometime in your life because… you’ll get in shape and you make friends for the rest of your life so thats always a good thing.” Growing as a player, Tall began to focus her attention on soccer, playing on club teams and traveling to tournaments. Coming into high school, another sport caught her eye.
es and the 400 and the 1600 meter relays. Track coach Jason Fung agrees with Megan’s talent and contributions to the team. “She’s a very important piece of our team,” Fung said. ”She’s taken track a little more seriously this year and has kind of reaped the benefits from all the success she’s been having.” Fung said. “She does a lot outside of school but she’s always at practice, she always does her part to keep everything going.” As Tall transitions into her final season, she looks forward to playing soccer and running. “Individually I just want to get more personal records and go to CCS next year [for track],” she said, “And I really want to show the league that we can beat the other [soccer] teams and go far next year.” And throughout all of this, Tall keeps a simple phrase in her head: “If you’re not giving it 100 percent you probably shouldn’t be doing it.” <<<
“If you’re not giving it 100 percent, you probably shouldn’t be doing it.” -Megan Tall (‘14) “I didn’t start track until high school but it was through soccer that I found out I was speedy and then it led me to track,” Tall said. “[It] has been really fun. I just have to try and improve myself each time, and it’s just a fun team sport as well even though it doesn’t really seem like [a team sport].” Tall runs the 100 meter and 200 meter dash-
Honorable Mentions Aashli Budhiraja (`14) Shelby Knowles (`13) Tennis Volleyball MAY 2013
UPPER CLASSMA N ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
by COLIN PATTERSON
KE LLE R C H RY ST 42 | T H E V I K I N G |
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After moving
from
Weddington, North Carolina and immediately being expected to fill the big shoes left behind by the 2010 State Championship football team in the 20112012 season, Keller Chryst (‘14) continued to perform exceptionally this year. Different from his first year of sports at Paly, Chryst also took to the basketball court. Chryst provided size that the team needed and had lost in past Viking E.J. Floreal (‘13). Already the school’s star quarterback, Chryst showed his dedication to the athletic program with his natural athletic abilities and for that, has been nominated as 2013 Male Upperclassman Athlete of the Year. After a successful sophomore season on the football team, Chryst knew how the practices and the season would work. “I felt that with it being my second year I knew the guys a lot better,” Chryst said. “We were able to play well as a team while each of us played a specific and important role in the overall team’s success.” Football teammate Matt Tolbert (‘13), who also moved to Paly for his junior year, agrees that Chryst has grown over the two years and has gotten to know the team better and how it functions. “He has gotten more mature, can control the huddle better and can relate with all the brothers in the huddle more,” Tolbert said. Although the football team was more successful in the Central Coast Section (CCS) playoffs during Chryst’s first season, his personal statistics improved greatly his junior year. His total passing yards increased by 324 yards, passing yards per game by 59.8 yards and pass percentage from 50.22 to 50.56 percent in the 11 games the squad played this year. In a two game shorter season Chryst managed to enhance his abilities and skills to perform at a higher level. To l b e r t recognizes and appreciates the advanced
POSTING UP Keller receives a pass down low, ready to go up
for an easy bucket. Chryst averaged 6.9 points per game this season. level of play exhibited by Chryst. “Keller makes playing easier because he can make defenses focus on him instead of you and he has great touch on the ball,” Tolbert said. “I think he can improve by getting more mobile. Other than that he’s amazing.” Among some of the local and regional awards and recognitions Chryst has received over the season, such as first team AllMercury News, he is also one of 400 football players nominated nationally to the U.S. Army All American Bowl for his senior year. After suffering a foot injury from football his sophomore year, Chryst was not able to play basketball that year,something he had not done since his freshman year in North Carolina. Yet determined to play and show his multi-sport athleticism, Chryst tried out nonetheless this year. Head basketball coach Adam Sax had been
GUN SLINGER Keller passes to an open Malcolm Davis (‘14) down field in a home game against Archbishop Mitty on Sept. 21.
