Volume XI issue 6

Volume XI, Issue 6 May 2018

magazine In too Diep

p. 16

“

If I could choose any coach in the world to play for,

I would choose him.

”

-Jeremy Lin (‘06)

YEARin

Review pg. twenty-two @ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MAY 2018

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Line-Up

In too Diep - page 16 -

Boys Team of the Year - page 22 -

Girls Team of the Year - page 24 -

Girls Upperclassman - page 26 -

Boys upperclassman - page 28 -

Underclassmen - page 30 -

Alok Subbaro - page 32 -

Top 10 Moments - page 34 -

Bottom 10 Moments - page 36 -

Recruiting Map 2018 - page 38 -

Go to vikingsportsmag.com E-mail us at vikingads@gmail.com

Recaps

- page 40 -

Also included...

Farewell (44) Final word (46) @ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MAY 2018

Slide

Max Jung-Goldberg (‘18) slides back into first base. Paly beat Los Altos 4-2.

Photo by David Hickey

4 | V I K I N G M AG A Z I N E |

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MAY 2018

Dive

6 | V I K I N G M AG A Z I N E |

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Samantha McBride (‘18) dives for a flyball. Paly beat Gunn 4-3.

Photo by David Hickey

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MAY 2018

Jump

8 | V I K I N G M AG A Z I N E |

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

Philip Ericcson (‘18) jumps into the pit. Ericcson won Triple Jump with a leap of 37’09.00 feet.

Photo by David Hickey

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MAY 2018

Editors-in-Chief: Ellie Jeffries Stan de Martel Maria Fletcher

Managing Editor: Lauren Daniel

Multimedia Directors: Mallory Kuppe Cole Sotnick

Design Director: Zach Philips

Head Columnists: Nathan Ellisen Wes Walters

Social Media Manager:

Will DeAndre

Photo Editor:

David Hickey Jason Shorin

Copy Editor:

Nathan Seto

Beat Editors:

Ryan Strathearn Zach Bumgarten

Business Manager: Eric Aboytes Summer Daniel

Videographers: Tyler Foug Nick Welch

Senior Staff Writers: Bryan Look Will Strauch Max Jung-Goldberg Jared Wulbrun Hayley Levine Matan Ziv Sabrina Hall

Staff Writers:

Jackson Chryst Josh Kasevich Al Lee Ryan Stanley Yue Shi

Staff Adviser: Brian Wilson

From the editors Dear readers, We could not be more excited to display for you the final issue of Viking Volume 11, and the concluding issue to the 2017-2018 school year. For our last issue we have looked back to honor just a few of the stellar athletes, teams and teammates, that have contributed major feats throughout this year. We also take time to reflect on the unmatched legacy of long time boys basketball coach Peter Diepenbrock, and thank him for all he has done not only for Paly athletics, but the school as a whole.

As Viking’s newest Editors-in-Chief, we would first and foremost like to thank our graduating EIC’s, Sabrina Hall and Bryan Look, they have set a prime example of what it means to lead and produce a magazine of such caliber and quality. We promise to endeavor to maintain and honor their solid work during our time in this position. We would also like to extend our greatest gratitude to the other five graduating seniors, Max Jung-Goldberg, Haley Levine, Jared Wulburn, Matan Ziv, and Will Strauch; you have

Viking Sko Vikes,

Ellie Jeffries

Stan de Martel

Maria Fletcher

Admin needs to support student athletes affected by the new schedule

The Viking Palo Alto High School 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301 650-329-3837 Email contact: vikingeds@gmail. com Advertising and Sponsorship Contact: vikingads@gmail.com

10 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

service outside of Paly. In general, sports games take place everyday of the week at varying times leaving athletes in a vulnerable spot to excessive absences during 5th, 6th, and 7th periods. If a student has a very important class like an honors or AP, the valuable time missed in the classroom can pile up over a semester and can hinder a students academic success.

We acknowledge that flex time has been added mid-day for students to meet with teachers, however, athletes will be spending this time to catch up rather than ask questions about material they do not understand. In order to combat this issue, sports schedules must be adjusted to later times that leave students with more time to work on academics.

If no changes are made, the whole purpose of a student athlete is meaningless. The administration is trying their best to accommodate students by rescheduling home games to a later time, however, little can be done to change the time of an away or out of conference game.

The Viking, a sports magazine published by the students in Palo Alto High School’s Advanced Magazine Journalism class, is an open forum for student expression and the discussion of issues of concern to its readership. The Viking is distributed to its readers and the student body at no cost. The staff welcomes letters to the editor, but reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, grammar, potential libel, invasion of privacy and obscenity.

Advertising in The Viking

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What are you going to miss the most about viking?

set the high tone for Viking magazine and shown us younger staff members all that this publication can be, you will be missed!

To our readers, we cannot thank you enough for your support. Without you we would cease to exist as a publication, and your dedicated readership continually inspires and drives us to produce the best magazine possible. Looking towards the future we are excited and anxious to build on the legacy left for us, and taking our beloved magazine and website to the next level.

Our highest appreciation to you, our readers, for your lasting love for Viking Magazine, we hope you enjoy our last issue of this year, and promise to wow you again with our amazing work next year.

Staff view

One new feature about next school year is our new “improved” schedule. Although the majority of school agreed that this new schedule will benefit students by offering more time to sleep-in, the time change can negatively affect student athletes. Next year’s schedule will include alternating block days, meaning that athletes will never know if their games fall on a T or B schedule. Also, the schedule is adjusted so that every day ends at 3:35.

The problem with the unknown scheduling is that students cannot chose a prep that would benefit them. For example, of a lacrosse player has a game at 5:30 in Los Gatos it is likely they would miss 6th or 7th period depending on the day. For this athlete, they could not possibly pick a single prep period that would not interfere with class.

Additionally, practice times for teams usually last 2 hours a day with practices in the morning or evening. Since there will no longer be days that end at 2:35, students will have less time after school to either work on homework or participate in community

Thank you for your dedication and hard work!

The staff publishes advertisements with signed contracts providing they are not deemed by the staff inappropriate for the magazine’s audience.

For more information about advertising with The Viking, please contact the The Viking by email at vikingeds@gmail.com Printing Services 2,500 copies of The Viking are printed, six times a year by Folger Graphics in Hayward, Calif.

“Hanging out with all my friends and writing whatever I wanted on the Final Word” - Matan

“Hanging out with Jackson and Wes, those are my sons, we’ll stay in contact but it won’t be the same” - Jared

“The ‘radery, the squad, and the almighty fil a ... and Stan” - Max

“All you morons” - Hayley

“The ‘radery and Max dancing during production” - Bryan

“The Oreos” - Will S

“The music during production” - Sabrina @ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MAY 2018

Pop Culture Grid Marvel or DC Comics?

Peter Gold (‘18) Boys Lax

Miles Schulman (‘19) Boys Volleyball

Favorite Movie?

Favorite Athlete?

Lulus or Chipotle?

Marvel

Denver Nuggets!

Barton Fink

Simone Biles

Lulus

Marvel

What is a NBA Champion?

Camp Rock

Steph Curry

Chipotle

Marvel

Celtics

The Great Escape

Travis Pastrana

Marvel

Adee Newman (‘18) Track and Field

NBA Champion?

Marvel

I don’t watch basketball

Warriors!

Guardians of the Galaxy

Iron Man

Katie Ledecky

Allyson Felix

Sydney Schwan (‘19) Girls Lax

Henry Saul

Henry Saul (‘19)

Lulus

Lulus Kate Milne (‘20) Girls Swimming

Michael Davidson Coach

Reed Foster (‘18) Teammate

John Tayeri (‘19) Friend

Questions?

Aashai Avadhani

Funniest Teammate?

Aashai Avadhani

John Tayeri

Aashai Avadhani

Gal Gadot

Celebrity Crush?

Sydney McLaughlin

Sacha Baron Cohen

Sydney McLaughlin

Chicken Pasta

Pre-Run Meal?

PB&J with Gummies

Pasta

Pasta

The Office

Favorite TV Show?

The Office

Mantracker

The Office

Singing While Running

Random Talent?

Singing

Singing

Annoying People

Instagram

Favorite App?

Strava

Plants vs. Zombies

Ballz

The People

Best Thing About Paly?

The Track Team

Open Campus

Town and Country

You Belong With Me

Favorite Song?

You Belong With Me

Call Me Maybe

Anything from Tyler, the Creator

In N Out

In N Out or Five Guys?

Five Guys

In N Out

Five Guys

The GOAT

Nickname?

The GOAT

The Best

The GOAT

50%

30%

40%

Lulus

A total of 29 Paly athletes, including Viking’s very own Jared Wulbrun (‘18) and Max Jung-Goldberg (‘18), committed to schools during the April National Signing Day.

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Viking Magazine had the chance to ask Paly Track and Field’s Henry Saul (‘19) 10 Questions. We then asked his coach, teammate and friend what they thought he said. Here are their responses...

as told to Eric Aboytes and Hayley Levine

Moment of the Month

12 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

10 Questions With

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MAY 2018

Social Media Is it Making the

Inside the Mind Of

Claire Lin

NBA too Soft?

B

by NATHAN ELLISEN and WES WALTERS

Plans after Paly?

I want to do some traveling, road trip to different parts of California, hang out with family and friends before heading out to Columbia University in the fall.

Pre-Swim Ritual?

Every meet we always have a dress theme, secret buddies, and lunch on the quad with the girls. SCVALs dress theme is Hawaiian and black out.

Personally, I don’t have a pre-swim ritual.

Free

Tim

e Whe n I ge t the really cha i of wh nto taking nce, I’m ateve phot ri os that d ay. I o nspires m e ccasi write ona sc cinem ripts and lly d atog raph o y.

of Best part m swim tea bonding and

, the team ming Honestly Sometimes swim . on rt but at competiti idual spo iv d in am n a re like a te feels like feels mo r it e l, th o o o h h g wit high sc competin in d te n orie ols. high scho

14 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

If you weren’t on swim team ?

I don’t even imag ine my life without swimmin g because I’ve built so many co nnections in my life. I would get a part time job and travel more.

Also get more involved at PALY .

efore even scoring his 30,000th point, Cleveland Cavalier Lebron James congratulated himself on the career-making milestone.

