Photograph by Robert Scheer
Saratoga's Troy Cardin slides safely into third in an early season win over Los Gatos. The Falcons picked up two wins in league play last week.
By Dick Sparrer
Joanna Ilnicka and Jaison Carter are just two swimmers.
But try to convince either Fremont or Wilcox of that this week. The Firebirds and Chargers saw enough of the two Saratoga swimmers last week to last them an entire season.
The two Falcons combined to be part of 13 individual and relay wins in back-to-back victories for the Saratoga girls' and boys' swim teams.
Ilnicka won two events and was a member of two winning relay teams in an easy 104-75 win for the Saratoga girls over Wilcox, and that came after she had already won a pair of events and helped a 'Toga relay to victory in a 114-34 triumph over Fremont.
Carter just about matched Ilnicka's performance. He led the Saratoga boys to a 115-57 win over Wilcox with two individuals wins and a share of a relay victory. Earlier in the week, he had two wins and was part of a relay win in a 125-30 victory over Fremont.
Ilnicka was sensational for the Falcons in the win over Wilcox. The junior star took the 100-yard butterfly in 1:08.85, and she was tops in the 100 backstroke in 1:06.75. She was also part of the winning 200 medley relay team (2:08.40) and helped the Falcons to a first in the 400 free relay (4:13.35).
Whittney Dotzler joined Ilnicka as a double winner for the Saratoga girls against Wilcox. She took the 200 individual medley in 2:19.78 and the 100 freestyle in 59.49.
Michelle Charters and Shannon Moore also finished in the winner's circle for the Falcons. Charters, the Saratoga team captain, was first in the 500 free in 5:45.32, and Moore took the 50 free in 26.95.
Moore, like Ilnicka, was a member of two winning relays. She teamed with Ilnicka on the 200 medley, and she was also a member of the winning 200 free relay (1:51.54). Jennifer Lin competed on both of the winning free relay teams.
Ilnicka took the 100 fly in 1:09.07 and the 100 back in 1:08.75 to lead the Falcons to the win over Fremont. She also helped the 200 medley relay team to a victory (2:12.78).
Dotzler came through with wins in the 200 free in 2:08.68 and the 500 free in 5:51.81, and she was a member of the winning 200 free relay team (1:55.22).
Charters supported with a first in the 200 IM in 2:42.97 and Joanne Cheung was first in the 50 free in 27.87.
Saratoga also won the 400 free relay in 4:13.56.
As dominant as Ilnicka was in the girls' competition, so was Carter dominant in boys' action.
The senior starred for Saratoga against the Chargers. He took the 200 IM in 2:15.09 and was first in the 100 back in 1:04.05. He also teamed up with Gur Doitel, David Breitenbach and Todd Combellick for a win in the 200 medley relay in 1:53.49.
Combellick came back with a win in the 100 fly in 57.67, Breitenbach won the 100 free in 53.09 and Doitel took the 100 breast in 1:09.96.
The Falcons added wins in the 200 free relay (1:38.39) and the 400 free relay (3:54.52) to cruise to the easy win.
Carter was one of three double winners for Saratoga in the 125-30 win over Fremont to open the week.
Carter took the 200 free in 2:08.44 and the 100 back in 1:10.0, and he joined forces with Breitenbach, Combellick and Daniel O'Connell to win the 400 free relay in 3:38.88.
Combellick came through with victories in the 50 free in 23.47 and the 100 free in 53.61, and Breitenbach was a winner in the 200 IM in 2:15.63 and the 100 fly in 1:02.66. O'Connell chipped in with a victory in the 500 free in 5:45.53.
Doitel, Erik Peterson, Paul Cox and David Prendergast combined for a win in the 200 free relay in 1:43.91, and Doitel and Prendergast also got together with Gerald Askew and Mason Chuang for a first in the 200 medley relay in 2:00.63.
Falcons top Vikes
A run in the top half of the 10th snapped a 2-2 tie and lifted the Saratoga baseball team to a thrilling 3-2 win over Lynbrook in the El Camino Division of the SCVAL last week.
The Falcons had taken a 2-0 lead with single runs in the first and second, but the Vikings tied it on a couple of RBIs by Fred Ramirez in the fourth and sixth.
It remained 2-2 until Saratoga snapped the tie in the 10th, when Derek Cartmell stole a base, then scored on a throwing error.
Senior hurler David Goni made the run stand up for the victory when he shut down the Vikings in the bottom of the 10th.
Goni went the distance for the victory, blanking Lynbrook over the final four frames of the 10-inning game. He struck out eight and scattered seven hits as he ran his season mound record to 3-1.
Andre Sorba led the attack for the Falcons with a pair of singles.
Dan Hoss had three hits, including a triple, and Brian Avants singled twice for the Vikings. Ramirez knocked in both of Lynbrook's runs.
Lynbrook slipped to 5-2 in division play with the loss, but the Vikings came back later in the week with a tight 7-1 win over Andrew Hill in a nonleague game, running their season record to 7-6.
Greg Cirimele had three hits, including a triple, to lead the 10-hit assault for the Vikings. Matt Rhoads singled and doubled to knock in three runs, and Jered Schoettmer had two hits. Nick Kouvaris picked up the mound win, pushing his season record to 3-1.
The Vikings took control of the game with four runs in the third. The clubs matched runs in the fourth, but the Vikes added two insurance runs in the fifth to clinch the win.
Saratoga evened its league record at 4-4 with the win over Lynbrook, but the Falcons didn't stop there last week. They battled back with a 3-1 victory over Mountain View to jump to 5-4 in division play and to 9-6 for the year.
Sophomore catcher Ryan Bernard slammed a two-run homer in the fourth, Kyle Cardin had two hits, Sorba ripped a double, and Dave Schneider pushed his mound record to 3-1 to lead the Falcons to the win over the Spartans.
The Spartans scored first in the ball game, breaking up a scoreless tie with a run in the fourth. But Bernard's two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth game the Falcons a lead they'd never lose. Saratoga added an insurance run in the fifth.
Warriors win two
It didn't help them much in the West Valley Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League, but the Westmont baseball team still pulled out a pair of wins last week--one against a Santa Teresa Division team and another against a team from the Mt. Hamilton Division.
Junior Adam Curtis was the winning pitcher in Westmont's 8-7 win over Leigh to open the week, and he came back with a home run to lead his club to a 5-4 victory over Prospect a few days later.
Westmont scored a run in the seventh to snap a 7-7 tie and pull out the 8-7 win over Leigh. Curtis was the winning pitcher for the Warriors and he also roped a triple.
Zack Felder singled, doubled and tripled to drive in three runs and lead the Warriors to the victory. Mike Howard belted two hits.
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, April 9, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.