By Pete Borello
Spring Sports Report
Softball
Experience proved to be the difference in last Saturday’s CCS Division II quarterfinal between Los Altos High and Carlmont. Top-seeded Carlmont had it and No. 9 Los Altos didn’t, according to Eagles coach Bernie Quintero.
The result: a 6-0 win for Carlmont.
Errors helped Carlmont score all its runs by the fourth inning off Los Altos starter Alyce Jorgensen. Offensively, the Eagles (15-12) failed to capitalize on bases-loaded opportunities in the fifth and seventh innings.
Los Altos opened the playoffs by edging No. 8 Harbor 1-0 May 15 at the Salinas Sports Complex.
The Eagles’ run came in the seventh, courtesy of a Harbor throwing error that allowed Estelle Hong to score from third base.
Los Altos pitcher Chrissy Sommer then set down Harbor in order in the bottom half of the inning to earn the win.
St. Francis’ season also came to a close Saturday, as the seventh-seeded Lancers lost 6-0 to No. 2 Mitty in a CCS Division II quarterfinal game in Salinas.
St. Francis (17-13) managed only three hits off Mitty (27-5).
Starter Christina McGrath took the loss, surrendering eight hits.
In their opening-round game Thursday, the Lancers shut out No. 10 St. Ignatius 3-0 at Hawes Field in Redwood City.
Kerry Tealdi handcuffed St. Ignatius (12-12), pitching a one-hitter to notch the win.
St. Francis scored all its runs in the fifth, two of them coming on Kristine Crawford’s two-runner homer.
Community College track
Five weeks after taking up the high jump for fun, Los Altos High sophomore Allie Miller finds herself preparing to compete in the event at Friday’s Central Coast Section track & field championships.
Eagles coach Julia Widstrand encouraged Miller to try the high jump so she wouldn’t focus too much on her main events: the 100- and 300-meter hurdles.
“I thought it would be something she could have fun with and make her relax because she’s so intense,” Widstrand said. “And she’s done better than I expected.”
Miller cleared 5 feet, 2 inches at last Saturday’s CCS semifinals at San Jose City College to tie for seventh; the top eight finishers in each event make the finals.
She will compete in the 300 hurdles as well, thanks to an eighth-place finish (47.23 seconds) in the semis.
Miller is the lone Los Altos High athlete to qualify for Friday’s meet, scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. at San Jose City College.
Widstrand said Miller is capable of clearing 5-4 in the high jump - she’s reached that mark in practice - and finishing among the top three in the hurdles.
“Allie’s got her work cut out for her,” Widstrand said, “but she’s very capable of pulling something off.”
St. Francis will send a small contingent to Friday’s meet: Chris Chisam, Tori Tyler, Ashley Dutro and the girls 400 relay team.
Chisam placed fourth in the boys discus (167-5) at the semifinals. Tyler, a freshman, was fourth in the girls mile (5:04.44), while sophomore Dutro came in eighth in the 100 dash (12.70).
The Lancers’ girls 400 relay finished third (49.62).
Pete Bjorklund and Steve Perry, 1999 graduates of Los Altos High, both won medals with top-eight finishes at last weekend’s California Community College Track and Field Championships at Santa Barbara City College
Bjorklund, representing College of San Mateo, placed second in the discus with a personal-record throw of 171 feet, 5 inches and took third in the shot put with a 56-0.
Perry, representing De Anza College, finished eighth in the 1,500-meter run. He ran the race in 4 minutes, 7 seconds..
