Viking Magazine Volume XV Issue 5

Letter from the EDITORS

Hey Vikes!

Whew! We made it to the end of the school year and with that, the end of the Paly 2021-22 athletic season. We want to acknowledge all athletes for their impact on the Paly community! The fifth and final issue of Viking also marks the passing of the torch to a new group of editors and leadership team! The past editors certainly paved the way for us and we are excited to recap a jam-packed year of Paly athletics!

Not only did we gain a new football coach for the 2022-23 season, Dave DeGeronimo—profiled below in the staff view—varsity field hockey coach Jennifer Crane has stepped into the role of Athletic Director (check out a profile on her on pages 18-19).

After a test of public opinion and careful discussion by the staff, this issue hon-

ors star Paly athletes and teams so be sure to check out this year’s Viking Athletic Awards on pages 22-33, honoring the most talented Paly Athletes.

Although Paly has many star athletes, their impact on their teams is often not made without the help of their teammates. Check out Best Duos on pages 38-41 featuring some of the most iconic senior athlete pairs!

After three seasons of sports full of many high notes—such as CCS wins by boys swimming, boys cross country, and girls golf (read more in top 7 moments of Paly athletics pages 36-37)— the season of summer sports is upon us. Look to pages 15-17 to hear staff writers review some extreme summer sports but also caution readers on the dangers that come with them.

While honoring athletes and teams

Owen Bittinger

Elizabeth Fetter

across grade levels, we are also ending the year on a more bittersweet note with many of Paly’s star senior athletes moving on to play sports at the collegiate level. The highly anticipated recruitment map on pages 44-46 showcases quotes and college commitments of all athletes playing at the next level.

Amid heated debate in the NBA playoffs, new final word columnist JJ Stoen dives into the complex topic of referees and umpires in different sports and the controversies surrounding the impact they have on the game.

Well that’s about it, Vikes! We’re so amazed by all of your athletic accomplishments over the past year and look forward to seeing what you will do in the future! Thanks for following along with us this year, and we can’t wait to see you back in the Fall!

STAFF OPINION

With the tension and controversy surrounding the departure of Paly’s head football coach (and athletic director), Nelson Gifford, athletes and athletic staff alike were desperate for a seasoned and steady hand that could stabilize the program and lead the Vikings to success this fall. Fortunately for Paly, David DeGeronimo fits the bill.

DeGeronimo, currently a physical education teacher at Greene Middle School, was previously an assistant football coach here at Paly for twelve years, on hand for the significant moments in program history, including the 2007 D1 CCS Championship, as well as the State Championship in 2010. Also known as Double D, DeGeronimo helped coach Paly’s football team through a string of five straight De Anza League Championships wins from 2008-2012. Most recently, DeGeronimo was the head football coach at Los Altos High School, in three seasons compiling a 14-13 overall record, which included an El Camino Championship in

2021 and a playoff win - the first at Los Altos in sixteen years.

Coach DeGeronimo’s familiarity with Paly athletes isn’t limited to his coaching positions. As noted, DeGeronimo teaches PE at the local middle school, Greene. This gives him the unique opportunity of seeing the athletic and physical development of young students and knowing many of Paly’s current athletic superstars across all sports, not just football. In addition, he has helped coach other sports at Paly, including JV basketball in 2020. Overall, DeGeronimo is well-versed not only in Paly’s tradition of a strong football program but also in its history of high athletic achievement and promotion of goodwill across all sports.

After twenty-three years of dedication to bay area sports and physical education, from schools like Sacred Heart and Aragon to Los Altos, DeGeronimo is ready to return to where it all started for him in 1999: the Palo Alto High School football field. And athletes across every

season and discipline --on the field, in the pool, on the turf, or in the gym-- are ready and excited to cheer him on as he brings back the winning legacy of Paly football.

Cameron Toland Jackson Martin

BUMP

SET SPIKE

Julian Hong (center) and the boys volleyball team finished the season second in league, just missing the cut to advance to CCS. “I believe this team can make CCS next year,” Hong (‘25) said. “We have the talent and several returning junior starters.”

Photo by Caleb Wong

DIVING

INTO STATES

Girls Swimming qualified for state chmpaionships in the 200 Medley Relay after being CCS finalists. “It’s been a really great season and we’ve worked super hard,” Audrey Teo (‘22) said. “I’m glad we get the opportunity to compete as a team one last time at states.”

Photo by Grace Gormley

DROPPING TO WIN

Boys Tennis beat the San Benito Haybalers in the first round of CCS, winning 5-2 to advance and eventually lose to Los Altos in the second round. “It was a good match for us as our whole team performed very well against them,” Tyler Koy (‘25) said.

Photo by Caleb Wong

most

Embarrassing moments

Paly Athletes share some of their most embarrassing sports moments with us

Tripping in front of everyone after getting subbed out

Swam the wrong stroke in a meet

Shooting a full court shot with 10 seconds left on accident

I scored an own goal two times in a game and we lost 2-1

By Sophia Cummings

Airball on Senior Night

Getting nutmegged and scored on

Made a layup on the wrong hoop in middle school

never had one

Falling off a huge cliff/hill at a cross country meet while cheering on teammates releasing a discus straight into a metal pole and denting it getting a technical in ccs semifinals my freshman year for raging and bouncing a ball so hard against the floor

airballing a free throw for my first paly game

By SOPHIA CUMMINGS & EMILY NEUMANN

By SOPHIA CUMMINGS & EMILY NEUMANN

by JOSH DONAKER, JAKE FOSTER, and

ummer is the season of extreme sports that only the most daring and capable athletes attempt to conquer. Over time extreme sports such as big wave surfing, mountain biking, and rock climbing have come to revolutionize the modern sporting world, creating a uniquely wild culture gaining popularity year by year.

S S

The article Understanding Extreme Sports: A Psychological Perspective defines extreme sports as “further along a continuum from adventure sports where death is a potential. [...] Instead of a traditional narrative that emphasizes winning, extreme sports accentuate exploration, discovery and a relational perspective linking profound knowledge of self and task and attunement to information in the environment as key to effective performance.”

Although these sports are seen all over the world, they all have common distinctions, making them completely different from traditional sports. Not only are the sports themselves unconventional, the athletes and the audience who enjoy these sports are completely divergent from the typical athlete or sports fan.

Most extreme sports are not played in traditional settings, but instead mainly outdoors on rugged

adrenaline chasing daredevils who are not afraid of a challenge, even if it means at the toll of their own wellbeing.

This is what makes these sports extraordinary, but jointly makes them difficult and dangerous. In extreme sport culture, it is in every athlete’s interest to one up their competitors, taking risk upon risk to out-race, out-style, and outperform their opponents. Dangerous decisions at such a high level of competition compromise the athletes’ health, and the very people competing disregard their safety in order to be the best at what they do.

In the Netherlands, five windsurfers drowned due to stormy weather conditions in May of 2022. The ocean in Scheveningen had a thick layer of foam over the water, causing incredibly dangerous conditions. People were advised to not enter the water, but a group of 10 surfers ignored the warnings, and with little to no regard for their own safety they ventured out on the beaches of Scheveningen.

other surfers, themselves, or windsurfing culture that wound up in five deaths and heartbreak within families and surfing communities, there is no reason for why people should be ignoring clear safety measures in extreme situations.

Along with the present risky culture in extreme sports, pressures to attempt life threatening stunts or tricks come from social media as well. Across youtube and instagram are videos of athletes completing things unimaginable to the average person. This can be both inspiring but also frightening as it can again drive untrained individuals to take part in dangerous actions out of their comfort zone.

“There is definitely pressure from the other bikers, as well as through media platforms. When I see my friends do an impressive trick or line I definitely take unnecessary risks to match them,” Junior Niccolo Defendi-Cho said.

art by ROAN HANEY

The puzzling thing about this incident was that the victims were well trained, very experienced–some even being international lifeguards–who seemed more than adequate in navigating the dangerous conditions. Although events like this are quite rare, they do not fail to stun the world. Instances like these make people question whether or not it is worth taking such high risks, as no source of entertainment can ever outweigh the loss of lives. Whether it was pressure from

Internal forces can be coercive as well. The rush of adrenaline that accompanies extreme sports is unmatched compared to traditional sports around the world. When thrill seekers quite literally push themselves to the edge while competing, it can only be explained by the feeling of adrenaline and freedom of competition, sometimes as far as addiction.

“There’s definitely just that moment of elation, a moment where you just feel a big sense of growth,” Defendi-Cho said. “It’s a pretty indescribable feeling. I don’t think many people understand it.”

Defendi-Cho has been mountain biking for years, and has always dealt with

It's a pretty feeling. I don't think many people understand it.”

– Niccolo Defendi-Cho (‘23)

indescribable “

IVAN IJZERMAN

the risks involved in the sport. He competes in downhill races across the country, racing against the same adrenaline seeking riders who find joy in sending themselves to the limit, or “living on the edge.”

