Spring sports preview

Women’s track athletes hold NCS championship banner; photo courtesy of Leanne West

By Sloane Crocker, sports editor

Ready to join the green and gold rush of Carrillo’s next victorious team? If so, you’re in luck. It just so happens that now’s the perfect time to get involved in a spring sport, and fear not, because Carrillo’s got plenty of options. Perhaps you’d excel at the speedy and technical game of badminton, or maybe you want nothing more than to don a swim cap and lose yourself in the rhythm of breaststroke or freestyle. Maybe neither of those are your cup of tea, but you’d love to test your limits on the track, blast a home run in softball or baseball, make the perfect shot on the golfing green, or try your luck on the tennis courts. You’re sure to find something as Carrillo boasts not one, not two, but seven spring sports, all of which are absolute powerhouses sure to have yet another winning season. 

Starting off strong, MCHS badminton went undefeated in 2022 and won second place in NBL for the 2023 season; It’s safe to say the team has had “outstanding” seasons so far, in the words of head coach Khema Kim. Although the coming season may be a bit more challenging, as most of the JV players of last season left the school, Kim hopes to receive some “good fresh players” or else will simply have to train harder this season to come out on top. Kim says, “we have to do our best for the team.” In terms of individuals who will be key to success, Kim points out Leanna Baltonado, who was the best singles and doubles player for the last two seasons, went undefeated, and was “the most outstanding female player in the North Bay League.” Kim is sure that she will “be our best for this season,” but also stresses that the team works very well together and “likes to help one another.” In short, Kim says that this season will be both challenging and fun, and looks forward to “bringing the team to the top.”

In terms of swimming, the team is just as outstanding, winning both Oak League and NBLs in the 2023 season. Coach Christine Lewis attributes this success to the work ethic of her swimmers, saying that they “worked hard all season and it showed.” As for the upcoming season, Lewis feels “confident” and knows that, especially if she gets returning swimmers, it will be a “great season” owing to their undeniable determination and dedication to the sport. When asked about any standout athletes, Lewis mentioned Finn Brophy, who nabbed NBL mens swimmer of the year and will surely have an “exceptional season.” But again, Brophy is far from the team’s only asset. The team is very “well rounded” with many “wonderful young people” who Lewis admires not only in the pool but outside of it as well. Working with athletes who can not only “book it” but are also “kind, funny, and smart” is a huge part of why she loves her job. 

And now, track. Head coach Gred Fogg said that both mens and womens track are “used to contending for the NBL Team Banner and NCS Redwood Area Championships.” In recent years the women's side has been especially strong, winning 18 of the last 23 seasons and garnering 13 NCS Redwood Area Championships in the same time frame. As for mens, they have also put up a “solid” performance, with 8 NBL Team Pennants over the past 10 seasons and 6 NCS Redwood Area Championships over the last 20 seasons, though they have experienced a slight drop off in recent years. As for this year, Fogg says the team will miss the contributions of last year’s “outstanding” seniors and hopes that the turn out this spring will be similar to the over 240-athlete roster of last year. In terms of specific athletes who will bolster the team’s chances of victory, Fogg named sprinters Gianne Morley, Sydney Moore, and Emma Moore, along with varsity soccer players Kylie Malm, Mia Carra, Lily cuniberti, and Lily Costa who will join the team after soccer season has ended. Allison Kapustka is set to be one of the top pole vaulters in the North Bay League, while strong distance runners will include Gracie Trenam, Kira Moe, Brooke Szczekocki, and freshman Ashlin Mallon. On the boys side Fogg pointed out Nehemiah Holiday, defending NBL champion in triple jump, as well as discus athlete Beau Gleeson, and Jack Wilson, the “fastest returning athlete in NBL” for most distance events. A strong sophomore class will include Malachi Cole, Estefan Ramirez, Austin Petrik, Kevin Trenam, and Trenton Dawson, while freshman Cameron Jones will make an impact in varsity distance and mid distance events. But the team isn’t limited to returning athletes; in fact, Fogg encourages new athletes to give the experience a shot. With 17 different events, there is “an event for everyone,” and with a coaching staff boasting many former D-1 athletes, new athletes will have ample guidance when choosing the right event. So all in all, Fogg can’t wait to watch athletes of all experience levels “get on board” and commit to their training, as if everyone shows up and works hard, he “guarantees” that they will improve.

