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.
Claremont High School senior Alan Leahy returns a shot from Redlands’ Patrick Cachapero on Thursday during the second round CIF Southern Section 3013 Boys Individual Tennis Regionals in Redlands. Leahy easily defeated Cachapero but lost to Palm Desert High’s Austin Rapp, 6-2, 7-6. Leahy’s brother Andrew lost his second round match as did the CHS doubles team of Cameron and Konrad Lorek. More in our next edition COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff
Claremont High School senior Jeremy Giles celebrates as he crosses home after ripping a homerun over the centerfield fence in the 6th inning of the Pack’s wild card playoff game against the Upland High School Scots on Tuesday in Upland. Led by the pitching of sophomore Tyler Witt, the Wolfpack narrowly defeated the Scots, 5-4, and will advance to the regular CIF playoff bracket. See our complete story. COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff
SWIMMING AND DIVING
Claremont swimmers finished 3rd in the Sierra League after a strong end-of-season surge. In all, 10 athletes will go to CIF. Those swimmers include the girls 200 medley relay team of Mary Hanna, Morgan Stockham, Samantha Duran, and Melissa Oei. For the boys, Jacob Altree, Jack Mammone, Ben Jardine, Luke Miller, Dylan Tarazona and Thomas Randles all qualified.
Check out the other sports inside.
Claremont High School’s Eran Beechor makes a diving save with Jared Butz on Tuesday during the Pack’s first round CIF playoff game against Quartz Hill. The Wolfpack easily defeated the Rebels 3-0 to advance in the CIF tournament. Check out our complete coverage with slideshow. COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff
BASEBALL
The Wolfpack batted their way to a 10-1 shellacking of Charter Oak on Tuesday. Josh Chua and Nick Costello each had 3 RBI, while Tyler Witt threw a complete, 3-hit game. With 3 games to go in the regular season, Claremont needs to win out to retain the #2 spot in the Sierra League.
More sports coverage inside.
CHS senior Brittany Brown has really stretched her legs this year, metaphorically and literally. The all-around track standout has lit up the opposition in almost every 100-meter dash this season. At the Sierra League preliminaries last weekend, Ms. Brown took yet another first place, finishing the 100 in 12.58 seconds and putting fear into the rest of the league’s runners. Later on that day, Ms. Brown missed out on winning the 200-meter race by 44 hundredths of a second.
Three Burroughs High School players stretch to keep the ball alive after a shot was blocked by Claremont High School’s Donovan Robinson and Stephen Zetterberg on Tuesday during their conference match at CHS. Despite strong play, and winning the first game, the pack lost 3-1. COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff
In a workout room at the Claremont Club on Monday, 30 women gave their all, shimmying, samba-ing, salsa-ing and shuffling their way to fitness.
Two brave men were also among their ranks, one of them Steven Boyd, principal of San Antonio High School. A 4-year member of the Claremont Club, he decided 2 years ago to enliven his fitness routine with the aerobic dance sensation Zumba and he’s never looked back.
Like most people, time and a busy work schedule had crept up on Mr. Boyd over the years, adding a few pounds.
Junior Sarah Bratman clears 7 feet while competing in the pole vault on Tuesday during Claremont High School’s track meet with visiting Ayala High School. Both the varsity and junior varsity girls defeated the Bulldogs and became Sierra League champions. Check out all our sports coverage inside. COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff
The Wolfpack keep rolling in the Sierra League with another 2 victories. Claremont defeated Ayala last week 11-7, then beat South Hills 13-5. It is looking like first place is assured for the Pack, as they have 4 more league matches in the regular season. Claremont hosts Damien and then travels to Chino Hills this Friday, April 18 at 3:15 p.m. Next week, the Pack host Charter Oak on Tuesday, April 23 at 3:15 p.m. Check out our complete coverage.
Damien and St. Lucy’s high schools lost their appeal last Wednesday to stay put in the Sierra League for all sports.
The CIF executive committee outvoted representatives from the single-gender schools, 14-6, and Damien and St. Lucy’s will be forced to move into a parochial league for the 2014-15 sports season.
School representatives say that this is unfair; that the league targeted the only 2 Catholic schools because they thought Damien and St. Lucy’s somehow had an unfair advantage in the sports arena.