Whenever Defendi-Cho is out racing he is constantly evaluating risk, whether it’s memorizing lines though the course or the split second tweak to his riding stance. Regardless, there are still provocations that can overshadow a rider’s cognitive ability to make decisions, which can put them in dangerous situations without them even realizing.

“I know friends have gotten hurt biking because a friend told them to hit a jump,” Defendi-Cho said. “I think if people were more aware of the risks involved there would be less injuries.”

An extreme sport that normally wouldn’t come to mind when asked about extreme sports is Formula 1, one of the most intense and dangerous sports out there. Contrary to other extreme sports, F1 is unique as it does not entail the same lifestyle that appears in other extreme sports. To those who are unfamiliar with F1, it is the track race but for cars: cars that move at top speeds of almost 400 kilometers per hour.

Unlike other extreme sports, F1 is both exclusive and prestigious. But don’t let the glamor fool you, as it is up there with the most rigorous sports to exist. Years and years of training are required to reach the top level of racing, and although safety measures are extensive it does not hide the fact that these drivers are constantly risking their lives.

Spectators in F1 watch in awe as acts done by the drivers on the grid take place that would be unthinkable and ut terly hazardous if it weren’t for the great minds of the racers. Again, this is what makes F1 so engaging: the fact that 20 of the best drivers are battling it out on the track at incredible speeds.

Their cars go through rounds of manu facturing and testing to ensure the fast est and safest car is out on the grid when it is time to race. F1 is also extremely brutal as it can be nonstop high-speed racing for over an hour, and with such high speeds each race usually consists of one driver having to retire their car after a crash or car malfunction.

Although devastation for the driver, crashes or conflicts during the race is what makes them all the more exciting. Of course nobody ever wishes for a driver to get injured, but the un derlying risk in F1 is what

draws so much global attention to the sport.

In recent years F1 has been reasonably safe as there have been no severe injuries, but in previous F1 history injuries and even death was almost common.

“I always knew about the risks I was taking. Every year, someone you knew was killed racing. You had to ask yourself, ‘Do you enjoy driving these cars so much that you’re prepared to take that risk?”

Nikolaus “Niki” Lauda, a three time F1 world champion in the years 1975, 1977, and 1984 said.

Lauda was a notorious F1 driver for being the first and only driver to be a champion with both Ferrari and McLaren. But these championships were not lived without the terrors of his Nürburgring crash, where he suffered from scarring burns over his body, as well as toxic fumes in his lungs and blood caused by a crash on the grid leading to his car to burst into flames.

This poses the question, are these risks really worth it? Looking at the new state of F1 it seems as though the sport is still thriving without any hesitation towards whether or not the risks are willing to be taken.

Across all extreme sports, including F1, mountain biking, and a massive variety of other sports there is a common theme to the lack of attention to risk. Embedded in extreme sport culture is the lack of fear, which is both beneficial and harmful.

Despite the future of extreme sports being unclear, it is certain that there will

art by GREG LAURSEN

by YASMIN FRIEDRICHOWITZ and GRACE LI

photos

of KAREN HICKEY

STEPPING UP

Jennifer Crane Takes On the Role of Athletic Director

Jenifer Crane blows her whistle, calling the team in for a huddle. The tensions were high among the Field Hockey team players because this was the first game of the season. However, Crane made sure to shift their focus off of winning, to playing as hard as they can.

Jennifer Crane came to Paly in 2014 as a special education teacher. This April, however, she stepped into the role of Paly athletic director when the position

When Crane was presented with the opportunity to start the field hockey program, she immediately took it because she loved sports since she was a kid.

“I grew up playing sports,” Crane said. “From the age of six through college I have played competitive team sports and un derstand the value

field hockey program four years ago was a fun challenge, which fostered my pro-

“She makes us work really hard but we want to be working hard because of the enviorment she’s created”

-Kellyn Scheel ‘23

they realize competition and teamwork are crucial.

“I have played competitive team sports and understand the value athletics offers in the growth and development of young adults,” Crane said. “Athletics is an extension of the classroom and is a space where so much learning occurs.”

As any coach knows, team chemistry is an important part of a team and Crane

courtesy

pushes her athletes to create positive habits including uplifting each other, giving constructive criticism, and work ing together to win. The field hockey team has received high praise from both student-athletes and their families for the environment they train in. The un breakable bonds created within the field hockey community at Paly had a positive influence on the athletes and helped many athletes that are new to the sport break out of their shells.

“She makes us work really hard but we want to be working hard because of the enviorment she’s created,” Kellyn Scheel (‘23) said.

Crane explains how the sport is uncommonly played before high school and that she encourages all the new athletes to step up to the challenge of learning a new sport, especially freshmen.

Her goal is to provide new players with skill-building drills athletes can work on at home, so that when they ar rive at the field they can feel more confi dent. She reminds her athletes that their improvement shows throughout each season.

Crane also emphasizes the importance of the team’s character development, specifically hard work and humility. As long as they work their hardest, she is proud of the team’s win or loss. By re inforcing positive energy, she feels the team is more motivated to play well and work hard during practices.

“I make it a point to demand positive ommunication and energy both on and off the field,”Crane said.

Like many others, the COVID-19 pandemic opened up Crane to new opportunities. After craving a change in her career, she en tered a pro gram to earn her Admin istrative Cre dential.

“After complet ing that program, I re ally started reflecting on the environments and activities in which I was most happy," Crane said. "In that reflection, I rekindled my love of athletics, movement, and being outdoors, so I decided to get my general education teaching credential in Physical Education."

After completing her program in Febru-

itself.

“I wasn’t seeking out the AD position, but the opportunity seemed like an exciting fusion of my passion for athletics and desire for professional growth,” Crane said. Crane has been planning big things for Paly athletics and is excited to start implementing them into

“I’m looking forward to getting to know and working with our hard-working athletes and coaching staff," Crane said." Coaching field hockey has been a fun way for me to get involved in the Paly community outside of the classroom, and I

ment."

As a passionate athlete herself, she is excited to take on this challenge in order to take the next step in her career while also experiencing Paly athletics on a whole other level. With this new position, she now has to learn how to balance the responsibilities of an athletic director on top of her teacher and field hockey coach positions.

“I plan to fulfill my current teaching position through the end of the school year and simultaneously begin to get acquainted with the roles, responsibilities, and staff in the athletic program,” Crane said.

Even with this multitude of responsibilities on her plate, she is determined to make Paly athletics a more connected environment.

“I plan to do my best to get to know each athletic program and build supportive relationships with their coaches and athletes. My goal is for each program to feel valued and supported as a strong part of our Paly community,” Crane said.

“Jenny has created such a positive atmosphere on and off the field”

- Anna WIngard ‘23

viking tries:

text by ELIZABETH FETTER, ANIKA CHANG, and HAILEY BECK design by SOFIA LEVA

This issue, Viking tried family friendly picnic games. We joined hands to dissipate our normally competitive and aggressive sport mentalities to give three picnic sports, cornhole, volleyball, and spikeball, a chance.

PICNIC GAMES PICNIC GAMES cornhole toss

tournament

As summer approaches, and the weather warms, the grass becomes a little greener and the sky a little bluer. People shyly venture out of their hermit shells and into the wide world of the outdoors. This itch to go outside hasn’t passed over our Viking staff, who spent a period outdoors soaking up the sun and playing various picnic games.

Here we partook in a variety of family-friendly practical, yet fun, activities that are perfect for the warm weather. Viking tried cornhole, Spikeball, and volleyball, among other picnic games, and rated them based on fun, convenience, and inclusivity.

The first and arguably most popular game played by Viking staff was cornhole. Though a seemingly simple game as initially observed, cornhole is actually a more complex game of strategy than one would expect.

Cornhole begins with two teams. Viking played a doubles game of cornhole, with a total of four players, two people on each team. The two members of each team mirror each other on opposite boards. Viking teams consisted of junior Hillary Studdert and sophomore Trey Collins, juniors Cameron Toland and Jackson Martin, juniors Ivan Ijzerman and Caleb Wong, and junior Owen Bittinger and senior Madhu Ramkumar. To start, all eight beanbags, four blue

and four red in this scenario start on one side. Three points are awarded to a team if they make their bag into the hole; one point is awarded to a team if their bag makes it into the face of their board; no points are awarded if the bag doesn’t make it onto the board or touches the ground first. Once each team throws their four bags, the final points for the round are calculated. Each team’s points cancel out. If the red team scores five points from making one bag in the hole and two points from scoring two bags on the board, and the blue team scores three points from making three bags on the board, the red team gains two final points since the opposite team’s points cancel out three of red’s.

