As the school year comes to a close and the athletes return their uniforms, many of the Paly spring sports teams deserve recognition for what they have accomplished. Six of nine total sports teams made the playoffs this year, but the Vikings failed to win any Central Coast Section titles. Here are the wrap-ups:
Baseball
The Palo Alto baseball team had a turbulent 2007-2008 season as the players suffered through one coaching change, two academically ineligible students, two player ejections, two mid-season player losses, and a lackluster start and end to the season. Nevertheless, the Vikings improved vastly from the 2006-2007 season when the team won only seven games. The Vikings did fairly well playing in the talented upper division against powerhouses Wilcox and Los Gatos, and were rewarded with a wild-card berth in the CCS playoffs. Their first round did not go as expected and the Viking were massacred, 18-4. While their early exit from CCS may not support this hope, Paly has plenty to look forward to in the upcoming seasons. Sophomores Connor Raftrey, Wade Hauser, Scott Witte, Joc Pederson, Geoff Dodson and freshman T.J. Braff have all played brilliantly in varying roles with the team and will propel the team forward following their 14-13-1 2008 season.
Player’s Take
The season started rocky and we didn’t have the right energy to win games which was reflected in our record,” senior pitcher Robbie Heeger said. “With the introduction of Coach Colombo we gained that energy and we began to play better. Then we had a few various setbacks, including injuries, and league eligibility rules and lost a number of players, including our star pitcher. This all started right as we began to win and we were lucky to make it into CCS.”
Softball
2008 was a monumental year for the Vikings’ softball team as the girls gained their first CCS playoff berth in more than 10 years. After finishing a surprising 11-1 in league, Paly took momentum into the playoffs and advanced to the quarterfinals before losing, 1-10, to Burlingame High School. While the Vikings lost by nine runs, the season foreshadows the huge potential of the current group of players. The team will lose no players to graduation as it is now comprised of four freshmen, five sophomores and two juniors.
Player’s Take
“With the fantastic combination of our new coaches, Kelly [Jenks] as our main pitcher, and a horde of young talent, this year’s team had a dynamic season,” junior center fielder Pamela Wong said. “We were really happy in advancing to the second round in CCS.”
Tennis
Moving up into the De Anza Division after what was supposed to be a “rebuilding” 2006-2007 season in the El Camino Division, the team came into the year with high hopes. The team’s record fell from 21-3-0 to 15-7-0 with the move up in the division, but the level of competition was consistently far superior. With their 15-7-0 record, the Vikings placed second in the division. The Vikings did extremely well in advancing to the quarterfinals of CCS playoffs for the second consecutive year. The Vikings’ season ended with a 5-2 loss to powerhouse Menlo High School after a long three-hour match. The Vikings have much to look forward to, and are returning 12 of 14 players on the current varsity roster, losing No. 2 singles player Kushal Tantry and No. 1 doubles player David Plotkin to graduation.
Player’s Take
“We were shooting for a great season,” junior singles player Sam Wong said. “Although we did not do as well as we would have liked in CCS, we accomplished valuable other things such as gaining confidence for going into CCS next year. I have no doubt we will win it.”
Badminton
Paly’s badminton team came into the season hoping to improve upon its 0-12 2006-2007 season, and barely accomplished that. The team registered a single win against Homestead High School and finished with a record of 1-10. One highlight of the team this past year was the presence of junior singles player Young Hsu on the roster, who was the lone player from the team to make it to CCS. Over the course of five matches, Hsu won two and lost three. While the team only won one match this year, many of the losses could have gone either way and the Vikings often emerged from the contests with the short end of the stick. Given the close competition of many of their matches, the Vikings have a positive outlook towards the next season.
Player’s Take
“The team had several high points during the season, but overall we could have done better,” said junior No. 3 singles player Kyle Clarke. “The JV team was fairly good, so we’re looking forward to a much better showing next year.”
