Sports CCS GIRLS’ SWIM RECORDS
PREP SOFTBALL
Gunn earns CCS berth, wants more Titans’ goal was to win an outright title before heading into postseason
Time 1:44.17 1:43.26 1:57.94 22.24 515.60 51.92p 48.61
500 free 200 free relay 100 back 100 breast 400 free relay
4:43.96 1:34.16 52.32 1:01.50 3:23.06
Name Jasmine Tosky Jasmine Tosky Maddy Schaefer Alexa Cacac Jasmine Tosky Maddy Schaefer Jasmine Tosky Jasmine Tosky Ally Howe Sarah Liang
Team Burlingame Palo Alto Palo Alto St. Francis Milpitas Palo Alto St. Francis Palo Alto Palo Alto St. Francis SH Prep Palo Alto Gunn
Year 2012 2012 2009 2010 2013 2011 2010 2012 2009 2010 2013 2009 2012
CCS BOYS’ SWIM RECORDS
by Ari Kaye
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Junior Iris Chin has pitched Gunn into the CCS playoffs. lead back up to two in the bottom of the fifth as Chin scored from third on a wild pitch. Cupertino threatened to tie the game up in the top of the sixth inning, as the Pioneers loaded the bases with nobody out. However, Chin pitched through the trouble, retiring the next three batters while allowing only a single run to score on a wild pitch. In the top of the seventh, Cupertino mounted one last rally against Chin, as Jordan Amick tripled with one out. Chin buckled down once again, striking out Leah Ramirez and coaxing a fly out to end the game. “She always finds a way to make it work,” Maltz said of his pitcher. “Iris has gotten in jams before like that and she’s been able to rely on her defense to back her up. And then there are times where she just sucks it up and gets the strikeout that we need.” On Thursday, Gunn squared off at home against crosstown rival Paly. With a Gunn win, or a Mountain View loss against host Milpitas, the Titans won the division title outright. The Vikings (4-7, 14-12) won be playing in the postseason this year, but still can run Gunn’s title plans. Palo Alto celebrated its Senior Day with an 8-3 victory over visiting Fremont on Tuesday. The Vikings overcame a 2-0 deficit in the first inning by scoring four runs in the third and fourth frames. Sophomore Maddie Martinson had two hits and drove in three runs for Paly while senior Julia Saul and junior Casey Glassford each had two hits and two RBI. Seniors Hannah Bundy, Tori Destefano and Emma Noroian all made the most of their final home game by producing two hits each. Saul pitched a complete-game seven-hitter, allowing only two earned runs while striking out eight. (For results of the Paly-Gunn game Thursday, go to www.pasportsonline.com) N
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Event 200 medley relay 200 free 200 IM 50 free Diving 100 fly 100 free 500 free 200 free relay 100 back 100 breast 400 free relay
Time 1:31.84 1:35.86 1:45.01 19.89 662.15 47.12p 43.71 4:18.26 1:23.57 47.91 53.90 3:00.68
Name Sam Shimomura Curtis Ogren Shayne Fleming Zhipeng Zeng Tom Kremer Shayne Fleming Michael Nunan Tom Kremer Curtis Ogren
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really raised him with the right moral values. He is polite, works hard, is a good friend, and he is humble about his abilities. He is smart, obviously — going to Stanford — talented and yet his friends can see him clearly as a peer. “(He is) someone who likes to laugh, joke, have a good time. He talent never got into his head. He is just a very nice young man who happens to be really, really fast!!! And, he is dedicated to continuing to find ways to work hard and swim fast. He is very similar to (former Paly All-American) Jasmine (Tosky) in the fact that they are just good people who have a gift. But, they have learned to be a part of a team and share that gift, rather than thinking it is only about them.” Kevin Morris, who coaches Howe, has similar thoughts on his senior standout. “Obviously it will be impossible to replace Ally next year, but, more than that, I’ll miss her personally a ton,” Morris said. “I had the privilege of teaching her this year in AP Statistics, and it so amazing to see how the incredible work ethic she shows in the pool translated to the classroom. It’s a cliche to say that accomplished swimmers like Ally sacrifice so much with hour after hour of morning practice, but Ally takes that same attitude to everything she does, including her math homework. She’s also one of the kindest, sweetest people I’ve ever met, and she has embraced that role on our team, complimenting everyone on their best times and helping out the younger swimmers with their starts and turns. “As she’s winding up her CCS career, she’s more relaxed and just enjoying her team, and I can’t wait to see what she does at CCS this weekend; I think it is going to be something special. She’s
Team Saratoga Bellarmine St. Francis V. Christian King’s Academy SH Prep V. Christian Valley Christian Bellarmine SH Prep St. Francis Saratoga
Year 2009 2012 2013 2009 2011 2012 2009 2012 2012 2012 2013 2009
