By Kimberly Blackfield

2 local soccer players make ODP team

Town Crier Intern

Two girls from Los Altos have been selected to the Olympic Development Program Regional Soccer Team.

But making the team was no easy task for Tori Tyler and Dawn Maxey. In order to make the squad, the players had to go through extensive tryouts.

First, the girls tried out for the ODP District team, then the ODP State team for two weekends each. After playing on the state team for some time, both players moved on to the ODP Regional tryouts.

“There is a regional camp (that lasts) one week,” said Tyler, an incoming freshman at St. Francis High.

Both Tyler and Maxey will be participating in ODP Regional tournaments, which start in November.

While not with the ODP teams, both girls play for the Sunnyvale ‘87 Roadrunners, an area club team for girls ages 14-15. Tryouts, like those for the ODP teams, lasted for two weekends and consisted of scrimmages to show the players’ skills on the field.

“It’s pretty competitive and (the team) is pretty close,” said Maxey, a sophomore at Mountain View High.

Roadrunners team manager Jim Behlen described Maxey as having “a tremendous work ethic” with “sprinter’s speed.” He said Tyler is the squad’s “Energizer Bunny” and her work rate in practice and games is “unparalleled.”

While soccer takes up a major portion of the girls’ time, both find time to participate in track and field. And both of them have been running with success. Tyler recently competed at the National Junior Olympic meet in Sacramento, placing second in the Youth Girls Division 1,500-meter run.

“I didn’t think I would do that well because I didn’t train and I just got back from regional camp,” said Tyler, who also plans to participate in cross-country in the fall.

Maxey capped off her first high school track season by qualifying for the Central Coast Section semifinals in both the triple jump and 100 hurdles, though she was unable to compete due to prior ODP commitments.

For Maxey and Tyler, soccer and track are both appealing sports that provide different challenges.

“(They are) equal,” Tyler said. “(I like) soccer because of the teammates (and) track because it’s a single sport.”

Said Maxey: “I like both, but soccer would have to come first.”

Both players also agree on the fact that their main goal while playing soccer is to have fun.

“(The best thing about soccer is that) it’s fun and the closeness with the team,” Tyler said.