Lebron received widespread criticism for his arrogant remarks, and revealed his cocky and soft side to the NBA world. Social media has come to dominate the interactions between opposing players across all sports, and has in turn created a softer and less competitive environment for all the athletes in participation.

Across the entire sports world, and especially in the NBA, Twitter and other social media platforms have created an atmosphere of unnecessary argument and have completely changed the reputation of hundreds of players in the professional sports world. Rather than extend the fans opportunities to communicate and learn about the lives of their athletic idols, social media has caused players to show their true colors, often times revealing excessive arrogance, childish tendencies, and demonstrating characteristics of a “soft” player.

One example of this is Golden State Warrior Kevin Durant and his infamous “cupcake” reputation.

Russell Westbrook and Durant’s former team the Oklahoma City Thunder continually refer to their departed teammate as a “cupcake”, since Durant is soft for leaving to the more dominant Warriors.

Westbrook and some of his teammates continued this generally playful criticism and took it too far on social media. If the cupcake criticism had been left only on the court, it would have felt more insin-

Back in the golden days of the NBA, there was the “Malice at the Palace” and fights almost every night. Today, there are just meaningless Twitter beefs and players calling other players cupcakes.

This is now a disappointing league.

cere than actual hatred towards Durant.

Rather, Westbrook and the Thunder continued to taunt their former teammate, creating an environment that was not nostalgic but actually filled with resent.

Another issue that arises with excessive use of social media from players is an attraction to the Internet over the present fans, players or coaches. Rather than spending the post game with teammates and coaches, players will check social media and spread false or true rumors about their locker room and the outcome of the game as a whole. Not only does this hurt the team chemistry, but it also completely changes the experience of the fans. Although the fans get to extend their relationships and honors towards the players they admire, they also see the bad sides of these players and viewing a game in person can be influenced by what has happened over social media.

The Durant and Westbrook dispute is a perfect example of this, as rather than fans getting to experience real life disputes between the former teammates, they had to settle for the weak cupcake dispute that truly wasn’t how either Westbrook or Durant felt about the free agency.

Every year King James goes into Zero-Dark-Thirty-23, for the playoffs. This is the time when he goes off social media to focus solely on basketball. Lebron is one of the best playoff performers in the

history of sports. It makes you wonder if it is because he doesn’t distract himself online.

“Zero-Dark-Thirty-23 is the best version of Lebron, he brought a title to Cleveland. No one had done that in 50 years.”

Matthew Marzano (‘20) said.

Another example of this is Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers when playing Player Unknown Battlegrounds with Karl Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The two NBA players started their duo to the public, and they started speaking of their upcoming schedule during the regular season. Towns mentioned that he was going to be playing the Atlanta Hawks in his next game. Simmons responded saying that Towns had “plenty of time” to continue playing video games, referencing that the Hawks had not had a good season, and Towns didn’t need to practice for his upcoming game.

Although this light banter towards the struggling Hawks likely would have been considered a playful joke to the few viewers of the stream, the incident was completely exaggerated and widespread thanks to social media. Many believed it was completely unfair and unjust of Simmons to make this casual remark. All this drama put Simmons to be a villain in a situation where he was only trying to entertain Towns and the few viewers of their video game. Ben Simmons and his PUBG remarks is a perfect example of how social media has changed the relations between players and management, opposing players, and the entire world.

All in all, the NBA and professional sports leagues across the world are becoming softer due to the influx of social media use by the players and the fans alike.

“Zero-Dark-Thirty-23 is the best version of Lebron, he brought a title to Cleveland” -Matthew Marzano (‘20)

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MAY 2018

IN

Photo by David Hickey

too

DIEP

by BRYAN LOOK, WILL STRAUCH and JARED WULBRUN

After 14 seasons as Paly’s Boys Basketball Head Coach, Peter Diepenbrock is calling it a career. His tenure at Paly has been filled with detailed film sessions, close games and championships. Even though his coaching career is over, the lessons he taught his players will last forever.

I

t’s 3 a.m. and Peter Diepenbrock knows it’s time to call it a night. He sits alone in his home office studying game film of Dublin High School, the number one seed in the CIF Division I tournament. The game is 39 hours away.

The walls of his office are covered in pictures of friends and family, various awards and seven Michael Jordan posters. His house is quiet; his wife Janet and son John are asleep.

He’s trying to find the highlights in the video to show his team later today, minute weaknesses in Dublin’s game that will give the Vikings an edge in the contest. By now he’s watched dozens of hours of film and he knows their best scorer’s moves, their out of bounds plays and their defensive structure.

41 hours later the Vikings upset the Gaels 83-80. *** His league record speaks for itself: 143 wins and 25 losses.

Over 14 seasons of coaching at Palo Alto High School, Diepenbrock has only once finished outside the top two in leagues. He has won six league titles, four CCS championships and the 2006 state tournament. But as outstanding as Diepenbrock’s teams have been, his success extends far beyond basketball.

TIMELINE: ‘77

16 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

Played at Burlingame High School, MVP of team all four years

“I fell in love with basketball in the eighth grade and then started playing non-stop” w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

‘78-‘82

‘82-‘84

All League Player at Menlo College @ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MAY 2018

meeting spike lee:

During the height of Linsanity in 2011 Diepenbrock had the following conversation with WFAN, a sports radio station in New York: “I got Jeremy Lin’s jersey sittin’ right here I want Spike to be wearing it, I want Spike Lee to be wearing it… ‘Peter, Spike was just listening he says it’s done, it’s a done deal, he wants to wear the jersey…’ Sure enough I show up to that game, he’s got the jersey on, and I’m sitting ten rows up and I’m like ‘Hi Spike, I’m Peter, ‘YOU’RE PETER? GET DOWN HERE, GET DOWN HERE!’ And he brings me down to the floor and he’s introducing me to Mike Tirico, the woman is coming over from NBC, she’s interviewing us, it was insane, just insane.” Peter Diepenbrock

max doward:

“There are coaches that are just coaches and then there are players-coaches. Diep is one of those guys who can be both.” Max Dorward (‘18)

LAS vegas:

“It’s wintertime and [Diep] calls me up. He goes, ‘Hey, what are you doing for the next couple days?’ And I said, well, I don’t know, I’m on college winter break. And he goes, ‘Do you want to go to Vegas? I’ve got a ticket for you, we’re playing a basketball tournament’ and I’m like sure that sounds awesome, why not?

He was like, ‘it’s three days, you’ll video the team and just kind of be around and support us.’ Well, that sounds great. Let’s do it. He goes ‘Great, I’ll pick you up in five minutes.’” Beau Clark (‘01)

TIMELINE: ‘82-‘84

‘87-‘91

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Photo by David Hickey

“He obviously taught me a lot about the game of basketball but he also taught me what it means to be a man and a leader” Jeremy Lin (‘06)

Player-coach on men’s team in Copenhagen, as well coached a women’s team, 16-year-old boys team and 15-year-old girls team

Kinesiology Major at UCLA 18 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

“He knows at the end of the day [that] life is bigger than just basketball,” Will Schlemmer (‘18) said.

For Diepenbrock, known as “Diep” to many friends and players, his ultimate objective of leaving a lasting impression on his players. One former players, Brian Baskauskas (‘05) remarked that “as great of a coach as he is, the really special thing about Diep is that it’s never been just about basketball. It’s always been about life.

Our relationship has always transcended basketball,” Baskauskas said.

Through basketball Diepenbrock teaches his players life lessons that they can use beyond basketball.

“He obviously taught me a lot about the game of basketball but he also taught me what it means to be a man and a leader,” Jeremy Lin (‘06) said.

One value that Diepenbrock instills in his players is pure determination. His personal will to win and intense competitive nature rubbed off on his players.

“His key attribute was that he simply cared more than any other coach,” Baskauskas said. “I will never forget that.”

“It was very clear that he has a very strong passion towards the game of basketball,” Justin Hull (‘16) said. “If anyone can put as much passion into a game as Diepenbrock has, you’re gonna have success.”

Diepenbrock’s determination and drive to be successful has been a part of him for his entire life.

“He was a great learner, [had a] great passion for the game,” said Doc Scheppler, Diepenbrock’s high school coach and current Pinewood girls’ basketball coach. “The type of player that you have, that you teach him something, he’d go home and practice it, have it mastered, and the next day he’d want to learn something else.”

He motivates his players, just as he motivates himself. “[Diepenbrock] pushed me to push myself to lead effectively and to dream bigger,” Lin said. “He was the first person who ever planted the seed that I could play college basketball.”

Diepenbrock’s determination ultimately leads to attention to detail. The extra time that he uses to prepare allows him to break the game down deeper than other coaches.

“When I’m coaching my life is what are we doing at the next practice? Are we ready for the next game? Getting ready for

“After coaching for a month I knew I would be coaching forever”

the next video session,” Diepenbrock said. “So anything that is not involving the practice or the next game or the next video session is just... filler time.”

“He’s obsessive in a good way,” Max Dorward (‘18) said. “In our playoff run my junior year, we went to St Mary’s, and on the way back we asked him how much film he had watched to prepare for the game and he said over 36 hours. That’s him obsessing over what can we do to win this game? What do we have to do? What’s necessary? What do we have to sacrifice?”

While Diepenbrock’s incredibly detailed philosophy leads him to understand the game on a deeper level, he’s still humble enough to take suggestions from others.

“I think what’s unique about Peter is even though he probably knows the game of basketball better than anyone in the world, he was always still trying to learn and understand more and he’s very humble in that way,” Chris Bobel (‘02) said.

Just as Diepenbrock values humility, he also places a clear

what is winning:

“You can’t go out and win. There’s no such thing as winning. That’s not an action. You have to be a basketball player. You have to make basketball plays and then the result is winning.” Peter Diepenbrock

Brian baskauskas:

“He no longer screams at me for not cutting off baseline, but I can still hear it in the back of my head.” Brian Baskauskas (‘05)

Started coaching at Palo Alto High School

Coach at Pinewood High School

‘91-‘93 Assistant coach at UC Davis

‘96 ‘93-‘95

Returned to coach in Denmark

‘97

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MAY 2018

relationships off the court.

