Saratoga News Daniels and Ricketts finish in state's top 20 By Dick Sparrer It was a bittersweet day for Marshall Clark. The Saratoga cross country coach was pleased to watch seniors Alex Daniels and Anne Ricketts each finish in the top 20 at the 1998 California State Division IV finals at Woodward Park in Fresno. But he also had to be a little disappointed to see them run their final races as cross country runners for the Falcons, considering all they have accomplished in the Saratoga program over the past few years. Daniels and Ricketts each wrapped up sensational seasons with solid finishes at the state meet. Daniels ended up 11th overall in the boys' Division IV finals, and Ricketts ran 20th in the girls' race the same day. Daniels led the Falcons to a team eighth at the state meet with his outstanding showing. The Saratoga senior had finished fourth in the Central Coast Section finals a week earlier, and came on strong to finish 11th in 16:10 at the state meet last weekend. Alex Shoor, another senior, ended up 44th overall in 17:03 to support Daniels' effort at state. Sophomore Jake Christopherson was 72nd in 17:26, with freshman David La 80th in 17:38. Senior Luke Anderson was 83rd in 17:42, junior Jeff Beyers was 92nd in 17:54, and freshman Richard La was 98th in 18:02 for the Falcons. The Saratoga girls didn't qualify for the state meet as a team, but Ricketts won a spot as an individual runner when she finished third at the CCS finals. Ricketts ran into the top 20 at the state meet last weekend, finishing 20th overall in 19:32. The state meet wrapped up an outstanding senior season for Ricketts. The Falcon standout won five invitational titles and set four new course records this season. Falcons win, lose Pamela Chung of Presentation and the doubles team of Liz Yu and Cari Nicholson of Monta Vista finished the fall tennis season in similar spots--third in the Central Coast Section. Chung won three of four matches to nail third in the girls singles tournament at the Courtside Tennis Club in Los Gatos, and Yu-Nicholson team also won three of four matches to finish third in the doubles tourney. Chung handled the talented Marilyn Mok of Menlo 6-2, 6-2 in the CCS third-place match. The Presentation standout had opened with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Cheryl Gomez of Gilroy, then whipped Camille Behnke of Saratoga 6-4, 6-2 in the quarter-finals. Chung lost a 6-2, 6-4 nod to Michelle Forrest of Castilleja in the tourney semi-finals, but she fought back for the easy win over Mok to clinch third place. Behnke opened the tourney with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Justine Liberato of El Camino before losing in the quarters to Chung. Kimmy Barnes of Pioneer fell to Mok 6-1, 6-1 in the first round, and Forrest edged Leora Gelblum of Monta Vista 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in a tough first-round match. Belinda Rungsea of Lynbrook lost her first match 6-2, 6-1 to Denise Koller of Soquel. Yu and Nicholson starred for the Matadors at the CCS tourney. The Monta Vista pair pulled out a 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) thriller over Tera Birhan and Alana Glendinning of Soquel in the third-place match. The Matadors had opened the tournament with a tough 6-1, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3 win over Maren Thomas and Magda Hayes of Palo Alto, then beat Amanda Wise and Angi Chua of Saratoga 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 in the quarterfinals. The Mats lost 6-1, 6-1 to Alison Dohrmann and Nancy Mok in the semifinals, but came back with the tough win a match later to secure third place. Wise and Chua had opened the tourney with a win over Roxanne Canent and Shangrila David of South San Francisco before dropping the three-set heartbreaker to Yu and Nicholson a match later. Falcons fall Gur Doitel tossed in two goals and Collin Mitchell and Michael Batra added one each, but the Saratoga water polo team lost 10-4 to Menlo in the first round of the Central Coast Section Division II water polo playoffs. Menlo went on to play St. Francis for the CCS championship, losing 10-8 in the finals. Saratoga finished the year at 16-12. [ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Saratoga News, December 2, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.