hoping for a player of Chryst’s size to fill in the empty position left under the basket. “Keller was a great addition to the team this year,” Sax said. “We really needed a big and strong inside player to supplement the other
his amazing arm to throw a beautiful length of the court pass to a streaking guard for an Aubrey dunk or Aldis lay up,” Sax said. “He always had a nice jump shot but we needed him to score with his back to the basket. Keller worked diligently to develop a jump hook and improved everyday with his skill set.” Not only does Chryst show the characteristics of an experienced athlete; he is easy to work with and teach. “Besides his basketball skills, Keller was a joy to coach,” Sax said. “He was very intuitive and wanted to learn the minutia of the game. He will be one of the best players in the DeAnza league his senior season.” Chryst’s everyday dedication to the teams and sports has allowed him to get to this elite two sport athleticism that warrants him Male Athlete of the Year. <<<
“Keller makes playing easier because he can make defenses focus on him instead of you and he has great touch on the ball.” -Matt Tolbert (‘13) guards.” After the gap year his injury forced upon him, Chryst came ready to play with his natural and well acquired skills from football and kept working to improve those that were lacking. “Keller was able to grab a rebound and used
Honorable Mentions Andrew Liang (`14) Swim
Erik Anderson (`13) Football, wrestling MAY 2013
ALOK SUBBARAO Sean Harvey
photo by Scotty Bara
by AUSTIN POORE
BULLSEYE Sean Harvey (‘13) drifts off third base while keeping an eye on a pop fly in a playoff game against Watsonville. The Vikings prevailed 12-4 to advance to a second round matchup against Bellarmine.
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t’s a warm Tuesday evening on the baseball field at Palo Alto High School, and Sean Harvey is trying to organize a team dinner. The baseball team has just lost its first playoff game, a 4-3 loss to Saratoga, and Harvey is hoping a team event will get his squad back on track. 0“It’s a way for the team, outside of baseball, to connect and form some chemistry and really get a sense of who the guys are off the field, on a personal level rather than just like a baseball level,” Harvey said. “It’s good to get one in before an important game just to make sure everyone is on point with each other.” Harvey brings up the possibility of a trip to Armadillo Willy’s after Wednesday’s practice, which is met with a seemingly positive reaction. Someone grumbles that the dinner can
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be organized tomorrow, but Harvey quickly asserts that attendance will be higher if everyone can plan in advance. He asks who will be available on Wednesday, and then warns that everyone with a hand in the air needs to be at team dinner the following night. Harvey, one of four captains of the baseball team, has been selected as this year’s recipient of The Viking’s Alok Subbarao award. Each year, members of The Viking staff choose one Paly athlete for the award; nominees must demonstrate the same attitude, character, spirit and commitment shown by Subbarao, a former Paly track and cross-country runner who, among other accomplishments, ran four events for a total of nearly four miles and set three personal records in the final track meet of his career.
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Athletes chosen for this award do not necessarily have to be superstars on their respective teams, though more often than not they are solid contributors on the field. What distinguishes these athletes from their peers is that their contributions are not entirely quantifiable, and the impacts they have on their teams run far beyond their play. Take Harvey, the starting left fielder for the Vikings. He is no slouch with the bat, hitting .327 with 10 RBIs and nine runs scored. Yet despite his important offensive contributions, perhaps his greatest impact comes as a result of his exemplary leadership. Every day, before both practices and games, Harvey leads the team’s stretching. He also works to keep the dugout energized during games and often leads the cheer after practices and games.
“He’s a team guy,” teammate and fellow captain Michael Strong (‘13) said. “He’s always looking out for the team, doing what’s best for the team, whether it’s selling out or giving the team a pump-up speech before the game.” Harvey attacks each practice with an intensity many players reserve for games, and expects others to do the same. “I’m just pretty competitive,” Harvey said. “It’s important for me to try my best and play well every day. I guess I play the game pretty hard, even though I’m definitely not the best player, like I definitely have some flaws, especially on defense. I just feel like going 100 percent in practice is kind of just how I think and I just expect that everyone else does the same.” Harvey strives to better himself and his teammates by working hard at all times, which has proven to be a contagious attitude. He will never be seen running the bases at any pace less than a full sprint to give the infielders a realistic look at practice, and sometimes arrives before practice to catch fly balls and work on his own defense, which he, perhaps unfairly, currently perceives as a weakness. In the offseason, in addition to playing on a local American Legion baseball team, Harvey was a fixture in the weight room, batting cage and outfield to work on every aspect of his game, often with Strong in tow. “Me and Michael used to hit over the summer, probably multiple times a week, like three or four times a week just working on our swings,” Harvey said. “Also going through the motions of defensive stuff, like we’d do ground ball work and all that kind of stuff.”