For the first Viking match, we saw Studdert and Collins facing off against Toland and Martin. Here, they toss four bean bags at the opposite board, trying (and often failing) to get the beanbag in the hole. The clear favorite of the Viking staff was the Studdert-Collins duo. They decimated the other team, winning 21-6. “It was a hard, tough loss,” Martin said. “It hurt to get beat by such a wide margin, especially because I’m on the basketball team and Cameron pitches for softball.” As Toland and Martin dejectedly slouched off the court to a round of polite applause by onlookers, the next round of hopeful champions “stepped up to the plate;” Izjerman and guest star,

Photos by Anika Chang

junior Phela Durosinmi. They were ready; they had practiced and perfected their technique; they had their pre-game warmup and rituals down to a science; they were ready. Or, so they thought. Sadly, this dynamic duo was not ready for the inexplicable natural skill of superstar Studdert and cornhole champion Collins. Not only did Collins and Stud-

VOLLEYBALL

For this, volleyball was the perfect target. It was a smaller-than regulation court, but the fans didn’t seem to mind. The energy was high, but unfortunately, the ball was often not. The players were all seniors: Sebastian Chancellor, Hailey Beck, and Anika Chang. They are, to say the least, not the most (ahem) skilled. Analysts reviewing the game speculate that

SPIKEBALL

Despite this disappointing volleyball play, fans were amped up. The spirits, like the bird in the clear blue sky, were soaring. The laughter, like the bees buzzing on the flowers, was constant. After the last play on the volleyball court, the crowd moved on to the third and final game of the day: the long-awaited spike ball.

“The energy is always so high,” senior fan Sofia Leva said. “Being able to watch the action-packed game gets me pumped.”

Here, we had some star athletes. First up: senior Josh Donaker. Varsity baseball pitcher. Arm made of pure muscle and fast-twitch tendons, perfect for aiming killer serves onto the net and swinging lighting-fast attacks. Paired with Chancellor (yes, the same Chancellor that struggled in volleyball. For Donaker’s sake let’s hope the smaller ball helps with the hand-eye coordination). Chancellor is a starting basketball point guard. His specialty is facilitating the offense and setting up plays for the rest of his team. This skill combined with the wicked arm of Donaker sets up the team for neareast victory. Or, so the audience would

dert obliterate opponents, but they did it in style. Collin’s underhand double flip and Studdert’s behind-the-back ringer helped their team to the victory. After crushing yet another team (sorry Ivan and Phela, better luck next time), both teams sauntered off the court and the crowd moved on to another—more evenly matched—game.

the rough game was a ploy: the key is to make future competitors underestimate the team so that they can obliterate them in future games. To the untrained eye, however—based on the serving, hitting, setting, and passing technique—the obvious conclusion is that these players are simply not built for volleyball. The score, as the ball rarely made it off the ground,

let alone over the net, has been nullified and we hope that they work hard on their skills for next year.

“Even though I did not have much experience going into it, it made me respect the hard work and practice that all the Paly volleyball players have to put in to be as good as they are,” Chancellor said.

assume.

“I’m not a regular Spikeball player but I never shy away from the plate (or net) when needed,” Donaker said. “I’m capable of walking on with a competitive mindset and like to leave my opponents in the dust, even if it’s just a friendly picnic game like Spikeball.”

The truth is that the team they were facing off against also brought a lot to the table (or should we say net?). This team was composed of Senior Zach Hayward, a skilled baseball outfielder, and an expert at fielding ground balls and catching pop-ups. Working with him we see Jake Foster. Senior sprinter on the track team, Foster brings his unmatched speed and acceleration to the game, evening up both teams.

Initially, the game was not close. The Donaker-Chancellor duo pulled ahead with an early lead. But, Spikeball, played to 21, is a long game.

“I had the confidence going into the game that Donaker and I would sweep ZayHay and JayFosty,” Chancellor said. “I’ll admit, a bit of sweat broke out when they started catching up. There’s no way I was going to get beat by these fools.”

It was Donaker’s turn to serve. He stepped back the obligatory two paces, took a breath, and wound up, smashing a nearly impossible hitter to the net. There was no chance of returning it. They were now up 20-19. It was the game point.

“I’m going to win,” fans heard Hayward say under his breath. “Ain’t no way I’m letting Jade and Sebass take this dub from me.”

Donaker narrowed his eyes, bringing his hand back to throw the final serve. The crowd held their collective breath. Then, a shrill ring cut through the still air. The period was over. As if it had never been there, the tension dissipated and the competitors and fans alike walked off the field, coming back to reality and the truth and after all, this was just a fun picnic game.

“The energy is always so high ... being able to watch the action-packed game gets me pumped.”

- Sofia Leva (‘23)

Upperclassman Viking’s of the year Ella Jauregui

Jauregui

by YASMIN FRIEDRICHOWITZ and KATIE YEN design by OWEN BITTINGER

Senior Ella Jauregui, won the silver medal at the state wrestling tournament this past season. This is the highest achievement any Paly wrestler has had in the last half-century, since the Schultz brothers’ gold medals at the state championships in the 70s. Those brothers then went on to compete in the Olympics.

The matches leading up to the final were intense: in the quarterfinals, Jauregui faced off against the top-seeded athlete. She won the match in overtime, beating her opponent 108. At the last second Jauregui described how she thought she had gotten the takedown.

“I actually held my opponent down and got on top of her to win the match,” Jauregui said.

Jauregui came into the tournament as an underdog, making it to the finals and there competing against the num-

ber two ranked wrestler in the nation. Although defeated 2-1, her accomplishment was impressive nonetheless and Paly will remember this moment forever.

This is why Ella Jauregui has been named the female Paly upperclassman athlete of the year. Not only does she have incredible athletic ability but she is a hard worker and a great teammate.

Jauregui started wrestling in middle school after doing years of martial arts. When she started high school, Jauregui decided to stay with the sport because the team was so much fun to be around.

“It was kind of hectic during my freshman year.” Jauregi said, “After practice, people would run around the wrestling room just having fun with each other.”

She got more serious about the sport as her experience and involvement grew. Wrestling is so special to Jauregui because of the unique aspects that no other athletic ventures have.

“It was definitely out of my comfort zone and I didn’t notice that until I was

competing in tournaments,” Jauregi said. “Wrestling made me physically stronger and definitely mentally stronger.”

As team captain of Paly’s wrestling team, Jauregui leads by example by working hard during the season and training in the off-season to stay motivated and focused. She describes how the pandemic changed the team dynamic and made it smaller. However, she believes these changes made herself and others work harder because they became more tightly-knit and focused.

Jauregui’s accomplishments started to pile up once Covid restrictions loosened up. Her record this season was 32-6 placing first in many tournaments she attended. Adding to the notability of her achievements is the fact that Jauregui competed in the toughest weight class: 126lbs. Athletes in this weight bracket tend to have great technical skills as well as speed in their movement, making every match more difficult for the athletes.

Throughout Jauregui’s wrestling career, she has had a lot of support from family, friends, and most importantly her coaches. Her former teammate and friend Al Lee, class of 2020, describes why Jauregui was well deserving of upperclassmen of the year.

“Ella was the best drill partner I could have asked for,” Lee said. “She always

worked super hard and was helpful at practice. Then we always had a ton of fun outside of practice. She is very supportive, a great wrestler and I know she is gonna do amazing things.”

Like any sport, wrestling is challenging in many different ways: not only is it a physically demanding sport, but it can be a very mentally testing sport.

“The physical aspect came easier for me than it probably did for others,” Jauregui explains. “The Mental aspect has been most difficult for me because I was brand new to it.

Wrestling takes a lot of dedication to get your mind in the right spot, and a lot of trust in myself and my coaches. I came into the sport with not super high levels of confidence. I had to learn to trust my technique and skills.”

Her parents were very supportive even though it was scary for them to watch their daughter wrestle. Jauregui felt they understood when she wasn’t feeling her best. However, her biggest inspirations when it came to wrestling were her two coaches Jonathan Kessler, and

Richie Nole.

The two Paly wrestling coaches helped her continue the sport even when it felt like it was getting too hard for her. They taught her a lot about wrestling and encouraged her no matter what happened. Another influential figure to Jauregui was Yui Susaki, a Japanese wrestler who won the gold medal at the 2020 Olympics without losing a single match.

Jauregui is an athlete that not only has had consistent performance, but was also a great teammate. Wrestling has changed Jauregui’s life for the better, and she plans to continue wrestling in college either at a club level or by creating her own wrestling team at the school she attends.

“I’m really thankful for everyone who was involved with my wrestling career, and I’m thankful for how wrestling has improved me as a person,” Jauregui said. “I wouldn’t be who I am today without it.”

Honorable MENtion Honorable MENtion bridget o’keefe

At Paly, we are lucky enough to have a plentiful amount of gifted and talented athletes. This notion complicates the task of choosing only one person for upperclassmen of the year.

