Girls Varsity Basketball

Eagles Keep Griffins at Bay ... Barely
By Jesse Mann

Despite their crushing defeat at the hands of the Jaguars last week, the Varsity Griffins fought the Eagles tooth and nail in a lively match at the SCCLC on Thursday. 

Led by the long-armed shooting skills of Abby Phillips and Javiera Alipaz, the Eagles managed to control the ball during most of the first quarter, establishing  a commanding eight point lead after about six minutes of game play. Fabiana Zelada finally put the Griffins on the scoreboard with a single free throw, a shot that seemed to spur her into action. In the next three minutes, Zelada scored twice more, flawlessly weaving through the Eagle's defense with a smile on her face and the ball in her hands. Pamela Hernandez contributed a beautiful basket of her own, giving the Griffins seven points at the end of the first quarter.

A couple minutes later the Griffins scored again, closing in on the Eagles 12 – 9. For a moment it looked as if the girls from International might overtake their opponents in green. But then, Eagle Dahye Chun confidently deposited the ball in the Griffin basket from inside the key, unleashing a fantastic Eagle scoring drive that ultimately put the Eagles ahead 23 – 13 at halftime. Haeun Lee and HyeRim Ryu, along with Abby Phillips, dominated this offensive surge.

But the Griffins weren’t ready to give up yet. Seeing his team falling behind, the Griffin coach sent 7^th grader Olivia Navarro onto the court. Navarro bounded energetically onto the court, and soon had her team rejuvenated as she recklessly competed for rebounds with a ferocity quite unexpected for a person her size. Aggressively driving up the court in a pair of bright green tennis shoes, Navarro even dared to try blocking one of Phillip's inside shots. Surprised by such passion in a small package, the Eagles faltered in the third quarter, producing many clumsy shot attempts. Both teams began to employ long, high passes when moving the ball down the court, resulting in many pitched battles over ball possession that ultimately transformed the game into a blur of waving arms. Pamela Hernandez, matched only by Phillips in height, took advantage of the Eagle's temporary confusion and scored two baskets in the third quarter, which along with a couple free throws brought the Griffins within nine points of the Eagle lead, 30 – 21. 

In spite of their awkward court coordination, the Eagles maintained a firm grip on their lead, with nearly every player on their team contributing baskets at one time or another. In the end, despite the superb performances of Olivia Navarro and Fabiana Zelada, the Griffins could not overcome the Eagle's large lead. Even with a controversial technical right before halftime that granted the Griffins five free throw opportunities, the International girls could not close the gap on the scoreboard. But led by the zealous Navarro, the Griffins defiantly fought their foes to the bitter end with a grace that made the game a most enjoyable spectacle. The final score was 43-25.

Jaguars Dominate Once Again

By Laura Guillen

The Cooperative varsity girls swept the floor with the Cambridge Knights Thursday afternoon, easily winning 49 to 7.

Game kicks off and Knights manage to defend themselves for half of the first quarter, but soon Ana Peredo makes a free throw gaining the first point of the game.  The Jaguar’s game only gets better as they continue to make points.

It isn’t until halfway in the second quarter that Knight Mako Ueno makes one point for her team with a free throw.  Even though Jaguars keep scoring, Knights try to bring it up a notch but only manage one more basket thus going into halftime with the Jaguars winning 25 to 3.

Remarkably, Cambridge Coach Victor Coronado remains awfully quiet throughout the whole game, probably a sign of resignation.  It is, after all, a fairly predictable game from here on out.
The Jaguar team is definitely a strong one, and very well organized, although this does not cover up their school’s long standing reputation for not playing the cleanest games.

The third quarter is a plain massacre for the Lady Knights, who don’t manage to get even near the basket for the entire 10 minutes. The Jaguars, however, have brought up their game and get another 20 points in the third quarter alone.  Jaguar Sofia Sotelo demonstrates that she doesn’t just dominate the 1500m race, but basketball as well, making 17 points of the Jaguar’s total.

As for the Knights, Mako Ueno is their fierce fighter as she keeps trying to use her quick agility and relatively small size to get into nooks and crannies in order to get to the basket, but Ana Peredo and Carla Limpias block her at any costs.  Sometimes it is quite true that in basketball, the taller do have it easier.

Lady Knights try to go out with as most dignity as they can muster, stealing the ball at all costs, defending their court, and making attempts at the basket whenever possible. They only manage to make four more points, but they at least succeed in keeping the Jaguars from scoring over 50 points.  Everyone waits for the clock to reach zero and is relieved when the last buzzer sounds, finally ending the game 49 to 7.