This offseason work helped Harvey earn the starting spot in left field at the start of the season and become a steady contributor with some much-needed pop for the Vikings. Four of Harvey’s hits this year have gone for extra bases, including an opposite-field home run against Saratoga, which prompted teammates to compare him to another well-known left fielder, all-time home run leader Barry Bonds. Of course, it helps that Harvey wears number 25; chants of “Let’s go Barry” can be heard from the dugout during most of his at bats.
“He keeps the dugout going during the game and he really does have some very strong leadership qualities to him,” Goldman said. “He’s the most vocal of the senior class.” Beyond his motivation and leadership in the dugout, Harvey’s presence on the field also has positive effects on other players. James Foug, the starting center fielder for the Vikings, gets to interact with Harvey each day in the outfield in practice and in games and enjoys Harvey’s wisecracks and other humorous comments. “He keeps it loose out there, and when we play loose we play better, so he’s great to have in the outfield,” Foug said. Harvey will attend Santa Barbara City College in the fall, where he hopes to continue his baseball career. “Hopefully I don’t have to redshirt,” Harvey said. “Hopefully I can just go out and make the team straight up and be able to play right off the bat, and I’d like to be able to get some playing time if I’m not starting.” Regardless of whether he ends up starting or not, one thing is for sure. With his passion and vocal leadership, Harvey will find a way to make the Vaqueros better. Goldman summarizes Harvey’s crucial role on his team concisely. “He’s the personality of the team,” Goldman said. Next year, Harvey will be the personality of the Vaqueros, too. For now, however, “Barry” is focused on the upcoming CCS playoffs as a member of the Vikings. “My goal for the season from the start was getting to play at [San Jose] Muni, so at least CCS semifinals,” Harvey said. “Icing on the cake would be winning it all.” <<<
“It’s important for me to try my best and play well every day.”
-Sean Harvey (‘13)
photo by Scotty Bara
photo by Tara Lawrence
Nothing gets the rest of the team going like a big hit from “Barry” Harvey. Yet even when Harvey gets a day off and does not start, he finds a way to impact the game by firing up the other players in the dugout and making sure everybody stays engaged in the game. “I feel like a vocal leader is important to show younger kids how, in Palo Alto baseball, you want your players to act as they get older and get to the varsity level,” Harvey said. Assistant coach Dave Goldman agrees that Harvey’s dugout presence is crucial for the team’s performance. A relatively quiet group of seniors makes up the bulk of the returning players this year, so Harvey has stepped up to help provide some of the vocal leadership that’s been missing.
BIG SECONDARY Sean Harvey (‘13) takes a lead off second base in a playoff game against Watsonville.