Leading the girls varsity golf team to CCS and placing second, Bridget O’Keefe is this year’s honorable mention.

“This high school golf season, I’m most proud of our finish at states,” O’Keefe said. “We were ranked last out of six

teams going into the tournament, and exceeded expectations by placing second.”

At CCS, O’Keefe shot a 68 to win the Girls Golf Individual Championship. She is thankful for the experiences golf has given her, allowing her to travel across the country with her team.

O’Keefe plans to continue her golfing career at the University of Pennsylvania by participating in their D1 program and is excited to see where her talents take her; she hopes professionally.

Photos Courtesey of Karen Hickey and Bridget O’Keefe

Upperclassman Viking’s of the year HENRY BOLTE

BOLTE

by GREG LAURSEN and ROEI ZIV design by OWEN BITTINGER Photos Courtesey of Karen Ambrose Hickey and Henry Bolte

When people talk about the “player of the year” at any level, professional or not, there are always a few specific characteristics in an athlete worthy of the title: personal performances, team performances, and consistency. Senior Paly baseball player and University of Texas at Austin commit Henry Bolte checks all three of those boxes and has proved himself fully deserving Paly’s male upperclassman athlete of the year award.

Bolte currently sits atop his team’s rankings in nearly all of the hitting categories: batting over .500, batting in 27 runs, with eight home runs being included.

These freakishly successful stats don’t come by chance — Bolte focuses on specific aspects of his training to help him reach this point.

“I’ve put in a lot of work, especially since COVID started,” Bolte said. “Baseball has always been my number one priority, and ever since COVID I’ve started seeing the results.”

Besides all his effort on the field and in practice, Bolte also focuses on making lifestyle habits that improve his game.

“I make sure to sleep right, eat right, and just be healthy overall,” Bolte said.

“Living a healthy lifestyle is something that I make sure to keep up.”

Bolte’s achievements have not only helped him build up an impressive high school athletic resume and have given him the opportunity to play baseball at the next level, but they have also played a role in the recent success of the Paly baseball team.

The team has consistently established itself as one of the best teams in the area, consistently at the top of the stand ings in league play, as well as deep runs in CCS becoming the norm for the team. Although Bolte has undoubtedly played a huge role in the team’s ac complishments, he never fails to emphasize the talent and depth on his team, underscoring the fact that baseball is a team sport and he is only as good as the rest of the players. He acknowledges that success in athletics is a never-ending journey of ups and downs, and that it is easy to get lost.

“Make sure to set small goals along the way to the bigger ones to keep you on track,” Bolte said. “Also make sure to stay humble and grounded, because there will always be noise.”

Atheltes at any level cannot just be strong and superior physically, but they need to be strong mentally as well. The

consistency that Bolte has shown, especially in his final two years at Paly, proves that he exhibits both mental and phsyical strength.

Bolte’s role on the Paly baseball team, both on

the diamond and off, have helped his team continue their dominance, and his legacy will continue to be remembered for years to come.

Honorable MENtion Honorable MENtion brody simIson

When the topic of upperclassman male athlete of the year came up, it was a tough decision between two very talented athletes: the award winner, Henry Bolte, and this year’s honorable mention, Brody Simison. Simison is a senior captain of the Paly football team, which, although had a disappointing season as a group, was able to spotlight Simison’s talent and athleticism.

Simison starred on both sides of the ball, playing lights out in the Vikings’ defense as a safety/ cornerback, and acting as a utility

player on offense, which mostly saw him as a wide receiver. He ended the season with thirteen receiving touchdowns, nearly 100 rushed yards per game, and six interceptions, putting him on the leaderboard for team statistics.

Simision also competes in the winter and the spring, on basketball and in track, respectively. This year, he won the First-Team All League award, which honors dynamism in athletics. Simison’s ability to make a difference in all parts of the football game and his excellence in other Paly sports sets a high bar of excellence for other Paly athletes.

“Baseball has always been my number one priority, and ever since COVID I’ve started seeing the results”

- Henry Bolte (‘22)

Underclassman Viking’s boys of the year

by JOSIE VOGEL

Wang linden Wang

This year’s underclassman of the year, Linden Wang, has shown discipline, leadership, and passion both on the badminton court and in the classroom. What other 15-year-old has won gold medals at both Junior Nationals and the Junior Pan American games? Then again, how many 15-year-olds train regularly for more than 15 hours a week. Wang is a freshman at Paly whose dedication to badminton has not gone unrecognized.

The time and effort Wang has put into badminton has helped improve both his mental and physical condition, transforming him into a stronger athlete. “I have learned how to stay focused and

perform under pressure, be disciplined, and how to set and achieve goals for myself,” Wang said.

It takes quite a bit of preparation and concentration to get ready for a game. Along with many other athletes, Wang’s routine before games stays generally consistent.

“Before games, I always start preparing by listening to music,” Wang said. “After arriving at the badminton gym, I go through my stretching routine to start warmup.”

Badminton is a key element of Wang’s life, heavily influenced by his childhood and inspired by older figures. Wang first fell in love with badminton after playing with his sister and her friends during a summer camp. Since then, he has taken the sport more seriously with the help of his parents, allowing him to train regularly and prepare for tournaments.

“I have been playing badminton competitively since 2015 and I compete in around 10 tournaments each year,” Wang said. “Badminton has had a huge impact on my life as I spend a lot of my time training, preparing, and competing in tournaments.”

As a nationally ranked badminton player, Wang faces high expectations and pressure from coaches and opponents. On the other hand, playing for the Play team this season has allowed Wang to experience different training environments and grow in more specific areas.

“I have improved at controlling my

shots and adjusting to new gyms that have different lighting, ceiling heights, and be more slippery,” Wang said.

At Paly, Wang has won all of his games, scrimmages included, in two sets. Badminton is played best two out of three sets, meaning that Wang’s opponents never won a set in any of his matches. One of Wang’s favorite moments this season was playing doubles with Coach Enzo, the head coach at Play the first half of the season.

“I played a match with Coach Enzo against Santa Clara’s coach and our V2 BS Justin Han,” Wang said. “We won that game and had a lot of fun playing together. It was also memorable as that was his last time with us before he went to Japan.”

Although being a student-athlete requires time and commitment, Wang has been able to balance both academics and his sports career. He has become adept at finding time during the school day to finish homework before training after school.

“I have badminton training five times a week, meaning that I have to work hard and finish my homework before being able to go to training,” Wang said.

Although just a freshman, Wang has a promising career ahead of him both on the Play Varsity Badminton team and into his competitive future. Now, Wang is working towards making team USA for Adult Pan American Games and World Juniors, along with helping Paly Badminton to league and CCS for the next three years.

Photos courtesy of Karen Hickey and Caleb Wong

Viking’s girls Underclassman of the year

by CAROLINE MOSTOFIZADEH

VIENN Vienn SHENG

Vienn Sheng, a freshman at Palo Alto High School, had an impressive season on the girl’s varsity basketball team. Sheng played a crucial role in helping the team win their league title as well as leading the team in points in a crucial playoff game making history as the first Paly girls basketball team to win an open division game, the highest division in playoffs.

One of only three freshmen on the varsity team, Sheng started as a shooting guard and carried the team with her impressive three-point shot. Vienn won Athlete of the week from Palo Alto Online due to her outstanding performance against the highly-ranked Los Altos Eagles early in the season, scoring seven three-pointers. Sheng first started playing basketball w n she was three years old, and ever since it has been a huge part of her life.

“[Basketball] allowed me to make a lot of new relationships with my teammates and coaches,” Sheng said. “Some of my closest friends today are people that I met through basketball”.

Sheng has experienced many exciting and memorable moments as a high school athlete.

“My favorite moment from this season was beating the gatos during the

league,” Sheng said. “It was a close game that went into overtime, but my team pulled through to the end and once the buzzer went off, all of us rushed on to the floor, hugging and cheering each other on”.

To be a significant player on a team, you need to show great sportsmanship, dedication, and a positive mindset. Sheng expressed that her goals for being on a high school team for the first time were to extend her skills from just a shooter to an all-around player.

“I worked super hard on other things like my ball handling and finishing, especially during the preseason and the summer,” Sheng said.

The transition from middle school basketball and club, to high school varsity basketball was a big change in Sheng’s life. Being able to work with others and communicate well is a key aspect in such a competitive level of the sport. Sheng expressed that one of her biggest takeaways from being a high school athlete was her ability to work with a team.

“All my teammates have been super supportive all throughout the year and we have all gotten super close on the court when we are all working and playing together,” Sheng said.

“Vienn is such a hard worker and good teammate,” Junior teammate Mckenna

Raush said. “Her energy is unmatched,”.

In order to achieve this goal of improving her skills, Sheng puts in more time than just at practice.

“I’ve worked super hard all year and dedicated most of my time outside of school, on the weekends, and during breaks to playing basketball and trying to improve,” Sheng said.