Boys Varsity Basketball

Eagles Overwhelm Griffins 55-17
By Sergio Gonzalez

     The quick-paced game started as Larsen dominated the toss up, and the Eagles refused to shy away from aggressive playing. Yet, the Griffins seemed to have both confidence and momentum over the first minutes of the game. Both teams seemed eager to compete against each other and displayed skill as well as boldness. Haziel Martinez, a notable player for the Eagles, showed his talent by scoring a beautiful three-pointer on his first shot. Wilcke, his coach, gave a start at this and seemed to proudly enjoy this feat as only coaches can. The line up of both teams seemed solid, yet however quick and skillful the Griffin defense was, the unity of the Eagles proved superior in sync and efficacy, which continued to show throughout the game. The quarter ended with the Eagles in the lead with a score of 16-nil. The presence of Eagle superstar Andre Larsen seemed scarce, but understandably so, as he was being targeted by a worthy opponent, Sebastian Velasco of the Griffins, a young man of similar stature and build, who was not afraid to battle it out with Larsen. He displayed leadership amongst his peers and proved to be a most valuable asset for his team. The first and second quarters were distinctly refreshing as both teams continued to fight ardently, but the Eagles pulled away quickly with the lead. The zest came in the form of beautiful play: Cesar Flores, who proved his talent in previous games, continued to shine, showing limber ape-like movements and fluid plays, not complicated in nature, yet efficient to the max. On the Griffins side of the fence, the player Eric Takayama showed great talent, yet he was clearly unable to make use of it due to lack of communication amongst the team.

     As a player carrying the legacy of his eldest brother, Danny Canaviri (another excellent athlete), Josiah Canaviri showed an incredible amount of skill and confidence, successfully living up to the expectations of the Canaviri name. This young man freshman is already setting himself up nicely into becoming the next CLC superstar. Furthermore, both Martinez and José Aldana got opportunities to showcase their skills by proving back-of-the-hand knowledge of the backboard and powerful confidence in their free throws. Larsen surfaced as well, despite his rival Velasco, and was determined to make an impact on the scoreboard. With the home crowd cheering enthusiastically, the Eagles ended the second quarter at 43-4. The third quarter brought in a slight change as some of the B-team was inserted by Wilcke, causing the Eagles to lose footing and the Griffins to outscore their opponents 8-6. The fourth and final quarter started with a score of 52-10, but it quickly lost zest as the Eagle B-team was placed in completely. However, they were later substituted by some of the starters with 3:58 remaining on the clock. The starters looked refreshed, but continued to play both carelessly and artlessly while being opposed in much the same way. It was clear that the period of competition was over and therefore much passion was shed wastefully but the fun of the game remained. With 1:34 remaining in the final section of the game, Sebastian Velasco, the Griffin superstar, left with an injury to a chorus of nervous yet well-deserved applause. The player injured his wrist as Canaviri accidentally hit him on a jump. Much time was wasted, yet Velasco proved to be O.K. as the buzzer announced (finally) the ending to the game at 55-17. The game was another well-earned victory for the Eagles, and as the playoffs approach, the much-expected Eagle-Knight championship game looks more promising than ever. 

Jaguars Forfeit Game Against Knights
By Laura Guillen
   

     The Cambridge Knights were disappointed when there wasn’t a Jaguar team present for their match Thursday afternoon. Another forfeited game for the COOP. So, why did the Cooperative Boy’s team have to back off from a game yet again? According to Cambridge officials, Cooperative’s athletic director had called earlier that day claiming that they did not have a full team as two players were ill with Dengue, one in danger of a relapse, and two others suspended from the team due to academic performance, thus leaving the team incomplete. But could they really not put together a complete team, or did they not want to show up with second string players to an assured loss? The Cooperative boys varsity team is being heavily questioned, as not only are they slacking off, but their further participation in the basketball playoffs is in doubt, though no one is sure if withdrawing a team is actually possible in such a small league. There’s much to wonder about the Jaguar’s varsity team this year. As for the Knights, they had been meaning to go for the big one-oh-oh Thursday afternoon and were only put out with such easy win. Juan Carlos Paniagua summed it all up and said “Guess it’s good for them that they didn’t come, we were going to beat them anyways”  

Scoreboard for March 22nd

Varsity Boys Basketball


Christian Learning 55, International 17


Cambridge, Cooperative (forfeited by Co-op)


Varsity Girls Basketball


Christian Learning 43, International 25


Cooperative 49, Cambridge 7


Stories to come...

