Katrina Strash could feel the tension slowly increasing during the 2014 CIF Southern Section Swimming and Diving Championships at Riverside Community College. With a cluster of teams and individuals representing 43 high schools, she kept her nerves in check while warming up for the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle.
Only a freshman, her previous performances in CIF Prelims—24.24 in the 50-freestyle and 53.37 in the 100—had her ranked fourth in the 50-freestyle. For Katrina, finishing within the top 10 would be exciting enough.
“I was just hoping to place high,” she said.
Junior pitcher Tyler Witt was determined to avoid a Charter Oak comeback Tuesday at Charter Oak High School.
With the final out called at the bottom of the seventh inning, the Wolfpack broke their 8-game losing streak and defeated the Chargers, 5-4. Despite five errors, they ripped 11 hits with a batting average was .393.
“(During the game) I was thinking, ‘Let’s end this season strong. Let’s change the thought of this season,’” Witt said.
Claremont High School pitcher Tyler Witt delivers during the first inning of the pack’s away game against Charter Oak in Covina. Witt earned the win, 5-4, thanks to timely hitting and some good fortune late in the game. See our complete sports coverage on Friday. COURIER photo/Steven Felschundenff
The South Hills Huskies kept making runs and hits but the Lady Wolfpack’s only pitcher, junior Chloe Amarilla, still attempted to stop them Wednesday at South Hills High School.
With no back-up pitcher available to help Amarilla, the Huskies took advantage and ended the game at the bottom of the fifth inning, winning 15-4. Head coach Vincent Hernandez said their other pitcher, Rosalie Keirns, was unable to attend because of schedule conflicts with her drama class. Check out our complete sports coverage inside.
Claremont girls varsity faced an intense battle at Chino Hills High School Wednesday, but their end result was determined by their final track and field event: the 4x400-meter relay.
Both teams were cheering near the final straightaway as each squad tried to outsmart the other against the strong winds. With a final push by junior Julia Cantrell, the Lady Wolfpack finished first in 4:08 and they won overall—Claremont 68.5; Chino Hills 67.5.
The Lady Wolfpack finished their regular season as co-champions of the Sierra League along with the Huskies, according to girls Head Coach Jose Ancona.
When Claremont senior Mary Hanna won the 100-yard backstroke, it was obvious the Lady Wolfpack was going to dominate St. Lucy’s Wednesday at Damien High School.
Hannah just kept piercing through the waters, unfazed by her opponents, finishing first with 1:09.23, kicking off the Wolfpack’s 99-71 victory.
“I tried to have long, smooth strokes,” Hanna said. “After the turn, I just sprinted and hoped for the best.”
Many have said there are Smartphone and computer apps for everything. When it comes to tracking your running and biking for regular exercise, this is clearly the case. There are dozens of exercise apps out there. So many in fact, that deciding what works best for you can be a challenge.
As someone who bikes on a regular basis, using an app on my Smartphone to track my efforts has had many benefits.
They all work on one basic premise. These programs all have a built-in GPS to track exactly how far, what route, how fast, how many calories, and even elevation gain/loss of your ride or run.
Claremont High’s softball team almost claimed victory at Cahuilla Park Wednesday. With the Wolfpack ahead, 6-4, and Ayala High School down to their last out in the seventh inning, junior pitcher Rosalie Keirns was focused on getting the last out.
But with one pop from the bat, the Bulldogs got the ball past freshman shortstop Katie Kempton, allowing two runs for a 6-6 tie, and stretching the game into extra innings. Further mishaps allowed the Bulldogs to win the game 8-6 in the ninth inning.
Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times editor and longtime writer in the area of sports, attracted a considerable crowd during a recent appearance in Claremont at Pilgrim Place, discussing his theme of “A Writer’s Journey.”
Not a stranger to Claremont by any measure, Mr. Dwyre has, for many years, been involved with the Casa Colina Hospital for Rehabilitation and the establishment of Padua Village along with his longtime friend, the late John Rountree. The two shared a friendly rivalry in the sports world, with their respective support of Army for Mr. Rountree and Notre Dame, Mr. Dwyre’s alma mater.
Claremont High’s boys’ baseball team was competing against an open tap. It became a never-ending spewing faucet, sprung loose by the Chino Hills Huskies hitters Wednesday at Chino Hills High School.
It burst in the first three innings and senior pitcher Jonathan Ochoa fought the tide for the majority of the game. However, the flood was overwhelming in the bottom of the sixth and the Huskies won, 10-1.
“They were able to take advantage of our mistakes,” junior center fielder Jeremiah Maldonado said. “We have to do better tracking them down.”
The afternoon elements remained consistent on the course for Claremont High boys golf team. The sun started to peek through the clouds, the deer moved toward the trees and wind gusts came accordingly during the Tuesday match at Marshall Canyon.
But all this did not stop CHS from hitting just enough precise strokes to win against Damien High, 235-240, while managing to get four players under 40 strokes, according to head coach Terrance Lynch. He said it was great victory against an evenly-matched opponent, since they are tied for second in the Sierra League.
“(This match) It’s the best round of the year,” Lynch said. “Having a decisive victory like this is pretty good.” Check out our complete sports coverage.
Pressure was starting to distract the Wolfpack at the Orange County Boys Volleyball Championships. They won the first set, 25-22, but their opponent, Woodbridge High, just came back from the second set, 25-20, on March 22.
Head Coach Bernie Wendling saw they were down, 14-10, in the final set. Every move, every block, was crucial for the Wolfpack to make a comeback. After digging for the ball and blocking offensive maneuvers, they managed to produce six consecutive scores for the win, 16-10.
But there was another accomplishment that occurred that day. Coach Wendling earned his 500th career win in his 16th year coaching volleyball for Claremont High School.
The afternoon sunlight glared as senior Cameron Lorek began a final showdown with Ayala High on Wednesday. As the wind picked up and specks of trash flew over the tennis court, Lorek stayed focused.
Both teams—the Wolfpack and the Bulldogs—stood on the other side of the fence and rooted for their respective athletes. The match finally ended at 7-6, with Lorek adding another team point for the Wolfpack. The Wolfpack performed well for their first league meet against Ayala, winning 13-5.
“It was a great team effort,” Head Coach Clint Rees said. “The singles are on the verge of sweeping, but our doubles need some work.”