Sheng will continue to work on basketball during her off season and through the summer to keep improving her skills as a basketball player and a teammate and to fulfill her childhood dreams and continue my her life-long passion.

“Basketball has always been one of the biggest things in my life besides family and school,” Sheng said. “And ever since I was little, my dream has been to play college basketball.”

Basketball has always been one of the biggest things in my life... it holds a very important place in my life.

- Vienn(‘25)Sheng

Viking’s TEAM OF THE YEAR GIRLS BASKETBALL

BASKETBALl

by OLIVER MARBURG and JJ STOEN design by OWEN BITTINGER

After an 18 game winning streak and first place De Anza League finish, the girls varsity basketball team broke Paly history as the first girls basketball team to both compete and win in the CCS Open division playoffs. With a healthy combination of senior leadership and skilled underclassmen, the team flourished and in turn dismantled almost all competition.

The dynamic of the team is truly unique. It isn’t led by a small group of captains, rather everyone on the team is of equal importance, contrary to what is typical in most other Paly sports. A team led by a committee can have its perks. No one is ever seen as above another, regardless of seniority, and instead everyone is equal.

Self -

less play stems out from this approach with no one player above another.

“When one of us slacked off, the others were there to help them get back on their feet and finish up the game,” Nadia Brown (‘24) said.

In the game of basketball, team chemistry is imperative to the group’s success. With strong chemistry, a squad is able to dictate the pace of the game and outplay their opponents. For most teams, including those in professional leagues, building chemistry can be a real

challenge, especially if there are members that have never played with each other before. Despite graduating people, and having players come and go, the team was able to build a team culture centered around each other’s strengths and system that led to great success.

“Our team chemistry allowed for a fun season that improved how we played with each other on the court and knowing that everyone on the team had each other’s back,” Kaella Peters (‘23) said.

This positive dynamic was especially apparent anytime a teammate went to the free throw line. The girls sat on the bench at the time of the throw, would put one leg over the other, and then switch legs once a free throw went through the net.

Photos courtesy of Karen Ambrose Hickey

This tradition has been passed on for years, fortifying the strong connections made between teammates at Paly.

“Crossing our legs on top of one another was our way of giving good luck. We all know exactly when to do it, and when to switch to the other,” McKenna Rausch (‘23) said.

The team came through this season, pulling off victory after victory, including a statement win against an intimidating Los Gatos squad. This Los Gatos win was a defining moment for this group, as it proved what everyone at Paly had known for a long time: that they were one of the best in the area. Freshman Vienn Sheng finished the game with six three-pointers in an overtime thriller.

“Our entire team was just so happy, jumping up and down. [It was] by far the best game and experience of the season,” Rausch said.

This riveting win added to an incredible 11-1 record in league play. Paly finished one game ahead of Los Gatos in league standings to end the

season at top of the De Anza division. This outstanding league record was not the best feat during the season, however. The team boasted an 18 game win streak during the heart of their season, including hard fought wins against Homestead and Aptos. Their incredible record and finish in league played allowed them to qualify for the CCS Open Division.

Paly was one of two public schools in the Open playoff division, the highest possible division. This season was the first time ever that Paly girls basketball won a game in the Open division playoffs. This win came against Sacred Heart Cathedral, a Catholic school in San Francisco. Paly faced a 10-point deficit at halftime, but rallied to win the game, 47-43.

“This team was the absolute best this season and I can’t wait to see what we bring next,” Brown said.

Honorable MENtion Honorable MENtion

GIRLS GOLF

One Paly team we can’t forget to include is our girls golf team. The team’s dominance carried over from winning states in 2019 to a second place finish in California this year. A star-studded roster headlined by Bridget O’Keefe, and sisters Lauren and Sydney Sung, was utterly dominant during the 2021 campaign. O’Keefe, committed to play golf at the University of Pennsylvania, finished as a medalist in states play, adding to her already impressive resumé as a captain of the girls golf team. Alongside O’Keefe, the Sung twins, both committed to play at the University of Michigan, had another incredible sea-

son. Coached by Doyle Knight, this group of girls lived up to the high expectations that were set for them.

While golf may seem like an individual sport, the golf team attributes much of its success to their connection as a team. The team was led by seniors who served as role models to the underclassmen, which strengthened the bond between teammates, and in part will continue this connection for years to come.

“Our entire team gets along really well which makes playing golf fun,” Sydney Sung (‘22) said. “Even when you are not having your best day on the course, you know that you’re in for a great time no matter what.”

Viking’s TEAM OF THE YEAR Boys Swimming

Swimming

by ZACHARY HAYWARD and HARRISON WILLIAMS design by OWEN BITTINGER

After not being able to compete at CCS the past year due to the pandemic, the Paly boys varsity swim team made a statement this year. With a strong senior class, they lead the team to another undefeated season, extending their win streak to 30 meets while bringing home the Viking’s fourth consecutive league championship. They also won Paly boys swim and dive’s first CCS Championship ever, and by a massive margin.

Last season, the Vikings were allowed to compete in a few meets during the regular season, and held out hope that there would be a CCS Championship meet. They had hit all the necessary qualifying times, and had a real shot at winning the title, but unfortunately ended up not being allowed to compete in any championship meets due to league restrictions from the pandemic.

“It was very disappointing,” senior captain Jack Galetti said. “We had a really strong team and thought that we had a good chance of winning CCS. It was devastating hearing that our season was canceled.”

Despite losing a number of valuable seniors, the team has a really strong group of young athletes, and was able to quickly step into a winning pattern at the start of the season. The team knew where their strengths lay, and had clear sights

on their goals for the year. Head coach Danny Dye knew his team really well, and was able to play to everyone’s strengths.

“We knew that we were a good team,” Galetti said. “We wanted to remain undefeated, and bring home the Viking’s first CCS championship for boys swimming and diving.”

In the first home meet of the season, the Vikings brought incredible energy against league opponent Los Altos. They won all eleven events at the meet, including sweeping seven of those events: placing first, second, and third.

“Although most of us didn’t have our best races and didn’t hit our best times, we were still able to win every event,” senior Parker Wang said. “I was really proud of the team for win ning by so much at our first home meet of the sea son.”

This year, the boys roster is incredibly deep, filled with talent across all grades. In a dual meet against the second

place league opponent Homestead, the Vikings won by 70 points despite the absence of UCSB commit and senior Eric Gabbassof, as well as junior sensations Ethan Harrington and Arthur Balva. With a group of underclassmen stepping in the absence of those three, the Vikings still dominated, winning nine out of the eleven events.

“It was just an amazing meet,” junior Henry Gibbs said. “Our top end boys are one of the best in school history and our depth is definitely best in CCS right now, allowing us to routinely win by massive margins without our full strength team.”

On senior night

team continued their incredible season, defeating the league opponent by 60 points. They celebrated their seniors, who have helped lead the team through countless hardships and kept the team undefeated going into the postseason.

During the preliminaries of the SCVAL championship meet, the Vikings qualified to finals in 32 out of 32 possible swims, something that no other school came close to accomplishing. They kept up their victorious streak through the finals, winning eight of the eleven events offered, and putting up nearly 200 points more than the second place team – an in-

Honorable MENtion Honorable MENtion

credible margin for a high level meet like league champs.

At CCS Championships, they started off strong and never looked back. The boys won the first eight events of the meet, and ended up winning nine of the possible eleven events, breaking two long-standing CCS records along the way.

The meet was highlighted by junior Ethan Harrington, who broke the CCS record in the 50 yard freestyle in a 19.73 seconds, becoming the first athlete ever to break 20 seconds at CCS. He also led off the record-breaking 400 freestyle

relay, also swam by Gabbassof, Balva, and senior Harrison Williams. The previous record, which was at one point the national high school record, had been standing for thirteen years, set by Saratoga in 2009.

“It was an amazing year,” head coach Danny Dye said. “The trophy and the title belong to the school, the credit and recognition belong to these young men.”

The boys swim and dive team will continue their postseason journey at the CIF State championship meet next weekend, hopefully extending their legacy of record-breaking and event-winning.

The 2022 season has been one to remember for Paly varsity baseball.

The Vikings are currently 13-1 in league and 22-5 overall, boasting an undefeated record at home. They recently traveled to Sacramento for the prestigious Boras Classic, a tournament showcasing the top high school baseball teams in Northern California, finishing the competition with a 2-2 record. “Everyone on our team just tries to do their job,” senior Dominic DeFeo said. “Nobody tries to do too much,

and we play the best that way.”

Paly is heading into league playoffs with high expectations for another SCVAL title and an eventual CCS championship, and are confident in their chances.

“The older guys on the team have done a great job of taking the younger guys under their wing and slowly handing over the torch,” sophomore Charlie Bates said.