Scoreboard for March 20th

JV Boys Basketball


Cambridge 34, Cooperative 23


Christian Learning 33, International 18


JV Girls Basketball


Cooperative 53, Cambridge 8


Christian Learning 70, International 2

JV Girls Basketball

Eagles Demolish Griffins 70-2
By Trevor Reed

     The Christian Learning JV Girls basketball team soundly defeated a determined Griffin team, leaving no doubt that the Eagles are the undisputed league leaders. They played aggressively the entire game, stealing numerous passes and scoring consistently on breakaways. The only question left is whether or not there is any chance of a Jaguar victory when they meet the Eagles for the second time.
     In the first quarter, Eagle Maria Anderson started the scoring with two quick baskets. The Eagles never looked back. They maintained a full court press for the entire game, restricting the Griffins immensely. Oftentimes there were at least three Eagle defenders crowded around the opponent when the Griffins managed to get the ball. Eagle Emily Ordoñez was deadly, blocking passes and stealing the ball left and right. The Eagles kept the Griffins scoreless, ending the quarter at 16-0.
     In the second quarter, the Griffins started their own (less successful) full court press strategy. The two aggressive defenses quickly led to all ten players grouped together, following the ball around the court. Still, the Eagles kept up their pace, while the Griffins remained scoreless. The first half ended at 28-0.
     When the third quarter started, many fans expected the Eagles to back down slightly and give the Griffins a fighting chance. No such thing happened, and the Eagles continued to fight for every loose ball. They scored an impressive 20 points, and the quarter ended with the score at 48-0.
     The Griffins were finally able to score in the fourth quarter with two free throws, but this did not slow down the Eagles. Anderson, Ordoñez, and Rebecca Escudero were unstoppable, scoring quickly and efficiently. At one point, the Eagles combined their shooting and ball-stealing skills to score three baskets in the course of about ten seconds. Needless to say, the Griffins were in over their heads, and the Eagles coasted to a 70-2 victory.


Jaguars Win Decisively Over Knights


        The Cooperative girls junior varsity girls basketball team overwhelmed Cambridge 53-8 in a game played at Cambridge Tuesday, further dramatizing the fact that the JV girls division  has been divided into two echelons.
      In the top echelon are Christian Learning and Cooperative, both blessed with outstanding and experienced players, who frequently beat the teams in the second echelon, namely Cambridge and International, by margins of 50 points or so -- sometimes more.
        It has become an issue in the League as to whether games should be stopped, and the leader declared the victor, when margins reach a certain point in the second half, for example. The question has come up in several instances whether some schools in the League can continue to compete in certain sports where they seem doomed to take perennial drubbings from the stronger teams.
        Others argue that this is just a phase in which the League must pass through when some teams are able to reach a skill level previously unattainable by any of the teams in the League, and so competition has become unfair and, well, congenitally "unsportsmanlike" when strong and weak teams collide.   This situation obtains not just in JV girls basketball, but in other sports as well, at both  the JV and varsity level.  
      A short history lesson may be in order. Over time the teams have "changed echelons," if you will, at a fairly rapid pace. Last year Cambridge had one of the top JV girls teams, to cite just one example. The core of that team moved up to the Cambridge varsity this year leaving the JV without a nucleus of tested and proven players.So this year it is among the worst.
    The one group that has not been heard from is the players themselves. Even when getting a thrashing, the players often seem to be enjoying the game, and only in rare instances to they seem to give up, even when victory is clearly out of reach.
      Consider the Cooperative- Cambridge game, the supposed subject of this article. It was hotly contested to the end, though it was clear from the opening period, when the Jaguars jumped out to a 19-0 lead, who would win. The teams kept fighting as the Jaguars, consisting of players who have been participating on the team for several years and endured the good seasons with the bad, took a 31-2 lead at halftime, and a 45-2 lead after three quarters.
        In the fourth quarter --showing, who knows? what could be a paradigm of things to come -- the Knights played the Jaguars second string almost  evenly, being outscored only 8-6. For the record, Cambridge's eight points in the game  represented its high point total for the year.
       Giuliana Varalta of the Jaguars was the top scorer in the game with 22 points. Andrea Chavez 13, Alexandra Cadario six, Analee Davis four, J. Pena four, and  Nathalia Media four.
       For Cambridge, R. Pinto had four, P. Perez 2, and M. Silvana 2.
    
  .

JV Boys Basketball

Knights Third Quarter Surge Beats Jaguars
By David Boldt

     The Cambridge boys junior varsity basketball team poured in 18 points in the third quarter, including three three-pointers, to come from behind and defeat Cooperative 34-23 in a game played in the Cambridge gym Tuesday.

      The win kept the Knights in first place with a 5-0 record.

       The game had started out with the Jaguars in control, and the Knights playing badly. Neither team had a hot scoring hand in the first quarter, but Cooperative emerged on top 6-2. The Jaguars quickly lengthened their lead to 10-2, and then 12-4 in the early minutes of the second quarter.

        Cooperative’s big forwards Luis Peredo, Eduardo Ustarez, and Alejandro Lema made good use of their superior size and played a hustling style of defense that kept Cambridge from penetrating inside. The Jaguars’ control of the rebounds virtually eliminated the fast breaks that have characterized the Knights’ play this season.

