Panthers, Warriors are tennis leaders again
By Dick Sparrer
A year ago, it was Prospect and Westmont battling it out for the girls tennis championship in the West Valley Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League.
And the way things are shaping up this year, it looks like more of the same this fall... just in the Santa Teresa Division.
The Panthers and Warriors both moved up a notch in the BVAL, and they are top contenders in their new division.
Both teams are off to hot starts in the 2000 campaign. Prospect improved to 4-0 in league play and to 5-2 overall with a 7-0 win over Willow Glen last week, and Westmont moved to 5-0 in league with a 5-2 victory over Yerba Buena.
"We moved moved up from [the West Valley to Santa Teresa Division], and have 10 solid girls with four solid singles players and a very good No. 1 doubles team," said Prospect coach Mike Dudock.
Comeback all-leaguers Julie Martin, Michelle Stern, Marina Shlyapina and Elaine Tang will play in the top four singles spots for the Panthers.
The all-league pair of Judy Tang and Harroop Singh are playing at No. 1 doubles, and returner Natalia Kriyama teams with newcomer Katherine Gazlay at No. 2 doubles. Helen Yi and Connie Tang are playing at No. 3 doubles for the Panthers.
Dudock, who returns to coach Prospect this fall after a year away from the squad, ranks his Panthers as a title contender and figures his club for a top-3 finish in the division.
Veteran coach Gary Brinck has similar expectations for Westmont.
"We will be in the top three," predicts Brinck, who ranks Prospect and Yerba Buena as other division favorites.
All-leaguers Megan Clapp, Anna Vugdalic and Romy Long are top returners for the Warriors and hold down the top three singles posts.
Returner Katherine Bamford plays at No. 4 singles for Westmont with Natalie Phipps, Megan Gurney, Dana Nguyen, Leslie Huang and Virgina Nguyen other top returners.
Field Hockey
Sarah Wright might have expected a tough start for her Westmont field hockey team.
After all, the Warriors were opening up against the powerhouses of the Blossom Valley Athletic League's tough Mt. Hamilton Division.
So despite an 0-3 start in the 2000, Wright remains optimistic. Because when it comes time for the West Valley Division season, the coach figures that her Warriors will be title contenders.
"Last year, we were a very young team with many new players on the varsity," said Wright, whose club was 1-11 for the year and 1-7 in league in 1999. "We have a lot more experience this year and are a much stronger team both offensively and defensively."
Seven varsity returners bolster Wright's hopes for a solid 2000 season. Topping the list are a couple of players back for a third varsity season, senior Aly Makishima and junior Karly Brownridge.
Senior Kristen Reed and juniors Nicki Baughman, Shirley Luong, Jessica Parola and Kristen Rowland are other top returners for Westmont.
Juniors Natalie Ho, Tiffany Phan and Kate Razina and sophomore Lauren Luque are key players moving up from the junior varsity and talented newcomers include juniors Petra Rossek and Jenny Brown, sophomores Victoria Alexander, Janelle Klafter and Allison Asplund and freshman Lesley Makishima.
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