Maria Carrillo’s remarkable success is continued with softball. 2022 led them to the semi finals of NCS playoffs, the farthest the team has reached in school history, while in  2023 the team finished as league champion and advanced to the second round of playoffs before falling short. Additionally, two players received top honors in league last season, with Olivia Rivera receiving Player of the Year and Madison Cooper with Pitcher of the Year. Even further, Alexis Hoke and Erin Kelleher won first team honors while Rachaely Yaya and Brooke Cooper received second team honors. Coach Chris Hoke said that the team has “a lot of talent returning”, especially in Hoke, Kelleher and Yaya along with Janelle Herfurth and Haylie Padgett, and will also receive support from skilled underclassmen. Hoke is excited to “meet the challenges” of the new season and to see how this new group will respond. He knows that, as league champion, the team will face plenty of opposition when trying for a repeat title, and is excited to see younger players help put the team in position to win both league and NCS. But despite the tough schedule that the team is set to face, Hoke describes the nine returning varsity players to be some of the “best people” he has coached and knows that their closeness will help lead them to victory.

Now for golf. Since coach Chris Nelle has had the team, they have been “dominant” in the NBL. Unfortunately, Nelle had hoped to have five returning players for the upcoming season, but lost talented golfer Yubin Halladay, who graduated after sophomore year. The team also lost 2023 player of the year Alex LemMon, who got a scholarship to Chico State. Nevertheless, Justin Sullivan, Dominic Neri, Langston Alexander, and Aiden Padgett will all be returning to aid the team’s success. Additionally, Nelle is always surprised by who “comes out of the woodwork.” He describes a situation a couple of years ago where a senior, Sam Corals, tried out for the team when Nelle had never seen him before, yet Corals had honed his skills all through the pandemic and ended up making the all-league team. Nelle hopes for another “surprise” like this, and can’t wait to be around the team again. As the oldest coach in the league, he loves sharing his wisdom and listening to his players so he can be connected to youth and loves to joke with his team.

Though the men’s tennis coach isn’t finalized yet, sophomore returning varsity player Matthew Lee says that the season went “relatively well” last year, as expected. The team won the NBL, which he calls a “fitting farewell” to coaches Morris and Carter. Unfortunately, the team “didn’t perform up to par” in NCS, losing 5-2, but in Lee’s opinion many players are motivated by that loss. With two seniors on the team ranked first and second in the league, Lee hopes that this is the year to “get it back” and get them a win before graduation. Personally, Lee hopes to make a singles tournament this year and is looking forward to the support of his friends at matches, but his top priority is his team making NBL finals  and he looks forward to “playing good tennis” with the team.

Finally, sophomore baseball player Charlie Toig, who played for JV last season, describes his freshman season as starting off really strong, with everyone showing up to practice and working hard. However, he feels that, as the season progressed, the work ethic “went out the window,” so he hopes that the team keeps up the energy this year, in which case they will be “in a good spot.” In terms of the coming year, he feels that the added talent of players like himself moving up from JV, along with returning juniors and seniors, will help push them towards success. He also notes that the team has “good leadership.” As for what he is looking forward to most, he can’t wait for the “really close games on varsity,” the “super important” 2-1 or 1-1 matches against quality opponents.

So just because you struggle to strike a ball with a bat or don’t prefer to run doesn’t mean you can’t become a standout badminton or tennis player if only you give it a chance and are willing to put in the work. But, even if you’re resolved to not take part in a spring sport, you can still bring the energy as a dedicated fan; Carrillo has no shortage of powerhouse athletes and teams to cheer on to victory.