“My philosophy that I discuss with the guys at the start of each season is that happiness in life is determined by your quality of relationships...the success we have as a team is gonna come down to how we handle our individual relationships on this team,” Diepenbrock said.

Incidentally, by teaching his players these values he also builds strong relationships with

“Happiness in life is determined by your quality of relationships” Peter Diepenbrock

Photo by David Hickey

emphasis on accountability.

“I don’t care if you’re late, just don’t break an agreement,” Diepenbrock said. “The overriding philosophy behind the program [is to] be a person of integrity and a person of integrity is someone who does what he says he’s going to do… Whatever we say we’re going to do, let’s do it.”

“He’s big on transparency, communication, and he’s really big on character,” assistant coach Ben Batory said. “He wants the type of players around him that if they commit to something, [they] see that commitment through. Peter’s ability to get those lessons across through basketball are just really impactful for young men’s lives going forward.”

Values like honesty and respect allow people to have higher quality connections. Diepenbrock teaches these values to his kids on the court so they can create stronger bonds in their own

Life During Linsanity:

“For literally three straight days, I’d come in and it would say ‘you have 47 messages, you have 56 messages’ and I mean it would be CNN, Time, Newsweek, ABC, CBS. You name it. Every possible publication… It was literally just day after day and all I did was interview after interview after interview, they came here and had their TV cameras. It was a full time job for weeks.” Peter Diepenbrock

TIMELINE: ‘98

Won CIF Division II State Championship

Started Diepenbrock Basketball School 20 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

‘06

Did not coach

‘08

Moved on from PALY to coach at Cañada Junior College. Took them from 3-20 to 20-6

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them as many are still incredibly close with him even after their basketball career has ended.

“Basketball is the vehicle that brought us together. It’s still something we can talk about, but it just goes so much beyond that,” Bobel said.

“I just developed a relationship where I caught myself wanting to give him a call and check on him and he checks up on me, and even to this day he visits me now,” Nick Robinson (‘09) said. “Even this many years removed from high school we’re still very close.”

“My relationship [with Diepenbrock] since high school has been one of the coolest relationships I have ever experienced. He went from being a coach to a friend,” Lin said. “We talk about everything in life from life purpose to personal romance to religion... really everything. He’s flown across the country with his son to stay at my apartment for a few days to hang out and watch some [Brooklyn] Nets games.”

As Diepenbrock’s illustrious career comes to a close and he retires to teaching PE and coaching his son’s NJB team, he leaves behind a legacy rich in values. Those fortunate enough to play for him accumulated a bounty of lessons that will continue to impact them in ways that extend far beyond the doors of any gym.

“If I could choose any coach in the world to play for I would choose him,” Lin said. “And I’m not joking.”

‘11 ‘11

‘12-‘15

“[I had] an incredible bond with [the 2001-02] team. I mean, we went to Denmark together...

So just an incredible relationship and just was totally connected to that group. And they were really, really good. An incredible defensive team, competitive, tough. And they just had a hard time scoring the basketball... That game, two minutes into that game, I turned to my assistant and I go, ‘we are screwed.’ And the reason why I said that was because you could just tell we wanted it so bad, we were so high, we were so over-hyped and rather than playing the game, it was just guys running around going ‘we need to win this game’ rather than being in the moment and saying ‘we need to play basketball and do what we’ve been working on all year...’ That was actually a very key game for me in my growth as a coach.” Peter Diepenbrock

returning to paly:

“When I decided to do it again it was because of this group. It was not because I was dying to coach high school basketball, I just thought it would be a lot of fun to coach this group. So that’s what I did.” Peter Diepenbrock

on rebounding:

“Rebound!” Peter Diepenbrock

Coached NJB team of neighbor’s son who participated in his camp

Traveled to watch Jeremy Lin during Linsanity

2002 CCS Semifinal Game:

Retired from PALY as one of the most successful coaches in the school’s history

‘15

Returned to coach at PALY

‘18

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MAY 2018

Boys Team of the Year

Bask e t b a l l

T

The boys basketball team has received Viking Magazine’s award for boys team of the year for their exemplary season and continuous success.

by ELLIE JEFFRIES and ERIC ABOYTES

he Peery Center had never been so packed. The stands were a sea of green and white, camera men paced the baseline and the roar of the Pay 6th man filled the air. The focus of everyone’s attention, the stellar 2017-18 Palo Alto boys basketball team as they took on Menlo in the NorCal semi finals. This level of hype not uncommon for the team, their consistent ability to put on a show, and win, drew a great amount of student support.

The boys basketball team started off their historic season 2,342 miles away, in Honolulu, Hawaii. They coasted past St. Louis High School in their first game, beating them by 41 points.

Boys basketball conquered Hawaii, winning the tournament and finishing with a record of 4-0.

Their preseason success rolled into league, where they went undefeated.

Perhaps the most notable of games was their success over rival Los Gatos, playing on the road. The team won by six points following two nail biting overtimes.

“For the last three years the Gatos Paly rivalry has been the biggest rivalry in our league, we know going to their place it’s going to be a tough game” Will Schlemmer (‘18) said, “Everyone played their hearts out and Paul came up clutch to put the game in OT”.

With the league championship secured the boys clinched the third Seed in the CCS open division, the highest division in the section. This is where their season went from stellar, to historic. The boys win over Saint Ignatius in the first round of CCS playoffs marked the first time in CCS history that a public school had won

a game in that division. Unfortunately the boys CCS run was cut short, after a 73-61 loss to Archbishop Mitty. However, their season was far from over. Even though they lost, they still received the opportunity to compete in the CIF State Championship. They rolled through the first round, as the eighth seed, beating De La Salle 62 to 49, putting them in the position to face the number one seed Heritage away at their home. The Vikes were unfazed by their opponents and, with the backing of a spirited Paly crowd and bench, edged out the supposedly the best team in the division with a score of 59 to 49.

The following Tuesday the Paly student body did have plans, to attend the quarter finals of the NorCal playoffs in Palys home gym versus Menlo High School, and they showed up in full force.

Paly boys basketball had lost to Menlo early in the preseason and was out to set the record straight. In a packed gym they took care of business, finishing the Menlo Knight and advancing to the semifinals, one game from state.

“It felt really good [to beat Menlo] because we knew we shouldn’t have lost the first game” Bryant Jefferson (‘18) said, “And everyday in practice our assistant coach Batory would remind of us of [losing to them], adding fuel to the fire”.

The state semifinal game against Las Lomas High School was hosted at the Leavey Center, Santa Clara University’s basketball arena. The Vikings and Las Lomas Knights were neck and neck for

“For the last 3 years the Gatos Paly rivalry has been the biggest rivalry in our league, we know going to their place it’s going to be a tough game” Will Schlemmer (‘18) said, “Everyone played their hearts out and Paul came up clutch to put the game in OT”.

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most of the game. At the end of the first quarter, Paly was winning by five points.

However, at the end of the first half, the Knights shortened the Vikings’ lead to 2 points.

Sadly, the state seminal final game ended the Vikings’ run. The Vikings suffered a 44-41 loss ending the Paly Basketball season. Regardless of this, they had one of their best season yet.

This was the last season for the majority of the basketball team. The team will be losing seniors Will Schmutz, Spencer Rojahn, Jared Wulbrun, Paul Jackson III, Max Dorward, William Schlemmer, Brey Johnson, Nick Zhou, and Bryant Jefferson.

Although they will be losing many key players, Jackson Chryst (‘19), Marvin Zou (‘19), Wes Walters (‘19), Jamir Shepard (‘20), and Junacio Henley (‘20), will be looking to fill their shoes and continue the lagacy of the 2017-2018 team.

THE TEAM

Max Dorward (‘18) Spencer Rojahn (‘18) William Schlemmer (‘18) Jared Wulbrun (‘18) Paul Jackson III (‘18) William Schmutz (‘18) Bryant Jefferson (‘18) Brey Johnson (‘18) Nick Zhao (‘18) Wes Walters (‘19) Jackson Chryst (‘19) Josh Wong (‘19) Matthew Marzano (‘20) Coached by: Peter Diepenbrock

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

Honorable Mention:

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

Track and Field The boys track and field team had high hopes going into their season this year and have not been disappointed thus far. The teams younger runners stepped up in a major way, quelling any doubts after the team lost multiple significant seniors last year, and are leading the team to be stronger than ever. The relay team consist-

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

ing of Reed Foster (‘18), Bryan Kagiri (‘19), Sam Craig (‘18) and Henry Saul (‘19) set Paly’s DMR record this year. So far Paly boys track and field has won the majority of their meets, Henry Saul clinched second at Arcadia, with a 9:12 in the two miles. The boys look to continue their success into the postseason and state qualifiers. @ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MAY 2018

Girls Team of the Year

S w imm i n g

Viking Magazine is proud to name the girls swim team as the Girls Team of the Year for their astounding accomplishments thus far this year.

by JOSHUA KASEVICH and ZACH PHILLIPS

The Viking Staff is honored to present the Girls Team of the Year to the girls swim team.

For the past three seasons, the Lady Vikes have been one of Paly’s most successful sports teams: winning back to back league titles, with another one likely coming this year. As well as winning back to back league titles, the girls team has also won back to back CCS titles: with some swimmers progressing to the State Championships.

Danny Dye coaches the girls’ team and attributes their success to their ability to work hard, and swim hard, for each other.

“The team consists of self driven, dedicated swimmers with an unmatched sense of comradery” Dye said.

After a powerful 2016-2017 season, the girls are hoping they can improve on their second place finish for the State Championships. This years’ team is lead by seniors Zoe Lusk (‘18), Claire Lin (‘18), Julia Qiao (‘18), and Payton Wang (‘18).

These girls have achieved unmatched success throughout their careers at Paly.

This year, Girls’ Swimming hopes to add another league title to their banner hanging in the new Peery Family Center. As of April 19, the team remains undefeated, but they understand the volatility of their title, and hope to remain vigilant in the upcoming weeks and months.

Some girls have begun to taper, a process where Dye rolls back practice yardage and difficulty.

“Over the past few months, the girls have been gaining strength,” Dye said.

Hopefully this can carry them through CCS, and states.

