This week’s edition of the Press Banner Sports Ticker highlights local prep athletes for their performances during the week of March 25-31.
Preps of the Week
Boys: Scotts Valley High senior Lorenzo Gonzalez won both the shot put and discus events during a Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League track and field meet against Harbor High and Mount Madonna School on March 28. He had a throw of 111 feet, 5 inches in the discus and a mark of 38-6 in the shot put. Gonzalez and the Falcons will continue league action against Mount Madonna and Aptos at Aptos High School on April 11 at 4:30pm.
Girls: San Lorenzo Valley High junior Abigale Krepelka recorded eight strikeouts and allowed just one run on five hits for the Cougars softball team in a 4-1 victory over Santa Cruz in SCCAL play March 26. Krepelka continued where she left off following a strong month in March, including wins over Valley Christian and Sobrato high schools. SLV will host Soquel High in league action April 9 at 4:30pm.
Rising Stars
- Monte Vista Christian junior Kayla Fullalove-Silviera batted 3-for-4 with one double, three RBIs, two runs scored, one walk and one stolen base for the Mustangs softball team in a crushing 16-0 non-league win over Oak Grove High of San Jose on March 28. Fullalove-Silviera also had a pair of hits to go along with three RBIs and one run scored in a 16-5 non-league win against Marina High on March 26.
- Monte Vista Christian senior Kyra Driscoll had five goals, one assist and four draw controls for the Mustangs girls’ lacrosse team in an 11-3 victory over Carmel High in PCAL Gabilan Division action March 25. Maya Moored had two goals and one assist, Lucia Rasi contributed a pair of goals, Jana Bacero-Duncan had 13 saves and Alexa Malaspina had three draw controls.
- Mount Madonna School’s Nikowa D’Costa-Hemp led the Hawks boys’ volleyball team with 20 kills, seven aces and 18 digs in a five-set victory 3-2 over Scotts Valley in Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League play March 26. Fellow teammate Nash Wilson tallied eight kills, and Solomon Coleman had four aces and 37 assists. With the win, Mount Madonna (4-14) improved to 2-3 in league play.
- Scotts Valley High junior Sofia Seese recorded nine strikeouts and a shutout for the Falcons softball team in a 10-0 win over Soquel High in SCCAL action March 26. Fellow teammate Chloe Kent batted 3-for-3 with one walk, three RBIs and one run scored, while both Gracie Delgado and Ava Eagle each had a pair of base hits and one RBI.
- St. Francis High junior Nash Horton batted a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run—his third of the season—to go along with two stolen bases, four RBIs and a pair of runs scored for the Sharks baseball team in a 9-5 win over Monte Vista Christian in Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan Division action March 25.
- St. Francis High juniors Mia Guardino and Alyssa McDaniel helped the Sharks girls’ swim team defeat York, 24-20 in PCAL Santa Lucia action March 27. Guardino won the 200-yard freestyle and 100 back, while won the 200 medley and 100 breast. For the boys, senior Troy Dawson won the 200 free and 100 back.
- St. Francis High boys’ track and field team produced some first place finishes starting with the 4×100 team (Joseph Dayrit, Anthony Silva, Markel Parker, Robert Gomez) with a win in 47.4 seconds at the PCAL Santa Lucia Division cluster meet March 26. Gomez won the high jump with a mark of 5 feet, 6 inches, Dayrit won the long jump (19-1 1/2), and Coy Jordan captured the triple jump (36-7 1/2) event.
- St. Francis High sophomore Petyon Orradre won both the high jump (4-6) and 100-meter hurdles (17.59) for the Sharks girls’ track and field team at the PCAL Santa Lucia Division cluster meet March 26. Aaliysah Gomez, a senior, won the triple jump with a leap of 30-5, and sophomore Micaela Garcia won the 300 low hurdles in 1.00.28.
- Scotts Valley High junior Elijah Diamond, senior Jules Dudek, sophomore Aditya Hannon and senior Wesley Theissen completed the singles sweep for the Falcons boys’ tennis team in a 7-0 victory over Harbor High in SCCAL action March 28. In the lone doubles match, the Scotts Valley senior tandem of Hunter Young and Evan Anderson won their match to help the Falcons remain undefeated at 5-0 in league play. Scotts Valley plays at Aptos (5-1) on April 9 at 4:00 pm.
- Watsonville High senior Ruben Mora won four events to help the Wildcats boys track and field team beat Stevenson, 81-55, in PCAL Mission Division action March 27. He won the 110-meter high Hurdles in 17.55 seconds, 300 intermediate hurdles (42.68), and was part of the 4×100 relay team (Alex Paniagua, Mora, Isaac Urbina, Jose Pena) and 4×400 relay team (Patrick Miller-Brown, Urbina, Pena, Mora) that won in 46.16 and 3 minutes, 53.84 seconds, respectively. Paniagua, a freshman, won two individual events taking the 100m (11.58 seconds) and 200 (24.12). Giancarlo Mendo won the 1600m (4:46.65) and 800m (2:07.70), Lisandro Pantoja won the discus with a toss of 122 feet, 6 inches, Rodrigo Barranco won the 3200m (10:46.78), and Nathan Aguilar won the triple jump (39-9 1/4).
- Watsonville High junior Katelynn Ruiz won the 1600- and 3200-meter races in 6:19.69 and 11:41.65, respectively, in a 78-57 loss to Stevenson in PCAL Mission Division play on March 27. Lizbeth Gomez won the 400m (1:06.28) and 800m (2:51.93), Jocelyn Guzman won the 300m low hurdles (50.61) and was part of the winning 4×100 relay team (Aileen Reyes, Guzman, Evangelina Gaona, Liz Torres) that won in 54.98.
Games to Watch
- Scotts Valley vs. Aptos, softball – April 9 at 4:30pm: The Falcons (4-4, 3-0) and Mariners (7-2, 3-0) are set to square off in a showdown to see who can jump ahead in the SCCAL standings.
- Scotts Valley vs. Aptos, baseball – April 9 at 4:30pm: The Falcons (5-3, 2-2) will attempt to bounce back against the Mariners (6-5, 4-1) following last week’s blowout loss to Soquel.
- Santa Cruz County Meet, track and field – April 13 at 10am: Scotts Valley and San Lorenzo Valley along with 13 other local schools will compete in the first annual Santa Cruz County Track and Field Meet set to take place at Aptos High School. The one-day inaugural event will serve as the county championships.
Coaches and athletic directors are encouraged to submit scores and highlights to jr****@we*****.com. Follow sports editor Juan Reyes (@jmreyes831) on Twitter for scores and news updates.
