12 • SPORTS
Monday, March 18, 2013
track and field
Palomar track athletes Alexis Smith, Sydney Ellis, Tori Dorsey and Aleiha Nelson compete against nine colleges in the 1,500 meter run March 9 during the San Diego Collegiate Challenge at UC San Diego. • Peter Ahsue/Telescope
Comets’ depth proves to be beneficial Scott roberson the telescope
Palomar track and field season is well underway, and the Comets have experienced a successful season thus far. The Comets competed at the San Diego Challenge Track and Field meet March 9 at the University of California San Diego (UCSD). They competed against both four-year universities and California community colleges finishing sixth among nine teams, but second among the community colleges. Head Coach Jennifer Williams is very pleased with the way her team has performed this year, but she is ecstatic with the depth of her team that she has not experience in prior years. “We have jumpers, sprinters, throwers, hurdlers and distance runners that we haven’t always had,” Coach Williams said. “It’s really nice to have depth.” Having depth creates competition, and, in turn, pushes the athletes to improve. Sophomore thrower Soliaana Faapouli has prospered amongst the elevated competition. Faapouli finished with a second place throw in the
hammer toss against four-year college competition and has posted a throw that could qualify her for state. In addition, Faapouli was able to finish in eighth place in both the discus and javelin throws. “The advantage for competing for a community college is we don’t have the pressure that a four-year (athlete) does,” said Faapouli. “We don’t have anything to lose, but so much to gain.” According to freshman sprinter Lucrecia Capano, the Comets continue to get better every meet. “Everybody may not PR (personal record), but as a whole, the team feels really strong about how they compete,” Capano said. Capano was able to finish in eighth place in 100-meter dash at a time of 12.92. Due to the youth of this team, Coach Williams believes they can only get better. She said they are all really great athletes but sometimes lack in confidence. However, confidence is built through experience and competition, for the freshmen there is plenty of time to build this trait. In regards to the season, Coach Williams said she is happy with her teams performance
thus far, but she really just utilizes the beginning of the season to get her athletes acclimated to competing. “They get to learn awareness of time. Heats don’t always start on time, so they (the athletes) have to be aware of their surroundings; know when to warm up, know when to cool down and know when their race is coming up,” Coach Williams said. Her intentions are not to disregard the importance of the beginning of the season, but she wants her athletes ready for the meets that really matter. The first meet that holds substance is the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference (PCAC) prelims April 18 in San Bernardino. With three girls on the team with a history of having torn their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) prior to this season, it is reasonable to have a fear of the team suffering from injuries. Fortunately, the Comets have not had to deal with any major issues this season. “We get some aches and pains here and there, but overall we’re doing okay.” sroberson@the-telescope.com @scottroberson55
Palomar field athlete Soliaana Faapouli, who placed second in the hammer toss, competes in the javelin throw on March 9 during the 2013 San Diego Collegiate Challenge at UC San Diego. • Peter Ahsue/Telescope
VOLLEYBALL
Volleyball looks to improve after slow start david krueger the telescope
Palomar men’s volleyball team huddles around head coach Bjorn Dahl before the game against Golden West on March 8 in the Dome. • David Krueger/Telescope
After a new wave of freshmen made their way on to the men’s volleyball team this season, chemistry between the players has been a challenge. Palomar came up short against Golden West losing in three sets, 21-25, 21-16, 25-23, 2426, at the Dome. Starting outside hitter, Nick Supple, 19, said, “We’re getting better every single game we play.” That seems to be the main focus for the team right now, according to Head Coach Bjorn Dahl. “We just keep trying to improve in what we’re doing,” said Dahl. Even after the tough loss
against Golden West, players still kept their heads high. “It’s a tough loss, and hopefully we’ll get back in the gym and work harder and then play better in the game,” said Supple. The amount of players on this year’s team has significantly decreased in comparison to years prior. They’ve dropped from having eighteen men down to only nine this season. Another disadvantage the team faces is the lack of height of the players. Dahl said he expects the guys to work that much harder. “We have to be one of the most disciplined teams out there just because of our size. We can’t do the things that the big guys can,”
said Dahl. Freshman Kyle Bass, 19, says that in order for the team to improve, they need to start focusing more on talking to each other during the game. “Communication, just knowing our jobs on the court,” said Bass. Even though there are no returning players from last season, Bjorn feels that the young team shows signs of potential if they work together and play smart. “We’re doing a good job passing. We’re doing a good job defensively. We need to make sure we’re in the right position to give ourselves a chance to get a swing for a kill, for a point,” said Dahl. dkrueger@the-telescope.com