Next year, Lusk will be going to Duke to swim, Lin will be going to Columbia, and Wang to Wellesley. Also, a powerful sophomore and junior class were major contributors to their success. In addition to their upperclassman they also have

freshman phenom Allison Chang (‘21).

Chang put up competitive numbers to find her way onto the team. The team also has a powerful Sophomore and Junior class. The strong chemistry of athletes work together in hopes to continue their culture of winning around the pool.

This year being the first year that the Girls have a home Pool, they have been able to dominate the opposition at home.

This is due to the simplicity of their practice times. As opposed to last year, the girls are able to show up after school and get their practice in.

Last year, they were forced to all meet at Paly, then get on a bus and drive to Gunn High School.

They also had an allotted time that they could use the pool for. Thus, they could not get as much practice time as this year. This could be a major contributor to bringing home a State Championship.

As swimming is scored on a point scale by races won, Luck and Lin have been vital to the team. The two are a deadly duo on the relay team.

For the girls, throughout the year they have relied on the 50 yard freestyle event to carry them to victory. The four girls who are heavily competitive in this event are Chesnie Cheung (‘20), underclass girl of the year, Lin, Kate Milne (‘20), and Grace Rowell (‘19). In terms of points for the lady vikes, when the 50 yard freestyle comes up, the Vikings know they will not be stopped.

Numerous events are practically a lock for the girls. The 200 medley relay, the 400 freestyle relay, and the 200 freestyle relay. With powerful swimmers in all four positions, nobody in the crowd is worried when this race is called.

A keystone to the girls four consecutive undefeated dual meet seasons is their bringup through the PASA swim team. The girls are all being taught how to compete in the pool before they reach

“The team consists of self-driven, dedicated swimmers with an unmatched sense of comradery” Dye said.

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the high school level. Then, all they have to worry about is swimming. Most of the girls have been through PASA’s rigorous practice schedule, so high school swimming is nothing new.

The leadership in the swim team, and their joy to get better as a team makes for one very strong Paly swim team. Viking Magazine can not wait to see how the girls will impress us throughout the rest of their season.

Photo by Jason Shorin Photo by Jason Shorin

THE TEAM

Chesnie Cheung (‘20) Erykah Dorigatti (‘20) Mary Fetter (‘19) Ashley Guo (‘20) Sabrina Hall (‘18) Emily Hong (‘19) Sophie Kadifa (‘21) Courtney Kernick (‘19) Alexandra Lee (‘20) Megan Lee (‘19) Claire Lin (‘19) Veronika Lin (‘21) Zoe Lusk (‘18) Estelle Martin (‘19) Kate Milne (‘20) Claire Qiao (‘19) Julia Qiao (‘18) Grace Rowell (‘19) Juliana Steil (‘21) Bella Triolo (‘18) Peyton Wang (‘18) Mary Wilkinson (‘20) Amy Wu (‘20) Kendra Wu (‘19) coached by: DANNY dye

Photo by Jason Shorin

Honorable Mention:

Photo courtesy of Paly Athletics

Volleyball

Viking Sports Magazine would like to recognize the girls volleyball team for their work this season. The girls went undefeated throughout league play, and won the SCVAL tournament. After a solid year the girls were rewarded with a birth into the open division for CCS. Sadly they lost in the first round to St. Francis. They also par-

ticipated in the Norcal finals, but fell short after another though loss.

The returning seniors for the 2018-2019 season are Siena Brewster (‘19), Mallory Kuppe (‘19), and Ashlyn Callan (‘19).

The Lady Vikes put up a heck of a season, and have earned the honorable mention for Girls Team of the Year.

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MAY 2018

Upperclassman of the Year

C ARLY L EO N G

Leong wraps up her high school career by scoring over 1,000 points and leading the team to the league title.

Her leadership and talent was imperative for the team this year.

C

by SUMMER DANIEL and NATHAN SETO arly Leong (‘18) has been a member of Paly’s Varsity girls basketball team for all four years, yet her basketball journey began long before her freshman

year.

She started playing basketball when she was just seven years old at the YMCA, solely because her parents thought it would be a good skill to have. Little did they know that she would come to love and excel at the sport. It wasn’t until middle school, however, that she started taking the sport seriously.

“It became my passion in life,” Leong said.

Watching Leong play now it may be hard to believe, but she came into the program with little confidence as a freshman. By senior year, however, Leong’s confidence reached an all-time high.

“I think I have definitely come far since my freshman year,” Leong said, “but that really came at a cost because I worked pretty hard to earn that confidence; there was definitely sweat and tears.”

Throughout her Paly career Leong has had great personal and team success.

With her major contributions as a junior last year, the team managed to snag the CCS Division 1 title.

This year, Leong continued the team’s success and did not fall short of the expectations set upon her, leading her team to win first place in the De Anza League.

Leong lead her team in both points and rebounds per game, averaging 19.7

Photo by David Hickey

Photo by David Hickey

and 6.9, respectively. She was also dominant on defense, averaging 1.9 steals and 0.9 blocks per game.

As the team captain and only senior on the squad, Leong stepped up and assumed her position as the team’s leader.

“It was definitely hard at first because I have always been the youngest on the team and now suddenly I am the sole senior,” Leong said. “It came with a lot of responsibility, whether it was keeping the freshman in check or making sure everyone had the right uniforms.

Eventually I started to embrace the role and I was definitely helped by the juniors, I came to like being the only senior.”

For Leong personally, the greatest accomplishments of her basketball career include winning CCS Division 1

“I worked pretty hard to earn that confidence...there were definitely sweat and tears” 26 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

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twice, scoring over 1,000 points in her high school career, and winning MVP this year, which she accredits to her teammates. She also credits many of her successes to all those who have helped her throughout her basketball journey.

“There have been a lot of people who made me the player I am today, I mean the list is long-my parents, coaches, my past and present Paly teams, Coco [Lovely] (‘17), I mean, this list would go on and on,” Leong said.

Although she gives her teammates and others a lot of credit for her success, many of her teammates look up to her due to her excelled talent and work ethic.

“I have always admired her shooting skills because one day I want to be as good as her,” Annie Niethammer (‘19) said.

Not only is she admired as player that contributes to the team with her talent, but Leong is a teammate that many look up to for her undeniable presence and attitude.

“Personally I have always looked up to Carly as a player and a person. Just her presence on the court makes playing so much more fun,” said Niethammer. “I

love hanging out with her off the court too. She just has a super sweet and bubbly personality that I love to be around.”

Her team spirit is a major part of the reason for the girl’s basketball team’s success. Their chemistry was indisputable thanks to the senior captain, who was a firm believer in connecting as a team.

“I think one of the best moments was actually off the court on our team bonding trip, when every single one of us got up and raved to “Slim Shady”,” Leong

S

said.

In the future, Leong looks ahead to Pomona College, where she will be playing basketball for the Pomona-Pitzer team.

Since freshman year, playing basketball in college was never a question for Leong.

“I didn’t want it to end after high school because I’m really passionate about it,” Leong said. “It had always been a dream of mine. I think I found the perfect fit at P-P [Pomona-Pitzer] for academics and

the basketball program.”

As she has to say goodbye to her team and the Paly basketball program, the feeling is mutual between the two.

Her contributions will be missed dearly by the program and Leong will miss being a part of the Paly girls basketball team.

“This is a hard one because [I’ll miss] everything, Leong said, “It’s having a second family, pregame turnups, making fun of each other, and even the hard practices that everyone hated.”

SO P H I E F R IC K Frick caps off her multi-sport high school career by leading the water polo team in goals (54) and displaying leadership as a captain in two sports.

ophie Frick (‘18) has come a long way since winning Underclassman Girl of the Year in 2015. As a freshman, Frick was recognized for her athletic talent in water polo, basketball, and softball.

Since then, Frick has continued to exceed standards, excelling in both softball and water polo for the rest of her high school career and playing one more year on the varsity basketball team as a sophomore.

This year, Frick has continued to

HONORABLE MENTION dominate on the diamond and in the pool.

She led the water polo team offensively in fall with the most goals on the team (54) and seven assists. Not only was she an imminent offensive force but she also had 18 steals on defense.

On the softball team, Frick bats an outstanding .400 with 14 hits, 12 RBIs, and seven runs. She also has a slugging percentage of .657 and a total of four doubles, a triple, and a home run.

In the field, Frick plays shortstop and outfield where she can be a vocal leader,

encouraging players and keeping them focused.

Frick is further building on her impressive stats in her last season on the softball team.

Not only is she a fantastic athlete, but a leader as well. She was a captain on the water polo team and softball team.

Frick has been a key contributor on multiple teams all four years of her high school career, and this past year she has truly shone as an outstanding athlete and leader.

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MAY 2018

Upperclassman of the Year

Max’s 2018 Season Stats

M a x D o r war d

14 PPG

Max Dorward wins upperclassman of the year and leaves a lasting legacy on the basketball program

M

by JACKSON CHRYST and RYAN STRATHEARN ax Dorward (‘18) has been playing varsity basketball for three years, he was this years leading scorer averaging 14 points per game three assists and six rebounds per game. Dorward led in points, assist and rebounds for the Vikings. Dorward also makes contributions to the team as a leader, often getting the team motivated to work harder and come back from deficits when down.

“Whenever we need points Dorward takes over and often brings us to victory” said teammate Marvin Zu (‘19) .

The last two years Dorward has been awarded with first team all SCVAL and this season he was second team all Bay Area. Dorward has several very impressive awards and accolades on top of that, including the GetSportsFocus Game of the week MVP, Team MVP, and 2018 season net leader.

Dorward is know for putting the team on his back when they are in need, and for giving 100 percent no matter the circumstances, he always has his head in the game and is trying to make the best plays to help the team win.

“He is super annoying to go against in practice because he always D’s up and goes to the rack hard” said Josh Wong (‘19).

Dorward is a true slasher as he uses his smooth athleticism and tremendous ball handling ability to get the basket and score, and create space and draw in help defenders. Dorward brings a deadly pull up mid-range jumper which rivals

Photo by Karen Hickey

Photo by Karen Hickey that of Thomas Welsh, he also has great passing ability and the natural gift to find the open teammate and the desire for a team win.