Boys’ Track and Field
The boys’ track and field team powered through its regular season with a perfect 6-0 record and had high hopes for a strong finish in CCS, and possibly, competition at states. The long distance unit featured junior runner Charlie Avis in addition to meteoric sophomore Philip MacQuitty. Highlighting the short distance unit were juniors Paul Brown and Ariel Arsac-Ellison, along with underclassmen Daniel Jones and Maurice Williams. The jumping team relied heavily upon senior three-sport stars Mike Scott and Dom Powell, as Scott dominated in the long jump and triple jump and Powell in the high jump. The Vikings sent four contingents to states to compete in the high jump, 800-meter, 400-meter relay and long jump.
Player’s Take
“I think this year was definitely a success for us,” Brown said. “Everybody thought it would be a rebuilding year, but we ended up finishing first in our division.”
Girls’ Track and Field
While several runners faired extremely well in both the league and CCS tournaments, the girls’ track and field team finished a disappointing 2-4 in league. Senior sensation Mia Lattanzi continued her winning tradition and led Paly in first-place finishes. At league competition, Stanford-bound Lattanzi finished first in the 800 with a time of 2 minutes, 14:68 seconds, a time that qualified her for CCS. Senior runner Leah Gaeta also qualified for CCS in the 800 by finishing with a time of 2:19:34. Lattanzi continued her winning streak by placing first in CCS after a close race with Carlmont High School rival Justine Fredronic. At the state championships, Lattanzi duplicated her 2006 outing by coming in second again. She missed out on first place by a minuscule .03 seconds and finished with a time of 2:10:32.
“The season wasn’t that successful,” said junior hurdler Megha Ram. “We had a couple star seniors, and other than them the team was talented, but mostly inexperienced.”
Boys’ Swimming
The boys’ swim team began the 2007-2008 season just where the 2006-2007 team left off, as the Vikings compiled a 6-1 overall record while swimming to their fourth consecutive league title. During the league meet, the Vikings only had one first-place finish, but recorded five second-place finishes and three third-place finishes. The Vikings carried their success into the CCS playoffs by achieving a respectable fourth place. Swimmers who placed well included juniors Mark Higgins and Tim Wenzlau, in addition to seniors Michael Fortune and Geng Weng. While swimming in CCS, Fortune set a new school record in the 50 freestyle with a time of 21.61.
Player’s Take
“We didn’t finish as high as we would have liked, but we did very well in winning our league,” Fortune said. “Overall, I’d say that the season was fairly successful.”
Girls’ Swimming
The girls’ team matched the boys’ example and also finished first in their league competition. Highlights of the races included Cal-bound senior Liv Jensen’s 50-meter freestyle league record time of 23.10 seconds and a 100-meter breaststroke time of 1:06.41, both wins. Also registering two wins was fellow senior captain Colleen Fotsch, who placed first in the 100-meter butterfly and 100-meter backstroke with times of 57.0 seconds and 57.95 seconds, respectively. In addition, the Vikings’ 400-meter freestyle relay team placed first, composed of Jensen, Fotch, and freshmen Sabrina Lee and Kristina Xiang. After advancing through leagues, the team finished an impressive third in CCS, where Jensen won the 50 and 100 freestyle while setting record times in both.
Player’s Take
“The season was a great success and we really bonded as a team,” junior swimmer Liza Dernehl said. “While we didn’t win CCS like we had hoped, individually everyone did really well.”
Girls’ Lacrosse
In the Paly girls’ first ever lacrosse season, the team finished with a respectable 3-12 record in the Freelance League. The team, comprised of 32 players, 31 of whom will return next year, will build upon the inaugural season’s success. Led by senior captain Katie Dahm, the team won more games than expected, yet let several matches slip away after being ahead early. Nevertheless, the team gained valuable experience that will surely help going into next year.
Player’s Take
“We had a really good season especially for a first year program,” Dahm said. “We finished in the middle [of the league], and I think we could be near the top next year.”