Saratoga News

Saratoga's Tracy Kinsch starred for the West Valley Swim Club at the Speedo Junior Championships in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Schoettmer, Hanson share MVPs

Local athletes win top honors

By Dick Sparrer

Both Jered Schoettmer and Ryan Hanson spent a good deal of time in the spotlight this past spring, starring for their local high school baseball teams.

But the two seniors ended the year sharing that spotlight, and they didn't mind one bit.

Lynbrook's Schoettmer and Westmont's Hanson each shared most valuable player honors in their respective leagues when the coaches in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League and Blossom Valley Athletic League got together to name their all-league lineups.

Schoettmer shared the MVP award in the El Camino Division of the SCVAL with Gunn senior Tyler Sullivan.

Schoettmer was also named to the All-Central Coast Section second team after his outstanding senior season for the Vikings.

Senior outfielder Danny Hoss and senior infielder Matt Rhodes were Lynbrook players who joined Schoettmer on the all-league list.

Monta Vista seniors Ben Lewis and Ryan Realini each packed up all-CCS and all-league honors in the spring season.

Lewis, a star pitcher for the Matadors, and Realini, a hard-hitting outfielder, were each selected to the all-CCS honorable mention list. The two were also Monta Vista's representatives on the El Camino Division all-league first team.

Representing Saratoga on the all-league team were junior pitcher Mike Drew, junior catcher Brady Moran and junior infielder Nick Blue.

Brian Filizetti of Cupertino and Nick Van Biene of Los Gatos matched the honors won by Monta Vista's Lewis and Realini. The two backed up their all-league selections with places on the all-CCS squad.

Filizetti, a senior outfielder, was named to the all-league first team in the rugged De Anza Division of the SCVAL, then later nailed a spot on the CCS honorable mention list.

Filizetti was joined on the all-league squad by teammate Matt Mueller, a senior catcher.

Van Biene, a senior pitcher for the Wildcats, earned a place on the De Anza Division all-league first team, and he was also an honorable mention on the all-CCS squad.

Senior infielder Tom Barrera joined teammate Van Biene on the all-league first team.

All-league volleyball

Keith Busam of Los Gatos and Steve Evans of Leigh each won MVP awards when coaches named all-league squads in the BVAL.

Busam, a senior swing hitter for the Wildcats, was picked the most valuable player in the Mt. Hamilton Division of the BVAL. He was joined on the all-league squad by teammates Jason Cardoso, a sophomore setter, Grant Schlink, a junior middle blocker, and Marco Baer, a junior opposite and setter.

Fremont's Ben Skinner, a senior swing hitter, and Alan Ho, a senior setter, were also picked to the all-league team in the division.

Evans, a junior outside hitter, was tagged the MVP in the Santa Teresa Division of the BVAL. Teammate Brian Prowd, a sophomore setter, joined him on the all-league squad.

Saratoga was well-represented on the Santa Teresa all-league team. Winning spots on the team were Kendrick Askew, a freshman setter; Peter Flobecker, a senior outside hitter; Brian Prowd, a sophomore setter; Jason Ng, a senior outside hitter; and Etienne Pelaprat, a senior outside hitter.

Charles Meyers, a senior setter from Westmont, was also named to the squad.

Hanson tops BVAL

Hanson was tabbed the co-most valuable player in the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League after an outstanding senior season for Westmont. The star hurler shared the award with Del Mar's Casey Minister.

Hanson, who also earned a place on the all-CCS honorable mention list, was joined on the all-league squad by teammate Seth Zajac, a junior catcher.

Prospect senior Garrett Langworthy was named to the all-league first team.

Kinsch a swim sensation

Tracy Kinsch of Saratoga, a former Prospect swimming star who competed at West Valley Community College last season, was a sensation this past spring as a member of the West Valley Swim Club.

Kinsch, 18, was among the elite age group swimmers who competed in the Speedo Junior Championships in Grand Forks, N.D., and she cruised to a first-place finish in her finals heat in the 100-yard breast stroke. Her time of 1:05.59 was just seven-tenths off the U.S. Senior National qualifying standard.

It was Kinsch's first short course national meet, and she got off to a hot start with a win in her preliminary heat, stopping the watch at 1:06.06. She came back to win in the finals later that same day.

The Speedo Junior Championships is a meet "that previews the next generation of pre-Olympic talent," according to West Valley Swim Club coach Norm Havercroft.

Kinsch, whose finals time is currently No. 1 in the Pacific Swimming rankings, is gunning for a spot in the long course Senior National Championships in Clovis this August.

Levin nails fourth

Saratoga's Ross Levin of Rogers Middle School soared to fourth-place in the long jump at the Santa Clara County track and field finals held earlier this month at Los Gatos High School.

Levin flew 14-6 to place fourth in the middle school field. Kevin McPeck of Rogers was sixth in the 100-yard dash in 12.4, and the Rogers girls placed sixth in the seventh-grade 440 relay in 56.61 and seventh in the sixth-grade 880 relay in 2:18.38.

Summer all-star football

The 24th annual Charlie Wedemeyer All-Star Football Game, featuring the best high school seniors from the Santa Clara County, will return to San Jose State University's Spartan Stadium on July 22.

The legendary Wedemeyer will be on hand to greet the players prior to the 7 p.m. kick-off. The football game is sponsored each summer by the Almaden Valley Rotary Club, and proceeds go to the Rotary charity and scholarship programs.

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