No matter the competition, the Vikings are set to succeed behind powerful bats, lights-out pitching, and a stifling defense for the remainder of the season.

Viking’s

Alok Subbarao Sportsmanship Award Jimmy Miller

Jimmy

by TREY COLLINS and HILLARY STUDDERT, design by OWEN BITTINGER, and photos courtesy of CELESTE BATES, KAREN HICKEY, and MALCOLM SLANEY

Not only does Miller strive for perfection on the track, he has also actively worked to lift up the energy for his team and competitors, creating a safe, healthy and fun environment.

When members of the Paly cross country and track team were asked to describe senior Jimmy Miller’s impact on the team, the most common words were ‘compassionate,’ ‘role model,’ and ‘leader.’ His warm presence on the team is constantly felt, whether he is leading team warmups, the team chant, or simply just checking in on his teammates.

Miller has been a member of the cross country and track and field teams since freshman year. He originally joined the team as a way of getting exercise and having fun, and little did he know that the times he had on those teams would end up becoming some of his fondest high school memories.

He attributes his great love for the sport to the leaders who helped him discover his passion for running.

“When I was an underclassman, the senior captains at the time supported me and showed me [not only] how fun racing is, but also how fun getting bet-

ter with your teammates is,” Miller said. “Without their constant encouragement and welcoming attitude, I don’t know if I would have the same love for the sport.”

Some of his fondest memories come from winning the cross country CCS team championship last fall. Cross country scoring is usually determined by the first five runners performance. The objection is to score the least amount of points, which are tallied up reflecting each individual runners place. In a very close race, the Paly team and their rival and meet favorite Bellarmine College Prep were tied after the first five scoring runners for the

Behind the Name

The Alok Subbarao sportsmanship award, named after Paly runner Alok Subbarao (‘08), honors an athlete who shows in every way what it truly means to be a viking athlete, by bringing together teammates and opponents while encouraging themselves and everybody around them to strive for greatness. Subbarao joined the Paly cross country team during his freshman year with no prior running experience.

Although he wasn’t one of the fastest runners on the team initially, Subbarao continued to improve throughout his four years on the team, finishing his Paly running

respective teams had crossed the line. It came down to the sixth runner, senior Kenji Tella, for the team to officially break Bellarmine’s seven-year-long winning streak and clinch the title for the Vikings.

“It was really affirming how hard we had worked over that season and how we pulled it all together on the day,” Miller said. “The preparation around this race allowed the guys and I to really get closer as friends, not just teammates.”

Throughout the years Miller has demonstrated great leadership skills, highlighted by his constant kindness and valuable advice to the younger members

The purpose of the award is clear, but the name is more ambigious. Who is Alok Subbarao and what was his contribution to Paly athletics?

career as team captain with an impressive mile time of 4:59.

“Alok is the poster child for any young runner who doesn’t think they are fast enough,” Sam Jones, former track and field track co-captain. His other co-captain was Subbarao.

Over his high school career he improved his mile time by over two minutes and one second, a feat most high school runners dream of accomplishing. Not only did Sobbarao work day and night honing his craft for running, but he also changed the way the Paly cross country team bonded as a team. He always continually brought his

game face and inspired everyone to push themselves to surpass their limits.

“Subbarao set a goal for each season, and I would think it wasn’t realistic,” Coach Jeff Billing said. “He inspired me to work hard[er].”

Symbolizing hard work, being a team player and building a positive environment for all althletes, the Alok Subarrao sportsmanship award is given to an athlete who embodies Subbarao’s good attitude and ideals of pushing the whole team to the limit. This year, runner Jimmy Miller (22) has been voted by Paly students as the recipient of the Alok Subbarao award.

of the team. Miller learned from the previous captains and valued these ideals when he himself became captain.

“I really tried to make myself accessible to the freshmen because I know I had no idea about the ins and outs of racing and practices when I was in their position,” Miller said.

Head Coach Michael Davidson also underscores this as being one of Miller’s greatest accomplishments as a captain.

“Being a captain has been very con ducive to his sportsmanship,’ Davidson said. “He understands what it takes in order to motivate the team, get them

on the right page, and do the work as well.”

Miller’s contribution to the Paly track and cross country community have been extraordinarily valuable to the team culture and environment. His lasting impacts on the younger athletes will, without a doubt, be seen in the upcoming years, and his legacy-- like that of Alok Subbarao-- will certainly be long-lasting.

by SOPHIA CUMMINGS & SEBASTIAN CHANCELLOR

MULTI SPORT

text by PARKER BATES, HENRY BOLTE, and JOSH BUTLER

NatalIe NEUMMaN

Although only a freshman she already dominates the court, the pool, and the track.

She played JV water polo in the fall, varsity basketball in the winter, and is currently finishing up her first season of track and field, where she has been pulled up to the varsity for championships. Basketball, in which she was one of only three freshmen who made the varsity team this, is her favorite sport

out of her three. This is because she has been playing it the longest and enjoys it the most. On top of sports, Neumann takes several difficult classes that she has to balance with practices and training, and while she admits everything can be overwhelming at times, she

o

One of the many multi-sport seniors here at Paly, he plays both basketball and football.

Simison, a two way star on the football field can also be found dribbling up and down the court in the winter, and breaking PR’s in the 100 meters in the spring. Simison’s favorite sport used to be basketball, but as high school continued, and the amount of touchdowns he scored grew, football took over as his

top-runner. The fall of his senior year, Brody scored over fifteen touchdowns and achieved eight intercep tions. Simison will likely continue his academic and athletic career with football and attributes much of his success in sports, and happiness in life, to his athletic balanc ing act.

SENSATIONS

design and art by GRACE LI and YASMIN FRIEDRICHOWITZ

JorEll Cl Ar

He is a multisport freshman who does cross country in the fall, basketball in the winter, and track in spring.

work and studying. He balances his school work and athletics by being productive with his free time, early mornings, prep periods, and primes. Doing multiple sports bring not only excitement but also joy into his life and he couldn’t imagine

thea eNACHE

She has been a multisport athlete throughout her high school career, playing both basketball and volleyball.

Although she started basketball first, she enjoys both basketball and volleyball equally. Aside from school sports, Enache plays club volleyball and works out alone --in the form of lifting, cross-training, and technique skills-- during and after the seasons. Because the Paly volleyball championship season overlaps with

the beginning of the basketball season, Enache has to balance both sports along with her homework load. Although this is incredibly challenging, it is also very rewarding. It has helped her grow and learn as a person and she will continue her athletic journey playing Division I volleyball at San Diego State University.

DYNAMIC DYNAMIC DUOS DUOS

by HAILEY CALLAN, SOFIA LEVA, and MADHU RAMKUMAR art by SOFIA LEVA

After four years, Paly seniors have created solid relationships with their teammates, and many pairs have made a significant impact on their teams’ successes.

Cade Creighton and Max Felter pictured below. (Photo courtesy of Max Felter)

&

As a setter and an outside hitter pair, Hillary Cheung’s and Thea Enache’s chemistry helped the volleyball team score many points. They met in 6th grade and played on the high school varsity team together for the past three years at Paly.

“My favorite thing about playing with her is probably how funny she is,” Enache said.

Along with building a close friendship over the years, they also had many successful moments playing with one another, such as winning the state quarterfinals in 2019.

“Thea is definitely a key player on the team,” Cheung said. “She is someone who sets the mood for the game and someone that we heavily rely on to get kills as well as picking up digs and serve receive.”

Enache believes that Cheung creates a positive environment not only for her, but for everyone else on the team as well.

“The biggest way she contributes to the team’s success is by working hard and providing quieter players with a safe space to express their opinions,” Enache said.

The two have grown a strong bond, and have been able to rely on each other during stressful game situations.

“Thea has supported me on the court by always having my back, and being someone who is able to change the rhythm of the game when we are down,” Cheung said.

Enache feels as though Cheung reciprocates the same support.

“She has supported me on the court by believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself,” Enache said.

damon jack

CHEUNG ENACHE hillary thea &

HANEY

Water polo pair Jack Haney and Damon Schultz have been playing together for five years on various club teams and most notably, the Paly varsity water polo team since freshman year. Although they knew each other outside of the sport, playing together brought them much

“I met Jack in middle school but really got to know him during freshman water polo season and that’s when the friend-

Haney and Schultz have enjoyed countless wins together in the pool, but their most notable win was their 12-10 win

“We controlled the game well together and held Harker’s offense to much more than in the past, after we had gone 0-3

Along with the team wins and goals scored together, the two also benefited from each other’s company and constant

“My favorite thing about playing with Damon was that he was a great player but also knew how to laugh and step back,” Haney said. “We always had a great time in the water every day.”

Both Haney and Schultz feel as though their playing styles complement each other.

“I’m more of a defensive player in water polo, so whenever I pick up a defender or force a steal, I am commemorated by Jack when he scores goals,” Schultz said. “Jack is a huge offensive threat in our team and without him, we wouldn’t have won as many games as we did.”

