TC's countdown of top 10 stories

By Pete Borello, Town Crier Staff Writer

Town Crier file photos Los Altos High goalie Mike Peterson tries to make a save in the Central Coast Section Division II semifinal game against Sacred Heart Prep, which the Eagles lost 10-9.

There were several local teams and athletes worthy of making the Town Crier’s list of the best high school sports stories of the year. But, as is our tradition, only 10 can make the cut.

Let’s count them down:

10 Spartans snap the streak. For the first time in eight years, the Mountain View High girls volleyball team beat rival Los Altos High in league play. “It wasn’t on our list of goals for the season, but obviously it was something we wanted to do,” Spartans coach Gerrie Phillips said after the 25-21, 25-15, 25-18 win Oct. 24. “It wasn’t a huge focus, but it was a huge relief that we did it.” Visiting Mountain View never trailed in the match, and Los Altos only tied the Spartans twice. Seniors Chelsea Ligda (12 kills), Summer Reeves (10 kills), Abby Damm (31 assists) and Ali Hanshaw (12 digs) led Mountain View to the victory, which spoiled senior night for the Eagles.

9 On par with the best in the state. St. Francis High senior Chris Jensen shook off a slow start to finish in a tie for second place June 8 at the state high school boys golf championship. After a double bogey on the first hole, the Los Altos resident tallied four birdies and sunk a 40-foot putt on his way to a 2-under-par 70 at the difficult Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach. “I played pretty well,” said Jensen, who finished just a stroke back of champion Daniel Lim of Bellarmine Prep. “I could have made a few more putts and been a little closer to the hole on my approach shots, but I was hitting the driver great. Second is not bad, but you’d always like to win.”

8 Eagles almost make history. The Los Altos High boys water polo team came oh-so-close to becoming the first seventh seed to make the Central Coast Section final. The Eagles, leading 7-5 in the third quarter, went on to lose 10-9 to No. 3 Sacred Heart Prep Nov. 15 in the CCS Division II semifinal. Los Altos senior Matthew Wiener tied the game at 9 with 2 minutes left and the Eagles had a chance to go ahead with just under a minute, but a turnover led to a counterattack goal by Sacred Heart with 25 seconds remaining. “It’s disappointing not to finish with our absolute best game,” said Los Altos coach Jon Wiener, whose team upset No. 2 St. Francis 7-5 in the quarterfinals, “but the guys played hard until the end.”

7 Make that six in a row. The St. Francis High gymnastics team won an unprecedented sixth consecutive CCS crown with a dominating performance May 20. The Lancers topped the podium in every event, finishing with a new CCS record of 189.675; Aragon placed second (183.800) and Gunn third (178.025). “A championship title, because of the potential to fall, can be won or lost on the balance beam,” said Lancer beam coach Nancy Kludt, and the Lancers earned the highest team total and four of the top 10 places in the event. St. Francis junior Linda Lund won the all-around title with a career-best 39.05, grabbing gold on vault (9.70) and snagging second on bars (9.775). Co-captains Alysse Zrebski and Angie Martin de Bustamante also played vital roles in the victory.

6 Los Altos runners show their “medal.” Los Altos High juniors Eric Hersey and Alec Nickolls spent part of their summer vacation winning medals at the USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships in Indianapolis. Hersey placed second in the Intermediate Boys 110-meter hurdles (14.55 seconds), while Nickolls took sixth in the Intermediate Boys 3,000 run (9:10.53). “Everyone came out fast and I stayed back, as usual,” Nickolls said. “The last lap I felt really good and passed five people. I ran smart and didn’t get out too fast.” Los Altos coach Julia Widstrand said Hersey ran “a really nice race.”

5 The Lancers are back. A year after missing the playoffs for the first time in the 29-year history of CCS, the St. Francis High girls volleyball team reached the CCS Division III final. Although the third-seeded Lancers lost to top seed Presentation in three games Nov. 19, they showed that the dynasty (four state titles since 2000) isn’t dead. Liz Prang led St. Francis with 12 kills in the CCS final and Chrissy Zirpolo tallied 10. St. Francis, which went on to the Northern California playoffs and advanced to the semifinals, posted a 25-9 record for the season under coach Kim Oden.

4 Local girls conquer Sacramento. Los Altos residents Libby Jenke and Tori Tyler seized championships at the state track and field championships June 4 in Sacramento. Menlo School senior Jenke won the girls 800 run and Gunn senior Tyler claimed the girls 3,200 run. Jenke - who finished in 2 minutes, 10.39 seconds - is the first Menlo girl to win a state track title. “Libby ran a great race and looked very strong,” said Widstrand, who once coached her. Tyler lost the lead twice on the final lap of her 2-mile race, but she defied her reputation of not finishing fast by surpassing Buchanan’s Lauren Saylor on the homestretch to win in 10:38.90.

3 New coach sparks resurgence of Los Altos football. They didn’t make the playoffs, but the Eagles showed signs of improvement under new coach Erik Rutgers. The young coach guided Los Altos to a second-place finish in the SCVAL El Camino Division and a 7-3 overall record in the fall. If it weren’t for a late-season loss at Santa Clara, the Eagles would have made the CCS playoffs for the first time this decade. “We’re getting the attitude of ‘losing is not acceptable,’” said Rutgers, an assistant coach for two seasons prior to assuming the top spot. “It’s getting away from the way things used to be here.” Players like quarterback Rich Rullo, who praised Rutgers throughout the season, would likely agree with that.

2 Big Ben runs with precision. St. Francis High senior Ben Sitler capped a memorable cross-country season by placing seventh at the Footlocker National Cross Country Championships Dec. 10 in San Diego. The Los Altos resident ran the 5K boys race in 15 minutes, 6 seconds. “I gave it my all and I have no regrets,” Sitler said. “I was happy with how I ran; and as far as place, I was really happy with that.” His season also included a CCS Division III Championship, and second-place finishes at both the state meet and the Western Region Championships. Sitler will run for Princeton University next season.

1 The Panthers net a state title. Pinewood School left no doubt it had the best Division V girls basketball team in the state. The Panthers finished the season on a 19-game winning streak and beat all six of their playoff opponents by double-digit points. Pinewood routed Pacific Hills, its opponent/victim in the state title game, 61-39 March 18 in Sacramento. “We were more skilled, deeper and better at every position,” Panthers coach Doc Scheppler said. Junior Liz Altmaier scored a game-high 16 points, senior Daniela Roark added 12 points and six assists, and junior Hannah Lippe came off the bench to score 12 points. Pinewood, which posted a 26-5 overall record, brought home the second state title in school history.