Dorward isn’t just an offensive superstar he is also a lockdown defender. He uses his length and superior jumping ability to prevent his opponents from scoring, he also uses his speed and basketball IQ to record steals and blocks on a regular basis. Dorward was an exceptional leader for the basketball team for the last three years, and has the great ability to make others around him better.

“He isn’t the loudest guy in the locker room but when he talks everyone listens” Matthew Marzano (‘20) said.

Dorward was the heart of the team this year and kept the team pushing through when the team struggled early in the sea-

“He isn’t the loudest guy in the locker room but when he talks everyone listens” Matthew Marzano (‘20) 28 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

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son. One of Dorward best performances of the last season was in the first round of the Open Division playoffs against Saint Ignatius. Dorward score 18 points and hit a multitude of clutch shots, against one of the best teams in the Bay Area, all while leading the Vikings to the be the first public school to beat a WCAL team in an Open CCS playoff game.

Dorward also had an exceptional game against De La Salle in the first round of the NorCal playoffs. Dorward finished with 23 points and led the Vikings on a huge third quarter, in which he had 13 points. After the game Dorward got high praise from the opposing team De La Salle coach Justin Argenal said “He was dynamite, he really has an underrated mid-range game, too. I don’t think he missed a shot tonight, at least that’s what it felt like. I thought we were contesting him as well. It’s just that he’s a really good player.” After last season, in which Paly lost a heartbreaker in the Norcal Finals, Dorward was motivated to avenge last years loss and reach the state title game. The lost in the NorCal Finals was a constant reminder for Dorward to keep fighting and never take his foot off

the gas pedal, no plays off, a motto in which he follows to a tee.

Max doesn’t have any specific plans to play in college because he has decided to pursue academics at college instead of attending for his skills on the basketball court, despite this he may look to walk on at the college he attends.

Dorward’s passion for the game is visible on the court and it stems from when he first started playing “I first started playing basketball in the third grade when I played with a local AAU team that included a bunch of other kids that I have continued to play with over the years” said Dorward.

There Dorward developed a love for the game and was the reason he spent

S

countless hours in the gym, and eventually gained his skills that have helped him get to where he is today.

Basketball is not just a game, it helps Dorward off the court in many ways include people skills, teamwork, and team management. Dorward, having been around the game for so long, has built a lot of valuable skills and relationships.

“My favorite part of basketball is definitely the relationships you build while playing. Playing for so long with teammates and coaches builds a bond that is unlike any other.” Dorward said.

Looking back on the very memorable season, one moment stands out from rest to Dorward.

“My favorite memory this season was

6 RPG 3 APG our trip to Hawaii with the team, that was where we really came together and became a team that everyone wanted each other to be successful” Dorward said.

Whether or not Dorward decides to continue his basketball, it’s easy to say without a doubt that he is one of the greatest basketball player to ever come out of Palo Alto high school.

R e e d F os t e r

enior Reed Foster (‘18) has been on varsity cross country and track and field since his freshman year, and has been a key athlete for both teams. Foster runs the 800 and holds the 11th fastest time in the state and is on pace to beat the school record by the end of the season. His relay team also hold the 15th fastest time in the state running the DMR 1200m-400m800m-600m. At Arcadia, arguably one of the fastest meets in the country, Foster was the only person from Paly running in the fastest heat. Foster has led the track

HONORABLE MENTION team as a captain and one of the fastest runners on the team other runners look up to him for advice and leadership during the season. Foster is continuing his track career in college and will be running for MIT. As a dual sport athlete Foster also runs cross country, he is an exceptionally good long distance runner as a top three runner at Paly for the 5k this is rare seeing as though he usually runs the 800 in track. With the season coming to an end Foster looks to finish the season strong hopefully breaking records and speeding past the competition.

Photo by Mark Foster

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MAY 2018

Underclassman of the year

Underclassman of the year

Cheung She only picked up the sport a year ago, but is already dominating.

Berger

by COLE SOTNICK

by TYLER FOUG

s a sophomore Chesnie Cheung was placed on varsity (‘20) started all 29 games for and went on to start evVarsity water polo, as well as be- ery game throughout ing one of the top finishers for the swim the season. Teammate team. Cheung excelled at both sports, Estelle Martin (‘19) has finishing the water polo season with nothing but good things 19 goals, 8 assists, and a team high 42 to say about Cheung. The steals. Besides being one of the top play- two have played togethers on water polo, Cheung got an ex- er for the past two years cellent CCS time in her first swim meet: and Martin has witnessed Photo by Jason Shorin 55.67 second in the 100 meter freestyle. Cheung’s remarkable talAlthough these statistics are impressive, ent and drive to win. what is more amazing is that she compet“You can see her on the ed in both these sports for the first time block ready for a relay and she’s got her seen Cheung grow on both the water during the beginning of her freshman game face on,“ Martin said. “When she polo team and swim team over the past year. Cheung’s success in the pool stems gets into the water she swims as fast as two years. Chiao has enjoyed the time from her background in competitive syn- she can whether it be in a racing event or she has played with Chesnie. chronized swimming.

“She’s a really dedicated athlete,” if that’s down the pool with a water polo Over the last eight ball in front of Chiao said. “Everything she does she years, Cheung has gives 3,000%.”

“Everything she does her.” competed at the naSince last year, Cheung has switched Besides her she gives 3,000%” tional stage for syncompetitiveness roles on the water polo team, becoming chronized swimming, and talent in the more of an offensive threat. Currently, - Hollie Chiao (‘18) winning multiple pool, Cheung Cheung looks to continue her growth championships for the is a great team- and success as a water polo player for USA national team. However, as a Fresh- mate and person to be around.

Paly and hopefully gets the recognition man Cheung decided to switch aquatic “The thing about her is that she is so she deserves to compete at the collesports. Many of her previous synchro- humble,” Martin said. “Her personality giate level. nized swimming friends switched to wa- is really infectious, and she’s just a really For future season Cheung is solely foterpolo when they entered high school. nice person.” cused on two things: Cheung frankly became bored of syn“To become a better player and get reOther teammates have very similar chronized swimming and wanted to try views of Cheung. Hollie Chiao (‘18) has cruited.” something new, so she tried out for the water polo team.

During her first practice as a freshman, the coaches immediately noticed the skill Cheung had as a swimmer and water polo player.

“At the first practice I was still hesitant to start the next season for synchro, but I Annika Shah (‘21) was one of just four freshmen on the girls’ varsity basketball team. wanted to try water polo. The coach told Since the beginning of the season Shah was a starter and put up some serious stats. me I had a lot of potential of being a var- She averaged 19.4 points, 3.9 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 2.1 steals and a 60% field goal percentage. As she continues to develop as a basketball player you can only imagine sity athlete,” Cheung said.

Shortly after that interaction, Cheung what her future holds.

idan Berger, the freshman phen- looks forward to succeed om for the Palo Alto varsity base- in his high school career. ball club. Berger brings to the So far the pressure table a great glove and bat helping out hasn’t seemed to affect the Vikings. A talent you don’t often see Berger as he is batting just in a freshman, Berger bats second and above .250 and playing plays a key role in the experienced Paly defense at a high level. infield, that includes Nathan Willis (‘18), “He doesn’t play or look Max Jung-Goldberg (‘18), Nico Lillios like a freshman,” team(‘18), Joshua Kasavich (‘19) and Ole Er- mate George Welch (‘18) Photo by Jason Shorin ickson (‘18). Switching between 3rd and said.

2nd base depending on the situation, Berger’s flexibility makes Berger has head coach Pete Fukumanaged to Berger realized he had something spe“He doesn’t play or hara’s job much easier. be one of the cial that he wanted to pursue.

“His ability to play look like a freshman.” most consis- “I noticed that I was one of the better multiple spots in the tent players players and loved playing the game” - George Welch (‘18) infield allows our othand he looks Berger said.

After finding this talent, he decided to er guys to play where forward to they are comfortable,” improve and get serious, playing travel ball and getWillis, the starting develop into a ting personal coaching to take his game to the next level. Entering college showcatcher, said. better player.

It’s rare to see a freshman start on a Facing varsity high school pitching cases, Berger’s hard work and dedication varsity sports team, last done on the (which includes high 80 miles per hour earned him a D1 offer from the Univerbaseball team by Viking Magazine’s own fastballs) is no easy task for a freshman, sity of Southern California. It will be inMax Jung-Goldberg. Goldberg, now a however, Berger has been able to adapt teresting to see where Berger’s baseball career heads in the near future. Watch senior leader on the team, acts as a role to the new league. model to Berger, helping him out in a Berger first picked up the bat and out for # 4 as he and his team look to do position he was once in. glove at a young age, playing through some damage in the playoffs.

“The seniors have made me very com- the Palo Alto Little League system. There fortable which has really helped my confidence,” Berger said.

He is complemented by 11 other seniors who all look out for him making sure they lead him down the right path, “We look out for Berger, knowing how important it is to feel comfortable around a group,” Erickson said.

Matthew Marzano (‘20) was the only underclassman on the varsity basketball team Berger played on team USA prior to this year. During the season he showed flashes of his poised play and high basketgoing to Paly, and has already received a ball IQ, which is something we will see from him next season taking on the point D1 offer from the University of Southern guard role. At a height of 6’’2’ Marzano looks to use his length to his advantage, California. As you could imagine, expec- especially at the point guard position. tations are high for the young star as he

Chesnie A

Honorable Mention

Annika Shah

Aidan

Despite being part of a veteran infield, one freshman phenom made his mark from day one.

A

Honorable Mention

Matthew Marzano

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MAY 2018

Alok Subbarao

ESME

STOTLAND It would be awfully tough to find a teammate more caring than the one they call ‘mom.’

S

Alok Subbarao

JOSH

WONG

Adored by his teammates, coaches, and peers for his outstanding character on and off the court.

W

by LAUREN DANIEL and MALLORY KUPPE

by LAUREN DANIEL and MALLORY KUPPE

totland is a center on the varsity basketball team and goalie on the varsity water polo team. She is someone her teammates know that they can always go to if they ever need anything at all. They know they can always count on her.

Her basketball teammate Makenna DeGeronimo (‘19) echoes this statement.