       Even when they did get the ball inside the Cambridge players couldn’t seem to get it in the hoop.  Twice in the first half the Knights had three chances to shoot from right under the basket – and missed all three.

      The Jaguars, meanwhile, were working the ball well, and hitting with accuracy.  Luis Peredo had seven points in the first half , and Eduardo Ustarez six-  

        A switch by Cambridge to a strategy of shooting from the outside seemed to be failing as well until the closing minutes of the first half when seventh grader Santiago Hurtado swished in a three- pointer, which was followed quickly by a successful set shot that made the score a more respectable 16-9.  Another outside shot by Masa Ueno at the buzzer cut the Jaguar lead to 16-11 at halftime.

        At halftime Knight Coach Victor Coronado apparently told his team something that made it appear that they had opened a fresh new can of Whip-It during the break. In just a little more than a minute into the second half they had tied the score at 16-all on another three-pointer by Hurtado – he would have a total of three in the  game – and a breakaway lay-up by Masa Ueno following up on a stolen pass.

       The Knights were now taking full advantage of their fuller bench – Cambridge had eleven players dressed for the game as opposed to eight for the Jaguars – and were playing an intense full-court press defense. 

       The Knights, who couldn’t seem to buy a basket during much of the first half, suddenly couldn’t miss from inside or outside, and prevented the Jaguars, who had been scoring steadily, from making a single field goal during the quarter. (The Jaguars did make two free throws.) Knight Percy Vidal hit a three-pointer demonstrating that Hurtado was not the Knights only outside threat. 

     By the end of the quarter the Knights were on top by 32 to 18. It was as dramatic a reversal of momentum as most basketball fans ever get to see. 

     Things cooled off in the fourth quarter with both teams showing signs of battle fatigue. Each scored a basket in the first five minutes of the final period, making the score 34-20, and at this point Coach Coronado cleared his bench and Cooperative Coach Seth Gibson did more or less the same .

      In the final minutes the Jaguars got a free throw and a basket to make the final score 34-23. 
      For the Junior Knights, Hurtado had 13, including three three-pointers,  Ueno 10, Vidal 5 with one three-pointer, Daniel Cortez 4, and Nando Boller 2.
      For the Jaguars, Lema had nine, R. Chavez six, Raul Valle 3, Luis Peredo and Viacava 2, and S. Chavez 1.  

Eagles Beat Griffins 33-18
By Javiera Alipaz

On a hot, sunny afternoon just like any other, the Christian Learning Center’s junior varsity boy’s team annihilated the Griffins’  junior varsity boys team with a final score of 33-18.

            The game started with Eagle Luke Phillips smashing the jump ball into fellow teammate, Claudio Sandoval’s hands. Not a whole minute had even passed and the score was four to nothing, in favor of the Eagles.  The first quarter was uneventful, with the score ending 6-4.

            Jaime Barrenchea displayed amazing talent and skill in these first ten minutes of the first quarter. Barrenchea was one of the  Griffins key players, scoring two of the four points for the Griffins in the first quarter.

            Eagles and Griffins alike started to pick up their game in the second quarter. Phillips took charge and in  a span of 25 seconds made two baskets. In order to retaliate, Griffin Jose Ojeda stormed to the baskte and gifted his team with two more points. With 6 minutes and 45 seconds left in the first half, the coaches called a time out. Only a minute later did Phillips score again. Eagle Regan Janzen also then scored, not even a whole minute after Phillips had just finished celebrating his own basket. What shook the spectators and players alike was Griffin Alex Fuentelzas. Only two minutes were left on the clock when he managed to score a three pointer. For the remaining two minutes, the score was static, settling into the final score for the first half at 15-10.

The third quarter started with a throw in by the Griffins. Once again, only 45 seconds had passed and Phillips tallied up another point. Following his own point by 39 seconds, Phillips attacked again. The third quarter had not been as eventful as the second, with the following point by Sandoval being two whole minutes after the last basket. Sadly, the Griffins could only manage two more points from a basket Barrenchea made in the 3^rd quarter.

The fourth quarter arose some excitement. In the first minute, the Eagles amassed 3 more points. To everyone’s surprise,  Griffin Alex Fuentelzas gifted his team with another three pointer. Consequently, the Eagles began working extra-hard and amassed a total of ten points, solely in the fourth quarter. Phillips, as well as teammates Andres Cruz and Abraham Lopez all contributed to their team’s ten point total. In disagreement with the Eagles-s ten points, the Griffins only managed six. Alfonso Justiniano contributed with 2 free throws, and Ojeda with a free throw of his own. With a final score of 33-18, both teams shook hands, ending their second to  last game of the season before the championship starts.

