Girls Golf:
The Claremont girls golf team returns two varsity starters from a year ago, highlighted by second-year team captain and fourth-year varsity starter Kennedy Bingham.
Caitlin Chan joins Bingham as the only other returning varsity starter from last year’s squad, which featured three first-team All-Sierra League honorees, the most recipients head coach Octavio Hernandez has had in one season in his four years with the program. This year’s team boasts five seniors, one junior and five freshmen.
The bicycle safety education course is open to the Claremont community and offered free of charge, for participants ages 18 and above. The course includes a one-hour classroom setting instruction, one-hour of parking lot practice and a one-hour bicycle ride. As a part of the bicycle safety training session, participants will receive a free helmet, lights, bike maps and additional giveaways on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Marcos Giron played a near-flawless first set to beat former UCLA teammate and doubles partner Dennis Novikov 6-0, 7-5 in the singles championship Sunday at the USTA Claremont Club Classic, a $10,000 Men’s Pro Futures event taking place at the Claremont Club.
“I started off on fire and didn’t miss a ball,” said Giron, a 20-year-old UCLA junior. “”I put Dennis on his heels and I think he was shocked at how I came out. I had the momentum and could really go for my shots in the second set. He had all the pressure to come back.”
Former junior rivals and UCLA teammates Dennis Novikov and Marcos Giron will meet for the 18th USTA Claremont Club Classic title on Sunday after both won hard-fought three-set matches over former Bruins on Saturday at the Claremont Club.
The No. 3-seeded Novikov, 19, had to come back from down a set and a break to beat No. 2-seeded Nick Meister, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, while the unseeded 20-year-old Giron survived a match point against him in his 7-5, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (6) over Haythem Abid of Tunisia in the $10,000 Men’s Pro Future event
The Claremont Consortium has handed down its final decision, the Claremont Golf Course, Inc. will shutdown in early January 2014.
The announcement was made on Wednesday afternoon, a day after an independent audit of the golf course confirmed that the facility’s financial operations are no longer manageable.
On Thursday, September 5, board members stated that revenues from the use of the driving range and golf course have declined approximately 30 percent since 2008 and “has accelerated” within the past 12 months, putting the golf course “in a position of critical financial distress.”
Building on the experience of winning the recent US Open National Playoff and playing in the US Open Qualifying tournament, former Texas A&M All-American Jeff Dadamo rolled into the quarterfinals of the USTA Claremont Club Classic, a $10,000 Men’s Pro Futures event taking place at the Claremont Club.
Claremont High School quarterback Craig Myers looks for an open receiver while being pursued by Glendora High School defensive back Colin Grady on Friday during the Pack’s season opening game in Claremont.. CHS lost to the visiting Tartans, 23-15. The Pack’s next game will be an away game on September 13 at Walnut High School. Check out our complete game story. COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff
Claremont High School football player Nathan Gonzalez cools off during a break from practice on Tuesday at CHS. The Pack’s first game will be next Thursday with a pre-season scrimmage against Burbank at CHS. The regular season begins on September 6 with a home game against Glendora. Check out our complete football photo gallery. COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff
A runner stands poised in preparation for the hand-off. He is running the last leg of a relay and once his teammate arrives, the team’s fate lies in his hands. As he whispers a soft prayer, the hand-off is made. His heart slams hard in his chest as he bolts forward to complete the last leg of the 400-meter dash to take home a second-place finish. He is only 10 years old.
Alex Sotolongo brought home a silver medal for his team, the Bay Cities Unleashed, at the 2013 USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships held in Greensboro, North Carolina last month.
The Claremont High School Cross Country Wolfpack ran for charity with their 24-hour relay event last Friday and Saturday.
The relay is held annually for the team to bond before the new season starts in September and also has the team involved with fundraising efforts. This year, cross country captains Adam Michno, Daniel Ross, Merian Arft, Andrea Flores, Megan Renken and Kylee Jorgensen selected the Foothill Family Shelter as the charity of choice.
“We selected Foothill Family Shelter because they were relatively easy to donate to,” Adam said. “They’re a good family shelter and get people to stay in shape and get their lives together.”
Claremont American catcher Tayler Luna keeps his eye on Glendora American base runner Shane Mion as he heads for home plate on Tuesday during the ages 8 and 9 Little League All Stars tournament at College Park in Claremont. The Claremont team fought back from a 10-point deficit in the middle of the game to get within 7 points but eventually lost 15-6. Check out our complete game coverage with schedules of tournament games. COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff.
The USTA Southern California Sectional Tournament provided the stage for 2 of Claremont’s young tennis stars to play against some of the strongest competition in the country. Raquel Pedraza and Toby Miclat, both teenagers, each played for the honor of getting one step closer to qualifying for the famed U.S. Open.
At the Claremont Club on Monday, Pedraza, above, fell to Elizabeth Lumpkin in the first round of the ladies singles bracket, 3-6, 2-6. The next day, Miclat and her partner Alex Kitto were defeated 1-6, 6-2, 3-6 by Lumpkin and Konstantin Lazarov in mixed doubles.
COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff
Officers from local, county, state, federal and military agencies carried the “Flame of Hope” throughout southern California, winding its way through Claremont on Wednesday as part of the Law Enforcement Torch Run, leading up to the Special Olympics his weekend.
With a formal Claremont Police Department escort, 14 employees from the Claremont PD, 3 participants from Cal Poly Pomona and 5 athletes and staffers from the Special Olympics made their way through Claremont Wednesday, handing off the torch at Wheeler Avenue in La Verne.
Claremont’s top 4 tennis players competed at the University of Redlands last weekend to determine the Division II individual champions in doubles and singles. Cameron and Konrad Lorek took the court as partners, and Andrew and Alan Leahy took aim at the top singles players in the Southland.
A tough day concluded for Claremont athletes when the day’s top Wolfpack performer Alan Leahy fell in the third round of play to Austin Rapp of Rancho Mirage.