“Esme is extremely compassionate and caring for her teammates which makes her stand out,” DeGeronimo said.

“She always knows what to say to cheer a teammate up or just motivate them to keep working harder.”

These values are ones that cannot be taught and are rare to find which makes Stotland that much more valuable to the team. Her welcoming personality is also evident off of the court and out of the pool.

“One thing that stands out is that every time she sees you, either before practice or a game or at school, she always greets you with a huge smile and hug, which makes my day and I know means a lot to many other people,” water polo teammate Sophie Frick (‘18) said.

Frick also commented on the uniqueness of Stotland as a teammate.

“Esme is one of the most supportive and loving teammates that I have ever had,” Frick said. “She successfully makes every person on the team feel welcomed and loved and has a positive energy that is very rare to find in other people.”

Stotland’s personality draws teammates to her and she is seen as a “mom” figure to some of her teammates because they know they can go to her with anything and she will welcome them with open arms.

“Not only does Esme bring her amazing rebounds and strong defense, she

ong is a guard on the varsity basketball team and it is obvious he is loved by his teammates.

Wong’s huge contributions to the team are especially evident to his teammates. His selflessness and solid work ethic have not only made him a better player, but improved the Paly boys basketball team as a whole as well.

“Josh was always positive when things weren’t going well and we were struggling,” teammate Will Schmutz (‘18) said.

“He brought a lot of toughness to the team…he always challenged everybody on the team. His hard working mentality fueled us when we were having a bad practice and he was a key part in making a deep playoff run.”

Wong was always ready to do anything the team needed at that moment.

During the season he even gave his jersey to another player during a game, and mopped a spot on the court after it had become slippery during a game.

Basketball coach Peter Diepenbrock only has glowing things to say about Wong.

“Josh stands out because he has just an incredible passion for basketball, but at the same time he also is incredibly selfless and very aware of the team and what’s best for the team and is willing to do whatever it takes to help the team,” Diepenbrock said.

Diepenbrock believes that it’s Wong’s work ethic that sets him apart.

“He brings incredible work ethic and attitude,” Diepenbrock said. “Even though he was not the best player on the team, he just had an incredible attitude where he worked and worked and was only concerned with trying to get better and

brings a carefree and loving spirit, she is so supportive no matter what and she can make the whole team laugh,” DeGeronimo said. “Every team needs a mom figure and to me Esme is that person you can always go to for help on and off the court and she will not judge. She is quiet at times but not intimidating, just super kind.”

Photo by Jason Shorin Stotland has the ability to bring the team closer together by making them laugh. used to describe her.

“Esme has such a happy and upbeat “I think what makes someone a good personality, she always has a way to teammate is their ability to genuinely make the team smile,” basketball team- support and care about everyone on mate Carly Martin (‘21) said. “She is also their team and honestly that’s basically a great post player. Every time she steps it,” Stotland said. “I don’t think skills matout on the court, she gives it her all. She ter at all. The only other thing that matis so fun to be around and always has a ters I would say is effort. A good teampositive attitude.” mate has to always give 110 percent.”

Stotland even displayed her character Playing sports have provided Stotland during the basketball team’s annual “Se- with lifelong friends and a great commucret Santa” gift exchange by getting Mar- nity. tin a “thoughtful and fun” gift.

“I really enjoy the community these “She is an all around great person to sports create and some of my favorite be around and I think that’s what the high school experiences over the past team loves about her,” Martin said. three years have been playing these two At the beginning of the basketball sea- sports,” Stotland said. son Stotland sprained her ankle, but that Playing sports over the years has also did not stop her from bringing her ener- taught Stotland some important life lesgy and good attitude while supporting sons. the team.

“Some things that I’ve learned during “She was so sad not to play, but every- my time at Paly from my teams are that day she came to practice and cheered us you have to trust those around you and on,” DeGeronimo said. “I used to worry not to sound super cheesy or anything that she was so bummed to not be play- but that is what genuinely makes a team,” ing and just be sitting on the bench, but I Stotland said. “I think the best benefit would look over and she would just smile of playing sports at Paly are the lasting and cheer for all of her teammates.“ friendships I’ve made. I still talk to and When asked about what makes a good spend time with many of my teammates teammate, Stotland responded with and love them so much and that all startthe same qualities that teammates have ed with Paly sports.”

when he would have a setback or if somebody would block his shot, it would never phase him, he didn’t care, he would just learn from it and try to improve.”

Diepenbrock told a story about Wong when the athletic department was moving into the new gym. He said Wong was the first to volunteer when they needPhoto by Jason Shorin ed help putting in shelves and moving in other equipment.

“I did not just let him give all this time Besides being surrounded by great and I’m like ‘Josh I’m gonna pay you’ and teammates and having great memories, so I payed him and then there was always Wong has learned a lot from his time another room to be done and to me, I playing the sport. just thought this was incredible,” Diepen“Basketball has given me many opporbrock said. “He had worked another I tunities I would never have had without don’t know how many hours and I’m like it,” Wong said. “I also learned a lot of ‘wait a second Josh I didn’t pay you for life skills such as discipline and probthat’ and he’s like ‘coach, I’m happy to help, don’t worry about it.’ So to me, it’s lem-solving by being on the team.” like are you kidding me, I mean he’s just so special and any time I ever asked him Alok Subbarao was a to do anything, he works my basketball camps, he’s just ‘coach what do you want track and cross-country me to do?’ and again to me, he is the runner at Palo Alto High best [PE] student I’ve ever had.”

School and displayed great Wong believes that a good teammate puts the team before themselves. attitude and character on “I think a good teammate does whatthe field. Every year Viking ever he or she can in order to help the awards an athlete like this team, disregarding personal goals and pride,” Wong said. with the Alok Subbarao Wong has had great experiences playaward. This year, Viking ing basketball at Paly. is awarding the honor to “I like playing basketball at Paly because I enjoy working hard to improve on two recipients, Josh Wong something I’m passionate about,” Wong (‘19) and Esme Stotland said. “Having the best teammates and (‘19). coaches also helps a lot when it comes to having a positive experience.”

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MAY 2018

Top The athletes of Palo Alto High School have had some monumental moments this year, in some cases even historic.

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Photo by Jason Shorin

Moments

by STAN DE MARTEL and SABRINA HALL

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7 34 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

Paly girls volleyball has had a historically strong program, but the team has had to adapt to challenges regarding coach turnover and changing gym locations.

The 2017 season seemed to mark a turning point for the Lady Vikes, as tryouts kicked off on their home court and the turn-out was astounding. Head coach Daniele Desiderio made it clear that this season was going to be a remarkable one, and put together a squad of

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Boys soccer beats MA in CCS

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New gym

Carly Leong scores 1,000 points

As the only senior on the 2017-2018 girls basketball team, Leong knew she wanted to leave a lasting legacy. Leong took on the role of captain and ment o r, one that was especially important given that this year’s team was full of freshman talent. That being said, Leong never let her other responsibilities take over her personal desire to constantly improve and succeed as a player. As the second half of the season kicked off, Leong was honored with something few high school players ever get the chance to receive: her coveted 1000 point ball. “In all four of her years on the Paly girls basketball team, Leong scored a cumulative 1000 points and was a driving force behind the team’s two CCS wins during her career as a Viking. She will forever be seen as an inspiration for the girls who played alongside her.

After receiving a wild-card bid into the CCS playoffs, the girls water polo team knew they had to be prepared to put up a fight. Paly was slated to face Menlo-Atherton in the CCS quarterfinals, and after losing by one goal at the Saint Francis Invitational tournament, the girls were hungry for a win. The Lady Vikes started off the game strong and left M-A trailing at the half. Quickly in the third quarter, however, the Bears came back, and it became a stressful back-and-forth half, leaving the spectators on the edge of their seats. Finally, after five goals each from Sophie Frick (‘18) and Sabrina Hall (‘18), as well the deciding goal from Courtney Kernick (‘19), the Vikings came out on top with a score of 11-10.

Girls volleyball goes 12-0

Boys water polo beats Gunn in double OT

In a regular season matchup with crosstown rivals Gunn High School, the Vikings would have a tough time defeating a strong Titan squad. The first half was difficult, with Paly trailing 7-3 at halftime. The Vikes mounted a come back to be down 7-8 with a minute left in the game. Ryan Stanley (‘20) scored the game-tying goal with with only seconds to go. Overtime was scoreless, but in sudden death Jack Anderson (‘18) scored a walk off for the win.

As many Viking readers know, boys basketball at Paly has become lauded heavily and routinely garners a lot of attention for the four months that they’re in season. Coming off last season’s success, the 2017-2018 varsity team was ready to replicate the skillful play that many of the returning players had spent months refining. Viking fans are not unfamiliar with making pilgrimages to gyms all over Northern California to show their support, and the basketball team’s first league game against Los Gatos was no exception. The Wildcats put up a fight, but with an entire section of fans rallying behind them the Vikings persevered and eventually came out on top after enduring two nail biting overtime periods.

Girls water polo beats MA in CCS quarterfinals

Boys volleyaball wins first game ever

The boys volleyball team’s inaugural game kicked off the 2018 spring season with a bang. For years the Palo Alto community has been urging Paly to create a boys volleyball team, but given the Title IX restrictions that ensure an equal number of girls and boys teams on campus, those requests were put to the back burner. However, with the new addition of girls field hockey to the athletic department this year, boys volleyball was finally made an official Paly sport. In the program’s very first game, the Vikings crushed King’s Academy in an encouraging 3-1 victory.

The Girls Soccer team took on an undefeated Mountain View team in a conference match, playing away in what they were considered to be serious underdogs. They took a quick lead, up 2-0 at half thanks to goals from Chloe Japic (‘20) and Lauola Amanoni (‘18). In the second half, the defense kept playing hard, and was able to complete the shutout. The final score was 2-0 Paly, stunning the Mountain View crowd.

Boys basketball Los Gatos in double OT

Boys basketball beats #1 Heritage away

In the second round of the state tournament, the boys basketball team took on the Patriots of Heritage High School. A huge crowd, with “at least 1,000” attending, the stage was set for a huge game. The winner would advance to the next round of playoffs, taking on Menlo at home in the Norcal Semifinals. The Vikings trailed by 5 points at halftime, but took a commanding lead in the second half and ended up winning the game 59-49.