Track & Field

*Correction: The three photos attributed to Betsy Philips were actually

taken by SCCLC photographer David Vargas.

First Track Meet -- Overall Results

Jaguars Rule! Capture victories in both genders

Boys First Track Meet Point Totals 

1. Cooperative -- 143
2. Cambridge -- 74
3. Christian Learning -- 71
4. International 57 


Girls First Track Meet Point Total


1. Cooperative -- 119
2. International -- 98
3. Cambridge -- 73
4. Christian Learning -- 64


Note. The point totals above were arrived at by adding together of the points awarded in Monday's field events (discus, shotput, high jump, long jump) with points awarded in Friday's running events. (See stories below and last Monday). The second track meet will take place April 13 and 16 (see schedule) and is referred to as the "Championship Meet" because individual championship medals are awarded at it. 


Then the League team championship is decided by combining all the points earned by each school in both meets. The scoring system awards 10 points for first place, seven for second, five for third, three for fourth, and one point for places five, six, seven, and eight. It was set up long ago to reward both victories and participation.    

First Boys Track Meet -- Running Events

Jaguar boys  easily outrun the competition

By Jesse Mann and Sergio Gonzalez

The Cooperative boys track team managed to outdistance their foes, be they Griffin, Knight, or even Eagle, by a decisive margin in the running events of the first track meet, which were held at Tahuichi Stadium Friday. 

The Jaguars piled up a total of 143 points, well ahead of their nearest competitor, Cambridge, which had 74. Christian Learning was right behind Cambridge with 71, and International trailed in fourth place with 57. The totals represent the combining of the results of the running events combined with the results of Monday's field events. Cooperative also "won" the field events, but widened its margin greatly in the running events. (For an account of the field events, see story from Monday.) 


Wild 1500 won by Frith

The mens 1500 kicked off as anyone's race to win, and would be one of the few the Jaguars didn't win. A closely packed cluster of strong and sturdy legs swayed violently down the track at the start, close together, but much would happen in the challenging 3 ¾ laps, as pacing and energy became fundamental,  and every single breath counted.   

The pack stuck stuck together well through the first two laps, with Jaguar Fernando Antelo at the lead followed by Micah Kerney of the Eagles, and the rest of the group. Things broke loose into a wild greyhound-type race where it seemed that anything could happen during the third lap. Knight senior Fernando  Moscoso went to the front, chased maniacally now by Eagle Samuel Frith, Pushing his long, thin legs to the limit,  Frith passed Fernando Moscoso, though the Knight gave no sign of slowing down. 

But Frith ultimately strode indefatigably down the homestretch to win with a time of  5:12.29, with second place  going to Moscoso, by now about 15 seconds behind, and third to Antelo.


Papadopulos clicks in 400-meters

 The men’s 400 meter race was separated into two heats, but the winners were all in the second.  The lead was quickly taken by Jaguar Sebastian Papadopulos.  Knight Diego Bejar stayed close. Then both were were equally surprised when Eagle César Flores (Eagles) came up from behind to take the lead. Flores seemed to lose his footing on the final turn, however, allowing Papadopulos to pass him. 

  Papadopulous claimed first at 58’88, bringing along the loud click of his steel-spike running shoes down the final meters to announce who the winner had been. Second place was taken by Josue Abuawad, another Jaguar who came in with a flying close. 


Strong finish gives Frith another win


 The 800 meter started with Jaguars Fernando Antelo and Jorge Zankiz leading a tight pack,  followed by Griffin Daniel Hanley, KnightsDavid Li and Dang Hyun Ko, and Eagle Samuel Frith. Frith gradually moves up during the first lap of the two-lap race. He later advances into third place and continues to move forward ambitiously through the track. During the second lap Frith moves into second place, trailing only Zankis. 

Frith goes for the lead on the final turn and heads down the stretch in first place, but must fend off a brave and capable closing rush by Hanley from International that narrowly falls short. Frith holds on to first, with Hanley taking second, and Zankis third. 


Jaguars Sauto, Pacheco dominate sprints

In the 100 and 200 meter sprints on Friday. Jaguars Sergio Pacheco and Esteban Sauto, feet pounding down the pavement with every muscle strained to the absolute limit, formed a powerful pair that ultimately earned Cooperative most of the top honors, interrupted only by Griffin Santiago Maclean who came in second in the 100. 


Pacheco gave the Jaguars their first taste of victory in the first 100 meter heat, finishing a comfortable distance ahead of the second-place finisher, and seeming to put Pacheco in line for first place since the first heat was supposed to have each team's faster runners .


 The second heat, however, proved a much faster and more intense. Cooperative's Esteban Sauto exploded from the starting line, immediately establishing a firm lead. But this did not discourage Maclean, who also catapulted off the line and went in hot pursuit of Sauto.