Haney credits Schultz for the team’s strong chemistry and successful performances.

“Damon always had great energy in and out of the water and was all over the place,” Haney said. “He brought the team together more as well which allowed us to perform better.”

Photo courtesy of Thea Enache

Photo courtesy of Jack Haney

Senior duo Olivia Milne and Katherine Thomsen have been crushing the competition on the Paly soccer field for the past four years. They first began playing on the same team in high school as the only two freshmen on Varsity, but their relationship off the field goes even further back.

“I met Kat in elementary school where

we were friends,” Milne said. “We were always on teams in the same [soccer] club, but she was a year older so we were never on the same team.”

Milne and Thomsen have achieved much success in their time as varsity athletes.

“Our biggest accomplishment has been making it to CCS all the years we’ve played together in high school,” Milne said.

Thomsen feels as though their close friendship on and off the field has been critical to their success in games.

“My favorite thing about playing with Liv is that we’re always on the same page,” Thomsen said. “If she has the ball and I’m checking in from the midfield, she knows exactly when and where to play the ball.”

Although their success is shown tan-

kat

THOMSEN

gibly on the field, to Milne, playing with Thomsen has been even more rewarding for more than just the wins.

“Kat is a very steady and reliable teammate skill-wise and as a leader,” Milne said. “She always has a clear head and never gets too frustrated during the game which always keeps everyone calm. Logistically, she also scored the most goals out of the whole team this year, which is awesome.”

Thomsen agrees, saying that Milne is often one of her biggest supporters on the field.

“She’s supported me by always celebrating my accomplishments, even sometimes when I don’t,” Thomsen said. “She always lets me know when I do good things on the field.”

matt lucas

CORRIGAN BLACK

Matt Corrigan and Lucas Black’s relationship goes back to seventh-grade club basketball, where they played for the same program. Both Corrigan and Black contributed to the boys’ varsity basketball team’s success, which has been shown during leagues this year.

“My favorite memory as a team was beating Los Altos to win the league championship,” Black said.

Along with the team’s wins as a whole, the two also made personal accomplishments together, specifically during their senior season.

“Our biggest accomplishment together was both being selected to the First Team All-League our senior year and winning the league title, while both starting every

MILNE olivia &

game of the year,” Corrigan said.

Black believes Corrigan brings a variety of strengths to the table, such as a positive attitude on the court, as well as a versatile playing style.

“He is a very consistent player and you can always rely on him to make the right decision,” Black said. “He can play a guard position but he’s not afraid to get rebounds and be physical.”

The two players are strong supporters of each other both on and off the court.

“Lucas and I always hype each other up after making great plays, and always have each other’s back on the court,” Corrigan said. “Lucas is always the strongest player on the court and he knows how to play the game to his strengths.”

Photo courtesy of Olivia Milne

Photo courtesy of Lucas Black

Max Felter and Cade Creighton, two senior Paly wrestlers, met on the JLS wrestling team back in eighth grade, and have been training together on the Paly team ever since. The pair had many successes in high school, most recently when they both went to states.

“I would say that Max and I both going to the state tournament was our biggest accomplishment together because it’s something that very few teammates get to do together, especially in the CCS,” Creighton said.

Although going to that tournament was the most notable achievement, both

&FELTER CREIGHTON

Felter and Creighton were valuable wrestlers to the Paly team all season.

“Cade contributed most by being our biggest team point scorer,” Felter said. “You get more points for how badly you beat your opponent and Cade was often earning our team the most points at tournaments and duels.”

Felter also helped lead the team along with Creighton.

“Max is a great teammate and leader,” Creighton said. “He helped me with some important decisions about which weight class I should wrestle, and we always help each other to warm up for tournaments and dual meets. He’s always friendly and positive, and he is also a pretty funny fellow.”

Felter reflects on the positive environment while wrestling that he and Creighton created.

“I’m gonna miss the laughs we had most,” Felter said. “Whether it be during

practice, day-long tournaments, or duels, Cade and I were always able to joke around with each other and keep our spirits high.”

The camaraderie off the mat between the Felter and Creighton translates onto the mat as well.

“My favorite thing about wrestling with Max is that he and I flow very well between moves during sparring,” Creighton said. “With many people, wrestling them feels jerky and awkward, but with Max, wrestling is more like an art.”

Felter also enjoys this special connection with Creighton because it has helped motivate him throughout all of high school.

“I’m really thankful to have had Cade around me,” Felter said. “Wrestling is a hard sport and I feel that we helped each other make it an enjoyable experience regardless of how much it beat us down.”

max cade & SUNG lauren SUNG sydney

The Sung sisters, Lauren and Sydney, have been playing golf together for over 13 years, ever since they were only five years old. The two have worked incredibly hard while playing at Paly so much so that they won states in 2019. On top of that, both sisters qualified for the renowned USGA Four-Ball Tournament in Puerto Rico.

“Our knowledge of each other’s games and trust has really shown through in high school which has benefited us in the best way possible,” Lauren said.

Both sisters have benefited from having a close bond on the course.

“My favorite thing about playing with Lauren is just that we get along so well and she is truly my best friend,” Sydney said. “We understand each other and I always have fun playing with her… Even though golf is an individual sport, it’s nice to know you always have someone with you at whatever tournament you are at.”

Though both players have different styles, they feel as though this only helps their team reach success in tournaments.

“[Sydney] complements my game perfectly as she is a more aggressive player and I’m a more conservative player,” Lauren said. “We can trust that our games will show through, as she can shoot low scores while I keep our team in the game by keeping consistent throughout the day.”

Sydney agrees with this sentiment.

“The biggest way Lauren contributes to the team’s success is by being consistent and always level-headed,” Sydney said. “Her consistency allows me to be aggressive on the course and that allows us to shoot low and play great.”

Both players are committed to play golf at the University of Michigan in the fall, where they can continue a journey that they started side by side.

Photo courtesy of Max Felter

Photo courtesy of Sydney Sung

7 Moments Excellence Paly

byDAVIDGORMLEYandGRACEGORMLEY

1Over the past few years, the girls golf team has been one of the best teams in Paly history - and this year they didn’t disappoint. At CCS, the team placed 2nd behind Valley Christian and was led by a stunning 68 shot performance from senior Bridget O’Keefe that was good enough to net her first place in the individual competition. At State Champs, the team finished second with a score of 382 and defeated rivals Valley Christian by a single stroke to end a sensational era of Paly girls golf as seniors Lauren and Sydney Sung and O’Keefe played their final match with the Vikings.

The Paly wrestling team was extremely strong this year: Senior Ella Jauregui won 2nd place at the State Championships, losing to the 2nd ranked wrestler of her weight class in the nation. Beyond that, in the quarterfinals, Jauregui beat the 1st ranked wrestler. “I’ve learned so much about discipline and what it takes to com mit to a goal and see it through,” Jauregui said. “The most import ant thing I’ve gotten from this preparation is a level of comfort and confidence, even when I’m nervous.” Senior Cade Creighton also won 5th in States. “I got to see so many places and wrestle so many amazing athletes,” Creighton said.

Boys swimming won the first CCS championship in Paly history - and it wasn’t even close. They won nine of eleven events and recorded eight All-American performers. In the 200 IM and the 500 free, the Vikings surged with three in the top eight finalists and a 1-2 finish in both events. The individual highlight of the meet came from junior Ethan Harrington’s stunning 19.73 50 free that broke a 13 year old CCS record and put Harrington 12th all-time in the 15-16 age group - faster than seven-time olympic medalist Caeleb Dressel was at his age. Victory was already assured prior to the final relay of the meet, but the Vikings weren’t done yet. They closed with a 3:00.26 in the 400 freestyle relay that shattered the CCS record and eclipsed the CA state championship meet record in the same event. The team is currently seeded second heading into the CA state meet. All four Paly swim teams also swept SCVAL League Championships.

“It finally hit me that it was the last time I would be able to compete with this team, … but it was a great way to end my last season on the team” - Sydney Sung ‘22

“Wrestling made me strong, helped me learn how to fight and made me a more capable person.”

- Cade Creighton

Over the past year there have been countless remarkable moments for Paly athletics - here are some of the best.

a moment we will never forget.”

At the Arcadia invitational, the biggest high school meet in the US with 622 schools from 29 states represented, Paly track shined. First, the boys 4*800m relay finished 3rd in the seeded heat. They followed up the performance with a stellar finish in the 4*1600 - which is rarely contested at the high school level - where they took 5th overall in 17:40: an average of 4:25 per mile. In the distance medley relay, where each member of the team races a different distance, they placed 2nd in the open heat. At the Stanford invitational, another elite invitational where high school stars compete alongside the best in the NCAA, Paly shined in the individual races with junior Hillary Studdert lit up the track with a 2:10.41 in the 800 - good enough for 14th among all high school girls in the US. Sophomore Grant Morgenfeld - who was a key leg in the relays at Arcadia - jumped to second in the nation in the mile after putting up a 4:14.