sort of been the public face of our program since she’s arrived, and I couldn’t think of a nicer representative and role model.” Both Liang and Howe could take down a record or two this weekend as they close out their respective careers. Howe owns the CCS mark in the 100 back with a 52.32 from last year. That just missed the national private school record. She’ll go after her own mark as well as defend her 200 IM title. Liang’s best record shot is in the 100 fly, where SHP grad Tom Kremer’s 47.12 from 2012 is clearly within reach. Liang won the CCS title last season in 47.19 and could be the first section swimmer to break 47 seconds. Liang’s personal best is a meet record of 46.88, which came at the 2014 Southern Zone/Speedo Champions Series in College Station, Texas in late February while he was helping PASA win the team title. The national public school record is 45.89. Coincidently, Tosky owns the girls’ national public school record (51.92), set in the CCS prelims in 2011. “Our team has a goal in mind,”
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unn might have a young overall team, but the Titans have become grizzled veterans at playing in tight ballgames. Coming into Tuesday afternoon’s matchup against Cupertino, Gunn had played in a total of six one-run contests this season. With so much experience playing in close games, it was no surprise that Gunn was able to keep its composure with a Central Coast Section berth on the line. The Titans received seven stellar innings on the mound from their star pitcher, junior Iris Chin, to help them defeat the visiting Pioneers, 3-2, and clinch no worse than a share of the SCVAL El Camino Division championship. “The No. 1 goal coming into the season was to win league,” Gunn head coach Matt Maltz said. “We still aren’t quite there yet since our goal is to be sole champions . . . but, I’m very proud of this team. This is where we wanted to be.” With a co-championship secured, Gunn clinches a spot in the upcoming CCS playoffs for the first time since 2010. With so many young players on the team coming back for next season, Maltz felt it was important for his girls make it to CCS this season to expose them to playoff softball. “I’ve got 11 out of 12 players returning next year,” Maltz said. “Most of our starters are sophomores and they’ll have a lot of experience now. But, our sights are still set on finishing this season out and making a difference.” Chin pitched another brilliant game for the Titans, allowing just one earned run and striking out eight to lower her season ERA to a paltry 1.12. The junior, who had previously no-hit the Pioneers in five innings on April 8, complimented Cupertino on the adjustments they made against her Tuesday. “They were easily tracking some of my rise balls today,” Chin said. “That’s what I was getting them out on in the first game so kudos to them for that.” Gunn got on the scoreboard first in the third inning, as junior Natalie Oda led off the inning with a single, and Chin drove her home with a triple to right field. Sophomore Emma Wager followed up with an RBI single to give Gunn an early 2-0 lead. The Pioneers struck back with an RBI single from sophomore Agnes Jang in the top of the fourth, but Gunn stretched the
Event 200 medley relay 200 free 200 IM 50 free Diving 100 fly 100 free
said Liang, referring to the Vikings taking aim at ending Bellarmine’s streak of 29 straight section titles. “I have my own individual goals . . . I’m confident for what can happen. This is my last dance. Hopefully, I can make it a good one.” Liang is coming off a performance where he had a hand in three meet records and one school mark while helping his team defend its title at the SCVAL De Anza Division Championships at Gunn High last Friday. Liang started the league finals by winning the 50 free in 20.33, breaking the meet record of 20.50 set by Joe Bottom in 1973. It was the oldest meet mark left on the books. Liang also erased his school record and earned automatic All-American status while recording one of the fastest times in CCS history. “I was relatively pleased with that,” Liang said. Just a short while later, Liang splashed to victory in the 100 fly in 47.74, lowering his own meet record of 47.88 when he knocked the legendary Mark Spitz out of the record books last season. That, too, was an automatic AllAmerican time. Liang returned in the 200 free relay, where he anchored the Vikings to a meet record of 1:25.91, the No. 2 time in school history that erased the 1:26.21 time Paly set last year. Finally, Liang anchored the 400 free relay to victory in 3:07.50, fastest in the CCS this season. He clocked 45.21 on his leg as the team of senior William Lee, junior Winston Wang and freshman Alex Liang earned All-American consideration. That wrapped up a 504-point effort for Paly, which won its fourth straight league meet title. Gunn was second with 400. Palo Alto also won the opening 200 medley relay with a meet record of 1:35.48. Andrew Cho, Scott Powell, Alex Liang and Winston Wang made up the squad. Andrew Liang will compete on that team at CCS. Lee added a victory in the 200
Gunn junior Jenna Campbell is the defending CCS champion in the 200-yard freestyle.