 Both athletes pursued the finish line like their lives depended on it, but Sauto crossed a hair´s breadth ahead of Maclean. Through his effort, however, Maclean achieved a second place position overall. His time was only two one-hundredths of a second behind Sauto's winning 12.28. Sergio Pacheco's run placed him in third. 

The Jaguars also effectively kept the opposition at bay during the 200 meter heats. This time Sergio Pacheco earned first place, sprinting halfway around the track in 25.12 seconds. Not far behind came Cambridge's Anthony Salvatierra with a time of 25.95. The second heat retained the intensity of the earlier sprints, but also had the exact same results. Sebastian Papadopulos raced headlong down the track and across the finish line in 25.68 seconds, giving the Jaguars the first and second place position.


 An observer looking directly down the track as the competitors rounded the final bend could easily have mistaken the runners for insane criminals bent on mayhem, each desperately seeking the finish line with e gazes that would have frightened young children.


Jaguars unbeatable in relays -- but it's close

            Cooperative continued their winning monopoly in the relay races, although they were fiercely challenged by the Griffins. The Jaguar's power sprinting squad, Sergio Pacheco and Esteban Sauto, along with Josué Abuawad and Sebastian Papadopulos


          The Griffins earned second place, as Javier Rammon, Juan Sebastian Valasco, Sebastian Rios and Santiago Maclean managed to keep themselves ahead of the Eagles.

            The 4 X 400 relay, the last event of Friday's track meet, was the most exciting, concluding with a heart-pounding final sprint to the finish that was hotly contested between three teams – the Jaguars, the Knights, and the Griffins.


            The Jaguars established an early lead, but then, as if foreshadowing the showdown to come, the first  Cambridge runner pulled into the lead on the final stretch of the first lap.


        Cooperative's second runner, Sergio Gonzales, vigorously attacked the gap between him and Cambridge's second runner, and by the next baton hand-off the Jaguars once again had the lead. The third lap saw a the competitors from each team spread out significantly, with Cooperative still in the lead, followed by the Knights, then the Eagles, and finally the lagging Griffins. 


      This tidy arrangement changed abruptly on the fourth lap. International's Juan Sebastian Velasco eagerly grabbed the baton from his spent teammate and took off  in pursuit of Sammy Frith, the Eagle's long distance champion, who was defending third place. To the astonishment and delight of Griffin fans, Velasco charged past Frith, and on reaching the  final turn began gaining on Cooperative's  front man. By the final stretch Velasco was competing desperately for first place with both the Jaguar and Knight anchormen.


     At the finish line Velasco made a final lunge that almost earned the Griffins first place, failing by mere inches to pass Cooperative's final racer. The Knights, who had also held the lead briefly during the final lap, were only steps behind.  


      That's the way the race will be remembered by those who saw it, but after the finish there was bad news for the International team. They had been, like their girls team in the same race, disqualified for passing the baton outside the allowed area. As a result Cambridge moved up into second place, and Christian Learning into third.
  
      Cambridge’s second place finish overall in the boys meet (and third in the girls) is worth comment in and of itself, since it represents the highest place any Cambridge team has ever achieved. Indeed, the second-place finish of the boys, and third place finish of the Cambridge girls represented the first occasions in League history on which any Cambridge team has ever finished in any other position than last in the track meets, and is a tribute to the hard work of the team and its new coach, Presi de la Riva.  
  
     (Jesse Mann and Sergio Gonzalez are seniors at Christian Learning. Mann is managing editor of the website.)    

First Girls Track Meet -- Running Events

Jaguar Girls on top at first track meet


By David Boldt, Laura Guillen, Oscar Prudencio

         The Jaguar girls expanded the lead they had taken at last Monday’s field event with victories by both widely known veterans and very young, brand-new runners who seem likely to be the stars of the next generation.

     The Jaguars totaled 119 points  over the two days of competition, ahead of the 98 posted by International. Cambridge came in third among the firls with 73, and Christian Learning was fourth with 64. 


    The meet was full of interesting stories unfolding about things and persons both old and new, starting with the opening event, the 1500 meters.

Sotelo still Queen of 1500 


     The winner was Sofia Sotelo of Cooperative , as it has been in every 1500 for the past six years, running easily with no sign the knee injury that has sidelined her in other sports recently, unless you count the fact that she was about ten seconds off her record time. But she won by half a lap (as is her custom), and the Cooperative senior often waits until the championship meet to break the record she has lowered each year.  This time she was clocked at 5:43.74.

       The surprise was the tiny runner who finished second, 10-year-old Tamara Pereya, a fifth grader, who won her way onto the varsity track team with an outstanding performance in the middle school mini-Olympics held last week. Pereya is new to running, but no stranger to sports. She is the No. 1 ranked 10-and-under tennis player in Bolivia.

