by Cliff Carpenello, staff writer
The softball team is off to a great start with only one close loss to Livermore and five wins in league play.
The team is happy to see how well they’re doing so far, but players don’t want to get too ahead of themselves and are taking the season one game at a time.
The team has great chemistry and players work well together, which help them out on the field when in a rut.
Where the team sees some need for improvement is in their hitting, which is not where they want it to be this far into the season. They hope to improve this in time for the postseason.
“As the season goes on, we should be getting better so it’s not hopeless,” said senior infielder Taylor Duffy.
Despite offensive difficulties, the defense has made up for the offense which is why the team is able to still pull out victories.
The season is far from over, so there is going to be plenty of time to improve what the Grizzlies need to do and become stronger team overall.
“If we want to keep getting better then we’re going to need more practice and more focus,” said sophomore infielder Lindsey Chalmers.
There’s plenty of season left and at the rate they’re going, they should expect nothing but great things.
Women’s Lacrosse
As NCS nears in mid-May, the women’s lacrosse team hopes to rebound from a recent four game losing streak and make another deep postseason run.
Cal is in fifth place in the EBAL with a 3-4 record, 8-6 overall, after opening league play by winning its first three games.
The Grizzlies are hoping to get hot again and finish the regular season on a strong note in order to achieve their ultimate goal of being NCS champions.
“One of our best players is definitely Jenna Herana,” said junior midfielder Arianna Barry. “Her work ethic is amazing.”
“St. Francis of Mountain View is one of our toughest teams to beat,” said coach Scott Corso.
Besides St. Francis, Cal has often battled with league foes Carondeleet and Foothill. Cal lost by one goal in semifinals against Foothill last year.
“Our biggest competition is Carondelet right now,” said Barry. “Their team is pretty solid, and they know what they’re doing out there.”
To play as a unit is what will help carry the team, and almost all the players agree.
“When we play as a unit, better things happen,” said senior midfielder Jen Price. “It’s important not to let the little mistakes ruin your whole game.”
– Neelam Nandra
Men’s Lacrosse
Much like the women’s team, the men’s squad has also had one of their best seasons so far opening with a 7-2 start.
The team has cooled off a little and now boasts a 7-6 overall record, 2-5 in the EBAL. Still, many of the team members feel the promising start could bode well for the NCS playoffs.
Younger teammates, such sophomore attacker Jaime Preston, are sure to help propel the team forward and rake in more points.
With new young players it’s important that everyone works together.
“Our strong bond and ability to work as a team,” said senior midfielder Kyle Schuck, “ It’s all in the chemistry, man.”
Schuck and other teammates believe that their biggest competition this season will be both Amador and Foothill, but they are still wary of all the teams they play.
“We go into every game with a ‘0-0 record’ attitude,” said Schuck.
To other players, it seems that this will be a season that changes the lacrosse program.
“In general I think our program is just getting a lot better,” said senior midfielder Jake Edwards.
– Neelam Nandra
Men’s Volleyball
The men’s volleyball team is slamming their opponents hard so far this year.
The team started off slowly after losing a tough game to San Ramon Valley in the fifth set, 15-12, and losing to Deer Valley, a non EBAL team, in the third set. But the team got back on track with a dominating victory over Livermore.
Cal has a record of 11-12 in and a 4-2 record in EBAL. They are currently in second place in EBAL
“We were determined to get a victory after losing the first two games,” said senior Chace Walsten.
Senior Craig Horlbeck has been playing really well and has been their best player as a setter.
After finishing in second at the prestigious San Luis Obispo tournament, Horlbeck was named to the all-tournament team.
“Craig Horlbeck and Chace Walsten should both get first team all league,” said head coach Joel Davidson.
The team’s greatest strength is its chemistry.
“As a team we get along really well and we have good team chemistry,” said senior Chris Leal.
The team has continued its success with victories over Foothill on April 3 and Monte Vista on April 5.
– Alec Bandler
Baseball
The Grizzlies have started the season with high hopes of winning the league, despite holding a 3-1 league record.
Their most recent league victory was a 7-2 win over Amador on April 4. Junior Shaylor Giberti and senior Thomas Peter contributed with 2 RBIs each. Peter is second in the league in batting average with an astounding .528 average.
In the league opener on March 23, Cal suffered a narrow 4-3 loss to San Ramon Valley, the defending league champions.
The club defeated last place Livermore, 3-2, on March 29. Senior Kevin Farley contributed with a two-run home run, and leads the team with eight RBIs.
Starting pitcher, junior Nate D’Emilio powered through five innings and allowed only two hits. D’Emilio leads the league in ERA, with an incredible 0.23 ERA, and he anchors a staff that is one of the best in the league. With a little boost on offense, the Grizzlies playoffs hopes will remain an attainable goal.
Cal rolled over Granada, 6-3, on March 30.
“I’m most looking forward to playing De La Salle,” said sophomore J.D. McDonnell. “Then, we want to win the NCS title.”
The team travels to De La Salle to faced the Spartans on Wednesday.
– Eric Yee
Track and Field
Cal’s track and field teams are running away with the competition so far this year.
The ladies won their last two meets, beating Foothill 79-57 on April 5 and Amador 83-53 on March 15.
Cal’s ladies have been dominant for years, and are going for their fourth consecutive undefeated year. The ladies are 3-0 this season.
“We are already doing very well this year, and I know we will keep it up,” said junior Stephanie Karbo.
At the East Bay invitational on March 3, Cal had a runner in the top five of almost all of female events.
Unfortunately, the men’s team is not experiencing the same amount of success. The men got roughed up pretty badly against Amador by the score of 97- 38.
One of the few bright spots on the guys side is junior Karris Johnson. He is quick enough to win the 100 meters, while having the leg strength to win events like the long jump.
Another bright spot in an otherwise rough season is senior Noel Frazier’s continued dominance in the high jump.
– Luke Finkel
Swim & Dive
Winning is now officially on the menu for Cal’s swim and dive teams.
They won their most recent meet against Granada by a point, adding to their 2-1 season record.
Senior captain Cameron Speltz attributes the win to the stellar makeup of the team.
“We won because we have kids from SRVLA on our team,” said Speltz. “They exist to swim.”
Most team members agree that new coach Kimi Noltensmeier has done well in her first season as the head of the program.
“She connects well with the swimmers, and holds good practices,” said junior Ellen Perfect.
– John Sexton
Men’s Tennis
The men’s tennis team has continued its success in 2012. Through the first half of the season, the team has played extremely well and currently is in second place in EBAL.
“We are doing really well through half the season,” said senior Kaden Baker. “We work really well together as a team.”
Seniors Jonathan Stewart and Adhitya “lefty” Mohan continue to impress and lead as co-captains the team. They are also the team’s top singles players
“Our singles players are all experienced and strong,” said senior Tedmund Chua. “We play at a high tempo because we have a bunch of fast little boys.”
The team continued its success with a win over Granada on April 3, and a win over Amador Valley on April 5. The team suffered a tough loss to rival Foothill on April 17.
But overall, the team hopes to continue its success and defeat Monte Vista.
– Alec Bandler