The Paly dance team has also excelled this season. They won 3rd place for their extra small contemporary routine at the regional competition, got 1st for their pom routine at the West Coast Elite competitions, and won 3rd in nationals for their character piece. The piece is Disney themed and Coach Alana Williamson said that “it is our most fun piece for sure, and I’m so proud of how [the dancers] have been executing it.” The dancers have come out strong from a year without getting to practice together due to social distancing. Sophomore Rachel Ho said, “I was really pleasantly surprised by how well the team has done this season. After an entire year of dancing in my room and having little to no space to turn, jump, or dance with full range of motion, it’s been so nice to get back into the studio and fall into a far more normal routine.”

“This was a breakthrough performance that I’ve been working really hard for and it all clicked on the track. I’m really excited to build on that momentum.” Studdert ‘22

The boys won the El Camino division of SCVAL and Division 1 of CCS for the first time in two decades. While cross country is typi cally seen as an individual endeavor, the CCS victory was anything but. Traditionally, the top 5 athletes score for each team - which leaves all but the top runners racing for themselves. But as the top five runners from Paly and rival Bellermine crossed the line, the teams found themselves tied at 49 - which made the 6th place runner from each team the tiebreaker. With the race of his life, Paly’s own Kenji Tella crossed the line just six seconds ahead of Bellermine’s Jack Frida to clinch a CCS title for the Vikings for the first time in 31 years.

To say the girls basketball team was dominant this year would be an understatement. They cruised through the SCVAL league with a record of 11-1 and became the first team to win a game in the open division of CCS in Paly history after they defeated Sacred Heart Cathedral in their final game of CCS play. The team was led by freshman superstar Vienn Sheng three-point shooting to secure a rare win against an elite private school. The team’s performance came in part as a result of a unique leadership strategy: the team had no defined captains and every player was expected to lead. Though unorthodox, the approach proved to be successful for the Vikes.

Rach

Grant Morgenfeld (24), above, placed 3rd at SCVAL. Photo courtesy of Malcom Slaney.

HillaryStuddert(23)is14thofUShigh schoolgirlsforthe800.Photocourtesy ofMalcolmSlaney.

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey.

By CALEB WONG

Photos courtesy of CELESTE BATES, KAREN HICKEY, and MALCOLM SLANEY

I’m most looking forward to having the opportunity to challenge myself alongside new teammates and build a strong culture, similar to that of our cross-country and track teams at Paly.

At San Mateo, I am most looking forward to see how much I can push myself to be a better athlete to get to that next level of college basketball.

I think the opportunity I’m going to have at Wagner is going to be great and getting to work on my way up the depth chart will be a lot of fun.

I’m excited to bond with my new Brandeis family and experience different Brandeis traditions with them.

I would say I’m looking forward to getting to play with people I’ve never played with before and getting to know my new team.

I’m looking forward to being able to train and play in a really competitive environment while also studying and learning in an equally competitive environment.

Being part of a team that will make me a better athlete and person is what I’m looking to get out of my athletic experience at Grinnell.

I am most looking forward to the college experience while also being excited for the baseball season and seeing how college ball compares to high school ball.

I’m most looking forward to meeting a lot of new people and being in a new environment.

I would say that I am most looking forward to the new friends and connections that I will make at UChicago.

I’m looking forward to playing for a great team at the collegiate level and developing my game with the amazing facilities and coaching.

I’m looking forward to having a new team and joining a community. While I love the Paly team, I’m excited for a change and to see how I fit in with the team dynamic.

I’m excited for team practices, workout, traveling for tournaments, and to just be a part of a close knit team and form lifelong relationships.

I am really looking forward to playing tennis at a collegiate level and competing for a national championship.

Jimmy Miller Occidental XC/TF

Ryan Lykken CSM Basketball

Blake Chase Wagner Football

Audrey Teo Brandeis Swimming

Hillary Cheung UChicago Volleyball

Mariana Kessinger Cornell Soccer

John Miller Grinnell XC/TF

Danny Peters SFSU Baseball

Eric Gabbassof UCSB Swimming

Cade Creighton UChicago Wrestling

Lauren Sung Michigan Golf

Maia Johnsson Oberlin XC/TF

Bridget O’Keefe UPenn Golf

Kamila Wong Johns Hopkins Tennis

I’m most excited for being a part of a collegiate squad and competing against really good players. Arizona is a really great place to get better so I feel like it was a great choice for me.

I’m super excited to compete in the collegiate level and play my best game with my teammates at Vassar!

I’m very excited to be running with one of the best D3 cross country and track teams in the country. The Pomona-Pitzer team has been extremely strong the last few years and it looks like that streak will continue.

I’m looking forward to the new and exciting environment!

I’m definitely looking forward most to being on a collegiate D1 level practice schedule that will allow me to play the best volleyball that I can.

All the fans and the environment there as it’s different from the West Coast, the fans out there really care about baseball so probably playing in that environment and probably going to Omaha would be a lot of fun.

I’m most looking forward to competing at a D1 level. Also looking forward to meeting new teammates.

I’m looking forward to the on campus environment and the public health program at SDSU paired with the high-level Division 1 athletics.

I am most looking forward to playing the sport love, all while being able to form new connections, friendships, and opportunities.

I’m really looking forward to continuing my academic and athletic journey at Williams, it will be a completely new experience for me.

I’m looking forward to being able to run with a team, hopefully it’s a lot closer bond between the team because you know we live together and everything.

For my next step in my athletic journey, Occidental not only provides great opportunities to help me strive in my golf game but also in my academics. I can’t wait to play golf and compete at the next level.

I am looking forward to advancing my game to the next level under the coaching staff at the University of Michigan and utilizing the amazing facilities!

I am really excited about being able to train and compete at the next level. As a high jumper I haven’t had consistent coaching throughout high School so I am pretty psyched about that!

Thea Enache SDSU Volleyball

Sebastian Chancellor NYU Basketball

Harrison Williams Williams Swimming

Rishi Tella Swarthmore Track

Kevin Lee Occidental Golf

Sydney Sung Michigan Golf

Natalia Cossio Pomona-Pitzer T&F

Xavier Esquer Arizona Baseball

Iris Li Vassar Tennis

JT Bard Pomona-Pitzer XC/TF

Amelia Vugrincic Cal Beach Volleyball

Henry Bolte Texas Baseball

Mateo Feslmeier

Santa Clara XC/TF

Olivia Harrison

George Washington Volleyball

THE FINAL WORD: Referee Regulation

In nearly every sport imaginable, referees are instituted to keep games fair and orderly by following a set of rules created for each respective sport. Whether you love them or hate them, referees are a crucial part of the world of sports (even Angel Hernandez), and we would be unable to enjoy athletics without them. However, to quote Spiderman: “With great power comes great responsibility.”

For decades, fans, analysts, and athletes constantly attack referees for their calls, accusing them of being “power hungry.” Yes, Saints fans, I’m talking to you. Nickell Robey-Coleman will live in your nightmares forever. Many speculate that referees –like supervillains– abuse their power to control the game at their own will. While this notion may seem overly dramatic for a “silly sports game,” the truth is that professional athletes are the centerpiece of the lives of many, and are foundational to global --and especially American-- culture.

In the 2002 NBA Western Conference Finals, the NBA’s juggernaut team, the Los Angeles Lakers, led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, faced off against Chris Webber and the 61-win team Sacramento Kings. The series (which is won best out of seven) was one to never be forgotten; a battle for the ages. After a grueling six matches,the teams were tied with three games apiece , and needed a seventh to be the decider. was a hard fought battle that the Lakers won, but the tension arising from a streak of controversial calls in favor of the Lakers snowballed the discussion around the morali-

ty of referees. In the fourth quarter alone, O’Neal shot a total of 10 free throws, causing two key Kings players to foul out and putting others in foul trouble. This played a huge part in the Lakers’ victory. At the time, the simmering tensions over

gether: they’re a much too crucial part of any sport. What we need to do is find a way to live with the bad calls and accept them as parts of the game. There will inevitably be more controversy in the future, but this is better than not having

Text by JJ STOEN design by OWEN BITTINGER

A delve into the complexities of athletic rulings and athlete and fan reaction to bias, gambling, scandal, vicotry, and loss.

PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL

Includes talk back about documentary production from film makers Featuring Jeremy Lin and Coach Peter Diepenbrock https://pp.events/a814DEl7

Non-profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PALO ALTO, CA Permit #44 + $5 suggested donation Please RSVP with the link below: STAY FOR PIZZA AND REFRESHMENTS Free Entry Date and Time: Thursday 5/26 at 5:30