      While well behind Sotelo, who is, after all, seven years older, Pereya  was about 12 seconds ahead of third place finisher Nicole Fermin of Cambridge, who came from well behind to take third with a closing surge.


More "little surprises" from Cooperative

       The Jaguars would unveil another “small surprise” in the 800, but here again the winner was a very familiar face, junior Abby Philips of Christian Learning.  The crowd missed out on what would have been an exciting rematch between Sotelo and Phillips when Sotelo elected not to run in the event.

      Sotelo said that she would decide whether to compete in the 800 after seeing how the 1500 went, and apparently felt she would be risking reinjury. Also; Sotelo may have been a bit worn down by her large contribution Thursday to Cooperatives 102-8 rout of International in basketball Thursday, and her mind is already focused on her departure Saturday for Boston to check out Northeastern University, which has offered her a full scholarship and entry into its honors program.

       It would have been an intense race. Phillips beat Sotelo last year, though neither of them broke Sotelo’s existing record. Both runners would attract a lot of betting money.

Eagles' Phillips triumphs in 400, 800

       As it was, Phillips won without difficulty, storming into the lead at the first turn and never having to look back. If she had looked back she might have been surprised to see that her closest pursuer, about 20 meters back, was another Cooperative child star, Valentina Chahin, a fifth grade  classmate of Tamara Pereya’s, and also a tennis player, but a whole year older at 11. Chahin would hold on to hold second place against another final charge by Cambridge’s Fermin, who, as a ninth grade, is not exactly elderly.   


      The 400 once again gave Phillips a chance to shine –and she took advantage of it, storming her way to the front by the first turn. She won by almost ten seconds over Cooperative eighth grader Bianca Marinkovic, who took second, and International’s Carolina Baldivieso, who had recovered sufficiently from a bruised knee suffered in the basketball game against the Jaguars, to take third.

       But their times did not approach the record, which Phillips holds. In fact few new records were set despite that fact that it was perfect day for a track meet without a cloud in the sky and no wind. The track was dry and fast, and in better shape than in past years. This is not all that unusual in that most records historically have been set at the second, or championship meet. But the record harvest was below normal.

Davila sets new mark in 100-meter dash

      There was one conspicuous exception. In the 100 meters Griffin Natalia Davila flashed down the track in 13.68 seconds, knocking 0.12 seconds off the record of another Griffin, Fabian Murillo, which had stood since 2006, and was the longest standing League record of all.
  
        Vanessa Flores of Cambridge came in second, about a second behind Davila, and Cooperative eighth grader Paula Sakuma took third. 


         In the 200 meters, first place went to Jaguar Fernanda Vaca Diez, with Davila in second place, only .04  

behind. Josefina Rondriguez of Cambridge was third. 


International, Cambridge take relays
  
      In the girls 4 x 100 relay Davila was again in the thick of things, anchoring the Griffins victorious quarter by holding off a very determined, but not quite fast enough Tania Landivar of the Jaguars. The International team, which also included Christina Martin, Carolina Baldivieso, and Ana Laura Gutierrez won by a little less than half a second. Cambridge took third.  


     For the second consecutive year Cambridge won the girls 4 x 400 relay, again with ease. Lead-off runner Vanessa Flores got the Knight an approximately 20-meter lead, and then Valeria Caceres, Lucia Candia,  and Josie Rodriguez kept it. When Cambridge won the event last year it was something of a big deal since it represented the first time the Knights had ever won a relay at a track meet in League history. This year they looked as if they intend to make a habit of it. 


       The Jaguars were runner-ups with a foursome that again included one of their wonder midgets, 11-year-old Valentina Chahin, who held her own -- maybe even gained a step or two on the Knights.


      Third place went to Christian Learning. International was disqualified for passing the baton outside the prescribed zone.   

      (Oscar Prudencio is a junior at International, Laura Guillen a senior at Cambridge, and David Boldt is the website's faculty advisor.)