SWING LIKE BARRY Harvey follows through after smacking a base hit. MAY 2013
Columns: The Last Word
Taking it “too far”
J
ason Collins’ recent coming out has sent the NBA into a press frenzy over the past few weeks. It was a groundbreaking moment for major American sports, seeing as Collins is the first openly gay NBA player. Collins, deservingly so, has received an abundance of support for his brave actions. Among those to comment are Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson and President Obama, all of whom heralded Collins’ courage and pride in who he is. In essence, the media has come out in near unanimous support of Collins’ move. However that’s not to say there aren’t a few dissenters. Among the minority is Chris Broussard, a longtime writer for ESPN. Broussard came out in support of “traditional marriage,” as he remarked “personally, I don’t believe that you can live an openly homosexual lifestyle, or like, premarital sex between heterosexuals… [the Bible] says that that’s a sin… I believe that’s walking in open rebellion to God and to Jesus Christ.” As one would expect, Broussard has been berated for his comments. Many have called for him to be fired from ESPN for his brash comments and want his career to be effectively over due to his opinion on this matter. While I make no excuses for Broussard’s bigotry and hard-headedness, I’d like to remind everyone that he is only exercising his first amendment rights. There is no difference between one demanding that an athlete is released due to his sexual orientation and that a writer should be fired due to his viewpoint. Fundamental rights are fun-
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damental rights and no one should ever take them away. Both the right to free speech and the right to free marriage are vital and one should be able to exercise both rights freely, with whom they chose, when they chose and where they chose. Regardless of whether or not one agrees with another’s viewpoint or their sexual orientation, they should make no attempt to restrict or otherwise censor their actions. As Voltaire once said “I dissapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” This couldn’t be more applicable in today’s world. Society’s skin lacks the thickness it once possessed. We combat intolerance with equal amounts of intolerance. When one hears something they don’t agree with or perceive as politically incorrect, we lash back at them, saying those comments shouldn’t be able to be made and requiring that they are punished for speaking their mind. One doesn’t have to agree with or even like one’s expression of their rights, but they at the very least have to respect it and allow it. Now, I may be perhaps biased in my viewpoint, since a proposed Chick-Fil-A location in Mountain View was shot down due to the owner’s support of traditional marriage, making my drive to get Chik-FilA’s irresistible chicken sandwiches much longer than it could have been. But regardless of whether the allure of fried chicken and waffle fries sways me in this debate, I stand as a firm supporter of all rights, ranging
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from marriage and free speech, and that they should be extended to all people’s and they should be able to do so how they chose. <<<
CONTESTED Just as Jason Collins has been praised for his bravery, those who support traditional marriage should be shown respect as well.
“Greg Monroe Jared Sullinger” © 2013 Marissa Gawel, used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license
When we attempt to combat bigotry by fighting intolerance with intolerance. by Jonny Glazier
COMPUTER EXERCISES AND WELL-BEING Computer Exercises and Wellbeing
Stanford University School of Medicine Study Study at Stanford University
The Stanford University Freshmen Study is now open to local high school students 18 years old or older. Would you like to participate in research investigating the benefits of computer exercises for enhancing social and cognitive development? A new study began at Stanford this academic year, and it was offered only to the the incoming freshman class. The students did daily exercises online for one month, and we evaluated their effectiveness for improving important abilities, such as emotion regulation and concentration. We are now opening the study to include a limited number of high school students. If you are 18 years old or older or will be turning 18 within the next month, you may be eligible to join the study. If you would like more information, send an email to psychiatry@stanford.edu or call (650) 7259510 with your name and contact information and mention that you would like enroll in the high school study.
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Anonymous (1) Palo Alto Weekly Palo Alto Medical Foundation Astor Gift and Home Michael Strong and Family SILVER Stutors Anonymous (1) BRONZE Laura Kenney and Bill Sundstrom Portola Kitchen
MAY 2013
PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL 50 EMBARCADERO ROAD PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA 94301
Sports Medicine Specialists Frank Chen, M.D. Colin Eakin, M.D. Sally Harris, M.D., MPH Warren King, M.D. Amol Saxena, DPM Kirsten Conrad, MSN, N.P. Sean Cutright, P.A.-C Melissa Fought, R.N., N.P. Laurel Greenfield, P.A.-C Beth Ogelvie, P.A.-C
Non-profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit #44 Palo Alto, CA
If you are the parent of a young athlete, you may be concerned about the demands of their training, and you worry about the potential for injury or permanent damage. For over forty years, Palo Alto High School has trusted the sports medicine experts at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation – including current team physician Dr. Colin Eakin – to help its student athletes stay in the game. The Palo Alto Medical Foundation’s Sports Medicine Department is nationally recognized for its non-surgical and surgical approaches to adolescent sports injuries. They are committed to helping young athletes prevent future injuries, and they’ll be the first to tell you when there is a better alternative to surgery. Learn more about how your student athlete can stay in the game at pamf.org/sports.
Palo Alto Center Clark Building 795 El Camino Real, Palo Alto 650-853-2943