Girls soccer beats undefeated Mountain View

In the second round of CCS, the boys soccer team took on MA. The Vikings led 1-0 early in the first half with a goal from Isaiah Schoenberger (‘19), but MA was able to take the lead 2-1 before half. In the second half, MA took the lead, up 3-1 with only minutes to go. Paly’s Marcus Ama (‘20) scored a

The brand new Peery c e n t e r finished

athletes committed to making that a reality. In their first home game after two years away, Paly faced Gunn and came out with a decisive three-set victory over the Titans. This same energy was translated into the rest of the girls’ league games, and resulted in the team’s final 12-0 league record.

goal to bring the deficit down to 1, and then Paul Thie (‘19) scored backto-back goals with only seconds remaining to complete the comeback–and advance to the next round of CCS. construction the summer before the beginning of the year. It was first featured when the girls volleyball team took on Gunn at home, crushing the titans 3-0. Since then the gym has been home to a plethora of sporting events, including volleyball, badminton, swimming/diving, basketball and others.

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MAY 2018

Bottom Moments 10

Throughout another successful year in athletics, there were still numerous moments that proved to be heartbreaking.

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by MAX JUNG-GOLDBERG and JASON SHORIN Boys Baseball took on Serra at home and got obliterated, losing by a final score of 18-0. The score was reflective of the level of play, as the Vikings got outplayed in every aspect of the game. Luckily, the baseball team moved on from the embarrassing defeat and has had a successful season. They hope to carry their success into the postseason and make a deep run in the CCS playoffs.

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Although the team was competitive against the rest of the league and had a solid run in the postseason, the team was disappointed by defeats by Los Gatos twice this season which included a loss on senior night. This loss was arguably the toughest of the season to swallow for the team because Gatos is their biggest league rival.

Boys water polo lost to Lynbrook in the fifth place SCVAL playoff game. Not only did the defeat end their league postseason run, but it also ended their entire season because the loss pushed them out of qualification for CCS playoffs.

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Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

In an otherwise successful season, the girls soccer team ended on a rough note when they lost 4-0 to Mitty in the semis of the CCS Open Division. The girls hope to continue their regular-season success next year but follow it up with a more favorable outcome in the postseason.

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

For the fourth year in a row, the football team underachieved in another disappointing season where they went 3-8. The footPhoto of Karen Hickey ball team and the courtesy fans hope to break the streak next year under new coach Nelson Gifford.

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

Boys basketball loses in the regional finals for the second year straight

Girls volleyball looses first round of CCS

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

Just a game after making a heroic comeback against MA, the boys soccer team lost to Bellarmine in the CCS Division I semis after leading by a goal with just 20 minutes left in the game, a sad ending to an otherwise great season.

Football has its 4th straight losing season

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

After losing the first two sets, the Girls Volleyball team fought back and forced a fifth set. Unfortunately, the Vikings were unable to finish the comeback and lost the match by a score of 15-10. The defeat marked the end of the girls volleyball run in the CCS playoffs.

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

Girls soccer loses 4-0 in CCS semis

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

Boys waterpolo doesn’t qualify for CCS

The girls basketball team lost to Carlmont in the CCS Division I playoffs, which ended their season. Despite an early lead, Paly would eventually succumb to Carlmont’s play as Carlmont gradually pulled away towards a 47-41 defeat for Paly.

Boys soccer loses to Bellarmine in CCS

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Boys soccer loses to Los Gatos twice

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

Girls basketball loses first round of CCS

Boys baseball loses 18-0 to Serra at home

1 Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

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Girls laccrosse loses to Los Gatos 5-16

The girls lacrosse team lost in their league rivalry game to Los Gatos 5-16. A loss to a rival is always tough, getting obliterated by an opponent hurts, but getting dismantled by a rival is a nightmare of a situation.

Yet another disappointing end to a successful season, the boys basketball lost in the regional finals for the second consecutive year. The team made a ferocious comeback in the fourth quarter against Las Lomas to pull the game within striking distance. Unfortunately, the Vikings were unable to complete the comeback as Las Lomas was nearly perfect from the free throw line down the stretch.

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MAY 2018

Class of2018

College Recruiting Map See where the student-athletes of the class of 2018 will continue their athletic careers next year.

by MATAN ZIV and NICK WELCH

Athletes per Sport

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Diving Football

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Track Basketball Volleyball

Middlebury College, Isabella Marcus (volleyball) MIT, Reed Foster (Track and Field) Tufts University, Jaiveer Sandhu (crew) Amherst College, Paul Jackson III (football) Marist College, Liam Gibbs (crew) University of Rochester, Spencer Rojahn (baseball) Columbia University, Claire Lin (swimming) Princeton University, Alix Barry (crew) University of Pennsylvania, Jerry Wu (fencing) Swarthmore College, Ally Scheve (soccer), Jeremy Akioka (baseball)

Wellesley College, Peyton Wang (swimming) Grinnell College, Jonathan Gottlieb (baseball) Julianna Roth (volleyball)

UC Berkeley, Ben Ayers (soccer)

University of Chicago, Sam Craig (track and field), Alice Saparov (diving) Carnegie Mellon University, Chelsea Fan (volleyball)

Cal Lutheran, Jared Wulbrun (basketball)

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Crew Swimming Golf

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Soccer Volleyball

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Baseball

Azusa Pacific University, Jake Varner (baseball) UCLA, Claremont McKenna College, Samantha McBride (softball) Ahmed Ali (golf) Pomona College, Carly Leong (basketball) , Emily Occidental, Tomz (soccer), Stephanie Yu (golf) Isabella Bonomi (soccer) UCSD Sussana Limb (volleyball), Sergi Mata (golf) University of San Diego, Max Jumg-Goldberg (baseball)

Duke University, Zoe Lusk (swimming)

Athletes by Division

D1 - 8 D2 - 3 D3 - 19

SEASON R E C A P S

by RYAN STANLEY, WILL DEANDRE and ZACH BAUMGARTEN

Girls swimming

Boys Swimming

The girls swim team continued their reign of dominance after they went undefeated in dual meets for the fourth year in a row. The team is looking forward to going into leagues and CCS with a winning reputation. They are also looking to do some damage on a regional stage.

The boys swim team went 6-1 in dual meets for the second straight season.

This was a huge achievement for the boys after losing one of Paly’s all time great swimmers, Alex Liang (‘17). The boys look to continue their success going into leagues and CCS. Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

Girls Lacrosse

Boys lacrosse

Being a spring sport, the girls lacrosse season is only about halfway over, but the team is off to a strong start. Splitting wins with rivals such as Gunn and Los Gatos the team has a record of 8-3. This season looks to be their chance for a run at the league championship.

After winning their league last year, this years boys lacrosse team looks to bounce back with another league championship. Captain Benner Mullin (‘18) sees this as a very real possibility. With the season about halfway over, they have only lost one league game and have an overall record of 6-3.

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

Girls Golf The girls golf team had a very successful season this year even though, like the boys, they were not able to play any home games. The team went 10-0 in league play making them easily the winners of league, and then went on to win all of CCS.

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

Girls Tennis

Only halfway through their season, the boys golf team is already thriving with a great record of 10-2. However, these wins are not being given to them as they have to play all of their games on their opponents courses due to construction on their home course. Much of the team’s success is due to Ahmed Ali (‘18).

The senior is committed to play at UCLA next year and consistently shoots under par.

Boys Tennis

With a 8-9 overall record and a 3-7 league record the girls tennis team had a average season. Additionally, the team’s mediocrity was furthered as they lossed to both school rivals. The team lost to Gunn 4-3 and Los Gatos 5-2. However, freshman Maddi Page (‘21) and other underclassmen are primed to have more success in the future.

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Boys Golf

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

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Halfway through the season, the boys tennis team is off to a slow start. The team currently has 3 wins and 8 losses. However, the team’s CCS chances are still up in the air. If they win their next three matches, they have a solid chance at making CCS playoffs. The team additionally has individual tournament at the end of April.

Boys Volleyball

Girls Volleyball With a 23-5 overall record and a undefeated league record, the vikings had very successful season. However, the teams struggled in postseason play. The team entered CCS in the open division but dropped to the division 1 tournament after a first round loss to Saint Francis. In division 1 the team had another first round loss, ending their season.

In their first year as a team at Paly, the boys volleyball team has gotten off to a great start, going 6-5. Although there have not been very many defining moments in the season, the boys describe the year as whole as a very fun experience.

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

Girls Water polo

Boys Water polo

The girls water polo team had yet another dissapointing season. They went 3-8 in leaue play however they completed a huge upset over Menlo Atherton in the first round of CCS. Huge performances from seniors Sabrina Hall (‘18), Sophie Frick (‘18) and Talia Stanley (‘18) helped them pull off this amazing feat.

The boys water polo team had a good season even after losing five out of their six starters from the previous season.

They finished with a record of 8-7 in league and came up one game short of making the CCS tournament. An amazing moment in the season was when senior Bryan Look (‘18) won the game against Homestead on senior night.

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

Girls Basketball

Boys Basketball

Coached by Scott Peters, the girls’ basketball team had a great season, losing only one game in league play and eventually winning their league tournament.

Unluckily, their season fell short as they lost their first game in CCS, however, star senior Carly Leong (‘18) set the Paly record for most career points. The team is primed to have a solid season next year, as they only lost one senior.

The boys basketball team followed up a great 2017 season with an even more amazing year, finishing with a record of 26-4. Among the nine seniors on the team, Max Dorward (‘18) led with 16 PPG. After a historic season, becoming the first public school to win a CCS Open Division game, the team got back to the NorCal Division I Championship game for the second year in a row, losing to Las Lomas. Shortly after the season, head coach Peter Diepenbrock announced that he would be stepping down after a great career.

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

Girls Soccer

Boys Soccer

Led by their two senior captains Emily Tomz (‘18) and Ally Scheve (‘18) the girls soccer team had a young supporting cast with plenty of sophomores and juniors in the mix. This depth allowed them the team to get a record of 13-6-2 and reach the CCS Open Division Semifinal.