First Track Meet -- Complete Chart of Results

Track and Field 1^st Meet 2012

Girls Results

Long Jump	School	Record	Place
Abby Phillips	CLC	4.17	1st  Place
Carolina Baldivieso	SCIS	3.68	2nd  Place
Paula Sakuma	SCCS	3.52	3rd  Place
High Jump
Abby Phillips	CLC	1.47	1st  Place
Daniela Barbery	SCCS	1.3	2nd  Place
Manuela Gonzales	SCIS	1.25	3rd  Place
Discus
Andrea Chavez	SCCS	17.8	1st  Place
Chiara Harriague	SCIS	17.4	2nd  Place
Claudia Benitez	SCCS	15.57	3rd  Place
Shot Put
Chiara Harriague	SCIS	7.91	1st  Place
Andrea Chavez	SCCS	7.82	2nd  Place
Pamela Suarez	SCIS	6.86	3rd  Place
100 m
Natalia Davila	SCISL	13’’68	1st  Place
Vanessa Flores	CC	14’’54	2nd  Place
Paula Sakuma	SCCS	15’’11	3rd  Place
200 m
Fernanda Vaca Diez	SCCS	30’’46	1st  Place
Natalia Davila	SCIS	30’50	2nd  Place
Josefina Rodriguez	CC	31’’37	3rd  Place
400 m
Abby Phillips	CLC	1’05’’50	1st  Place
Bianca Marinkovic	SCCS	1’14’’21	2nd  Place
Carolina Baldivieso	SCIS	1’16’’45	3rd  Place
800 m
Abby Phillips	CLC	2’53’’13	1st  Place
Valentina Chahin	SCCS	3’00’’08	2nd  Place
Nicole Fermin	CC	3’09’’78	3rd  Place
1500 m
Sofia Sotelo	SCCS	5’43’’74	1st  Place
Tamara Pereyra	SCCS	6’23’’83	2nd  Place
Nicole Fermin	CC	7’05’’79	3rd  Place

4x100 Relay	School	Record	Place
Christina Martin	SCIS	59’40	1st Place
Carolina Baldivieso
Ana Laura Gutierrez
Natalia Davila
Francesca Colanzi	SCCS	59’85	2nd Place
Fernanda Vaca Diez
Karla Aguilera
Tania Landivar
Josefina Rodriguez	CC	1’01’11	3rd Place
Julia Giampieri
Isadora Santos
Vanessa Flores

4x400 Relay	School	Record	Place
Vanessa Flores	CC	5’05’75	1st Place
Valeria Caceres
Lucia Candia
Josefina Rodriguez
Bianca Marinkovic	SCCS	5’14’40	2nd Place
Sofia Ward
Valentina Chahin
Karla Aguilera
Hyerim Ryu	CLC	5’29’90	3rd Place
Rebecah Kienzle
Susana Alvarez
Emily Ordoñez

Boys Results

 

Long Jump	School	Record	Place
Hyun Kim	SCCS	5.12	1st  Place
Josiah Canaviri	CLC	5.08	2nd  Place
Santiago Mac Lean	SCIS	4.96	3rd  Place
High Jump
Josiah Canaviri	CLC	1.65	1st  Place
Saul Torres	SCCS	1.55	2nd  Place
Percy Vidal	CC	1.5	3rd  Place
Discus
Andres Shin	SCCS	26.8	1st  Place
Tadeo Carmona	CC	23.65	2nd  Place
Saul Torres	SCIS	22.92	3rd  Place
Shot Put
Ezequiel Chavez	SCCS	11.42	1st  Place
Juan Velasco	SCIS	11.35	2nd  Place
Andres Shin	SCCS	10.80	3rd  Place
100 m
Esteban Sauto	SCCS	12’’28	1st  Place
Santiago Mac Lean	SCIS	12’’30	2nd  Place
Sergio Pacheco	SCCS	12’’53	3rd  Place
200 m
Sergio Pacheco	SCCS	25’’12	1st  Place
Sebastian Papadopulos	SCCS	25’’68	2nd  Place
Anthony Salvatierra	CC	25’’95	3rd  Place
400 m
Sebastian Papadopulos	SCCS	58’’88	1st  Place
Josue Abuawad	SCCS	1’00’’33	2nd  Place
Sebastian Rios	SCIS	1’01’’25	3rd  Place
800 m
Samuel Frith	CLC	2’27’’44	1st  Place
Daniel Hanley	SCIS	2’28’’80	2nd  Place
Jorge Zankiz	SCCS	2’29’’91	3rd  Place
1500 m
Samuel Frith	CLC	5’12’’29	1st  Place
Fernando Moscoso	CC	5’28’’57	2nd  Place
Fernando Antelo	SCCS	5’33’’21	3rd  Place

 

4x100 Relay	School	Record	Place
Sebastian Papadopulos	SCCS	50’05	1st Place
Sergio Pacheco
Josue Abuawad
Esteban Sauto
Seokhyun Hong	CC	54’03	2nd Place
Hankyu Kim
Adrian Gamarra
Kevin Pulis
Caleh Hwancho	CLC	54’03	3rd Place
Trevor Reed
Regan Janzen
Luke Phillips

4x400 Relay	School	Time	Place
Sergio Pacheco	SCCS	4’08’18	1st Place
Sergio Gonzalez
Sebastian Papadopulos
Josue Abuawad
Anthony Salvatierra	CC	4’08’90	2nd Place
Kevin Pulis
Diego Bejar
Tadeo Carmona
Cesar Flores	CLC	4’19’10	3rd Place
Mikah Kerney
Luke Phillips
Samuel Frith