Sports Shorts
BOYS’ PREP TENNIS
Another historic season
ON THE COURSE . . . Menlo School senior Andrew Buchanan and Sacred Heart Prep junior Bradley Knox have extended their prep seasons to the fullest following Monday’s NCGA/CIF Boys Golf Championships at Diablo Grand Resort in Patterson. Buchanan shot an even-par 72 while Knox shot a 2-over 74 as both were among nine individuals earning trips to the CIF State Championships, which will be held June 5 at Quail Lodge Golf Club in Carmel Valley. This will be the first state finals for both local players. A year ago in this tournament, Buchanan shot 75 and tied for 23rd. Buchanan earned that coveted berth this time as he shot a 1-under 35 on the back nine — featuring three of the course’s four toughest holes — to start his round. Buchanan had two bogeys and one birdie on the front nine for a 37. He finished with four birdies, 10 pars and four bogeys. Sacred Heart Prep, which was in third place with eight teams still having players on the course, lost out on one of the three coveted state team berths and finished tied for eighth at 399 in its first-ever NorCal appearance. Willy Lamb shot 80 for SHP, followed by Derek Ackerman (81), Taylor Oliver (82) and Bradley Keller (82).
Menlo School sweeps to a fifth straight NorCal championship by Keith Peters
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COLLEGE TENNIS
NCAA team title provides redemption for Stanford women After struggling with injuries, Cardinal proves it was a pretty good team all along by Rick Eymer
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IN THE POOL . . . Stanford head diving coach Dr. Rick Schavone will help coach the United States at the 2013 FINA World Championships this summer in Barcelona, Spain, as announced recently by USA Diving. Having just completed his 35th season as head diving coach on The Farm, Dr. Schavone will be accompanied to the competition in Barcelona by Cardinal diver Kristian Ipsen, who qualified for Team USA in both the 1-meter and 3-meter events during the United States World Championships Trials last week in Tallahassee, Fla. The position is the latest in a long line of international experience for Dr. Schavone, as the reigning NCAA Diving Coach of the Year served on Team USA’s Olympic coaching staff at the 2012 Olympics while steering Ipsen to a 3-meter synchro bronze medal. Ipsen was named NCAA Diver of the Year after winning the springboard events after Stanford secured an unprecedented four divers into the 2013 NCAA Championships. Dr. Schavone and Ipsen also earned the Pac-12 Conference’s respective awards for coach and diver of the year. Dr. Schavone is one of the few individuals to twice be named conference and national coach of the year in the same season.
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Kristie Ahn celebrates her winning point to clinch Stanford’s 4-3 win in the NCAA finale.
ON THE AIR Friday College baseball: UCLA at Stanford, 7 p.m.; KZSU (90.1 FM)
Saturday College baseball: UCLA at Stanford, 7 p.m.; KZSU (90.1 FM)
Sunday College baseball: UCLA at Stanford, 3 p.m.; KZSU (90.1 FM)
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Bill Kallenberg/stanfordphoto.com
here was no reason to believe Stanford would be a serious contender for the NCAA women’s tennis crown, not after losing to rival California on the final day of the regular season. The Cardinal was seeded 12th, just barely eligible to host one of the 16 sites for the first two rounds of the tournament. Regular-season losses to USC, Florida and St. Mary’s were also on its ledger and even Stanford coach Lele Forood acknowledged the loss to the Gaels, who also made the field of 64, hurt its seeding. Stanford’s No. 1 singles player Nicole Gibbs, who took on a heavy pro circuit schedule during the fall, did not even try to compete in the Pac-12 championship. She needed some time off. Forood never wandered too far away from her “we’re still a pretty good team” statement made after the Cardinal won its first two NCAA matches, each by a 4-0 score, over Miami of Ohio and Rice. Mention the loss of All-American Mallory Burdette to the professional ranks on the eve of the regular season, or question the 6-1 loss to the Trojans and Forood appears to mentally shrug and maintain her mantra. Her players, recruited to Stanford for leadership qualities as much as talent, rewarded Forood’s faith in them by choosing the NCAA team tournament to play their best tennis and advancing to the championship match. Texas A&M, Stanford’s opponent in the national finale, was enjoying a magical season of its own. The third-ranked Aggies never got past the Round of 16 before this year. Their season, however, ended short
ill Shine knows they are coming, just like the onset of a cold. It’s the postseason blues and they’ll hit him any day now. “It happens every year,” Shine said. “It’s the postseason blues. I miss the kids.” After 17 seasons with his Menlo School boys’ tennis team, one would think Shine would be over such a thing by now. Once you prepare yourself for the inevitable, it should be easy to deal with, right? Perhaps. But, Shine always has an attachment to his teams and players and this one ranks among the best. “This senior class has been great to be around, since the first day of their freshman year,” Shine said. Shine ticked off numerous superlatives to describe his 2013 seniors, like talent, camaraderie, commitment . . . “the whole ball of wax. They had fun and they worked hard.” Perhaps the most important trait could be found on the courts. “They had the uncanny ability to play their best tennis when it counted most,” he said. That was evident last weekend at the CIF Northern California Championships at the Gold River Racquet Club near Sacramento. The Knights blanked Shasta, Monte Vista (Danville) and Serra (in the finals) by 7-0 scores to claim their 10th NorCal title and finish the season at 27-1. Menlo’s fifth-straight title is the most in the 15-year history of the event. “The way they played in NorCal was really unbelievable,” Shine said of his team. “They didn’t take anyone for granted.” The Knights ran roughshod over everyone, equally. “It made my coaching really easy,” said Shine, who improved his career record at Menlo to 406-42. “I just sat back and enjoyed it . . . There were a couple matches that were fairly close, but the overall outcome wasn’t really in doubt, especially with everyone there.” When Menlo disposed of Serra in the Central Coast Section finals on May 10, the Knights won comfort(continued on page 31)
Menlo can prevent a history-making win in CCS finale by Emanuel Lee
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ince the Central Coast Section baseball playoffs began in 1967, no championship team has ever finished the season with a perfect record. Pacific Grove wants to be that team, and Menlo School wants to make sure the Breakers are not that team.
Whether history is made will be determined Saturday when No. 2 seed Pacific Grove (30-0) takes on No. 5 Menlo (22-7) in the CCS Division III title game at San Jose Municipal Stadium at 4 p.m. “Obviously, it is another huge task,” said Menlo coach Craig Schoof. “This has not been an easy draw for us in any game so far in the
tournament.” All three of Menlo’s victories have been by one run. “It’s baseball,” Schoof said. “We are good enough to win, but they are loaded on the mound and a very confident (as they should be) team.” “(But) Got to think the pressure is all on them. Nobody expects us to win and they have a chance to make
history. They beat us last year so maybe they will be overconfident.” Pacific Grove ended Menlo’s streak of successive CCS titles last year with a 10-6 victory. “Not talking about payback at all,” Schoof said. “I know the kids have mentioned it but, in all honesty, we (continued on page 31)
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