The bar is certainly set high for future teams, but the young players have the talent to produce high level seasons in the near future.

With 14 wins, 5 losses and 3 ties, the vikings had a good season. The team came in third place in league and qualified for the CCS tournament. They almost beat Bellarmine in the first round of the CCS but gave up two last minute goals to lose in a tragic fashion. However, the team had many underclassmen starters and should be primed for a great season next year.

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MAY 2018

Wrestling The wrestling team had yet another great year in 2018. Captain Andrew Wang placed second at CCS and he and his co-captain qualified for states. Many underclassman stepped up this year to fill the losses of last year’s seniors by the likes of Peter Graham (‘20) and Jamie McGregor (‘20).

football The Vikings football season was simply a disappointment. The team struggled to find success early on, and finished the year with an 3-8 record. However, the vikings had a difficult out of league schedule, and finished league at 500. Additionally, the team was able to make it to the first round of CCS playoffs.

Cross Country The cross country team had yet another great season. After graduating big contributors, the team needed some of the younger runners to step up. They did just that. The team was looking good nearing the end of the season but an injury to Reed Foster would put the team just out of reach to qualify for the state tournament.

Baseball With a 12-6 record, the team has the potential to have a great season. Dominating the league with a 5-1 record, the squad is able to control their own destiny to league champions. However, the true success will come in the CCS tournament where the team is yet to make it past the first round in the Fukuhara era.

Softball

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The team this year in my opinion did very well this season. While our team is saying goodbye to six of our seniors, we are also saying hello to many new and wonderful recruits.

-Andrew Wang (‘19)

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Badminton

Last year was definitely a disappointment but I think everyone is excited to work with the new coaching staff and get better.

-Paul Thie (‘19)

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Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

The badminton team has gotten off to a slow start to the season. They have dropped many close games that they could have won. Aside from the early struggles, Zakir Ahmad (‘19) has been a bright spot for the team, winning game after game and hitting some very impressive shots.

Track and Field

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A lot of the younger runners stepped up their training over the summer and we were able to field a team that was arguably stronger than the previous year.

-Reed Foster (‘18)

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Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

Both the boys and girls track and field team are currently having a great seasons and are primed for more success down the road. The boys team is highlighted by their long distance runners. The boys Distance Medley Relay team set a Paly record at a Stanford and looks to carry on their success to State. The girl’s team is led by a strong short instance team, and is hoping to make state in the 4 by 4.

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The team this year in my opinion did very well this season. While our team is saying goodbye to six of our seniors, we are also saying hello to many new and wonderful recruits.

-Sophie Frick (‘18)

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We have played a very difficult schedule this year which has led to a few more losses than we are used to, but I think it will be a huge advantage for us moving into postseason games as we will have had experience against tougher opponents.

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Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

The diving team has had a very successful season, going 10-0 so far, making them first place in their league. In combination with the swim team, diving is yet to lose and sees a league championship as a very real possibility. One of the divers that is a big contributor to the team is Jack Callaghan (‘19). Obviously, being undefeated the team has high hopes to win league and maybe even advance further.

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

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All our losses except two have been lost by one game, and there have been multiple really close games in each that would have changed the whole outcome.

-Zakir Ahmad (‘19)

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”

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

Our season has been going super well so far, our team has been really strong for all the meets. For the end of the season we want to send as many teams and athletes to states as possible. Also some our athletes are going for records which is really cool to see.

-Henry Saul (‘19)

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DIVING

-Niko Lillios (‘18) 42 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

The Paly softball team has gotten off to an average start with an overall record of 5-6. They have only played four games in league play due to several games getting rained out. Although they currently have a losing record, the softball team has met their expectations for the year after they graduated a record nine players.

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

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Our season has been going great.

Everyone has really improved and qualified for CCS which was our goal.

-Jack Callaghan (’19)

”

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MAY 2018

Funniest thing has to be my freshman year when we were practicing at CCS and my teammate and good friend Matt Lewis was chipping from just off the green and he hit a terrible shot. He flung his club 50 yards into a tree and the club snapped in half. It was all caught on snapchat.

–Ahmed Ali (Golf) For me the two most memorable games were beating Mountain View twice in my junior year.

–Ally Scheve (Soccer) 44 | V I K I N G M A G A Z I N E |

by MARIA FLETCHER and YUE SHI Around us where STEM has such high profile and where so many kids are trying not to get lost, we are lucky that Chelsea found her own path through her love for volleyball. As parents, not only did we enjoy the ride, but it was most rewarding to know that she loved every minute of it.

–Susy Fan (Chelsea Fan’s Mom) In his freshman year, Sam was part of the boys team that swept the finish of the SCVAL frosh-soph championship.

They finished 1-2-3-4-5. Pretty amazing.

–Gordon Craig (Sam Craig’s Dad) The funniest thing that happened during Paly sports would be playing with the one and only Cute apple juice (Matty Knowles). He wins every header, is an absolute defender, and is never afraid to roast.

–Xander Sherer (Soccer)

Xander Sherer

My freshman year, the JV team soaked part of another team’s locker room in water and soap during a tournament. Then a couple of us body slid around until the coach that was hosting us found out and got incredibly angry. Worth it!

–Jack Andersen (Water Polo)

After four years at Paly, players, coaches, and parents have dedicated countless hours to numerous sports. It is finally time for everyone to look back at the seniors’ journeys.

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I loved to watch him grow physically, mentally, and emotionally as a person in the context of soccer.

From trying out as a Frosh to making the varsity team to becoming co-captain this year.

–Jenn Sherer (Xander’s Mom)

BRING THE HOUSE DOWN

Being a senior on the softball team is very bittersweet, as I will definitely miss playing next year, but it has allowed me to enjoy every aspect of the rest of the season knowing that it’s all almost over.

–Samantha McBride (Softball)

I will miss the road-trips, the pregame speeches, the jokes, the team dinners, and, of course, the coaches.

Goodbye Palo Alto, thank you for everything, Avadhani Out. –Aashai Avadhani (Track & Field, XC) Tennis generally is an individual sport, so it was really rewarding to see all the girls from each grade get together and cheer on their teammates. By the end we definitely had a great sense of camaraderie!

–Ankita Amberkar (Tennis)

Aashai Avadhani

Jack Andersen Photos by David Hickey

CLASS OF ‘18

Ally Scheve

For Reed, running for Paly and being a team captain has helped him develop many strong friendships and provide leadership and guidance to other runners.

–Mark Foster (Reed Foster’s Dad)

My grandma came to watch one of my matches, along with some of my friends from church. They had made some signs and handed her one before the match begun. I glanced over at them during the match and couldn’t help but laugh when I saw my grandma holding a sign that said, “Nicholas is the best badminton player in the world.”

–Nicholas Blonstein (Badminton) Ankita Amberkar

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MAY 2018

Final Word...

by NATHAN ELLISEN and WES WALTERS

In this issue’s Final Word, our newly elected columnists share their opinions, these opinions being the most important aspect of Viking Magazine. The torch has been passed, and it is time to say farewell to the former beloved head columnists and officially introduce the new set of Chief Executive Opinionists (CEO). In addition to the changing of the guard, the overthrow of the editors shall begin, starting with the institution of paid college athletes.

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ollege athletes should be paid. There is no other argument that is valid.

In today’s collegiate sports world, the argument over the compensation of players has continued for years.

The schools programs and coaches receive millions of dollars, while the players themselves, likely considered the hardest working job in the entire collegiate athletics system, receive no pay.

According to Business Insider, Division I football programs receive a whopping average of $29,635,946, and basketball programs receive $7,880,000. However, not a penny of this money goes to the players doing the actual work, something that seems completely unfair and unjust for these tenacious athletes.

Another issue that arises with no payment towards these players is their absence in the classroom. Most student athletes are supposed to be able to succeed in their respective sports and succeed in the classroom. However, these athletes are forced to miss far too many classes to succeed in school, and spend far too much time on unpaid work to focus on school.

For most Division 1 athletes, the goal is to be able to successfully join the professional league, so academics become an after thought, especially to the starters who are receiving all the attention. There is no reason these alphas should not get paid for their success. If an athlete is planning on pursuing a professional career in their sport, they need to be paid in that sport in order for it to be worthwhile. These athletes are unable to pursue another career as they are focusing on athletics so there is no room for free labor. Past their studies and athletics, many of these players are short on time and are unable to receive a real job that could pay for their college and beyond.

Often times, college students low on money are able to pick up a part time job in order to pay for their necessities through college. However, with trying to

balance their sports and the academics while at the university. General students of their school, there is far less time to are not bringing in money for their unimake the money needed to succeed in versity with their students and generally college and beyond. Many may argue have less on their plate than trying to that they are choosing to spend their balance work, school, and a sport or extime with these sports rather than obtain tracurricular. a job or focus on studies, however, these All in all, Division 1 athletes, often athletes are often planning on pursuing coined as alphas, should be compensata career in their respective sports and ed for their work for in their respective should be able to be compensated for athletics since they aid their universities, this work. In the case of Sean Miller at Ar- have trouble making money in order to izona, Deandre Ayton was likely paid by succeed in college, and are extremely the Arizona athletic department in order hard working. to play for the school, creating more problems.

Another common argument is that many Division I athletes planning on pursuing a career in athletics are receiving their “education”, as payment for their respective sports while at college, and therefore should not receive special treatment when compared to other students. However, the difference is that these athletes are bringing in money for Of the 29 Paly athletes playing in college, none their school and are pursu- will be paid for their hard work. (Photo Courtesy of ing a separate education Karen Ambrose Hickey)

@ v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g | MAY 2018

DEAR SENIOR PARENTS,

Viking Magazine is grateful for the support the Paly parents have given to the athletes over the last four years. This dedicated group will be greatly missed by the athletic department–players, fans, and coaches alike.

The partnership doesn’t have to end here, though. Renewing your Viking subscription is a great way for your families to stay connected with the Paly community and the legacy of athletes who continue to thrive at our school.

From our staff family to yours, thank you for the enthusiasm you have poured into the athletic program at Paly and the continued support of Viking Magazine.

Want to sign up to get next year’s issues? Find it under the About tab on our website, or at this link: https://vikingsportsmag.com/subscriptions/