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It was really no surprise last fall when Saratoga field hockey coach Amber Olsen was recognized as Coach of the Year in the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League. After all, the Falcons proved to be unbeatable (13 wins, 1 tie) in the league's second division.
But this season, after Saratoga went 7-5 for third place in the tougher Mt. Hamilton Division, Olsen did get a surprise at the BVAL's all-league selection meeting. The Mt. Hamilton coaches honored Olsen with another Coach of the Year award.
One of Olsen's best players, midfielder Gwen Belomy, shared the Senior of the Year award with St. Francis midfielder Katie Qualia. Other special recognition was accorded to Los Gatos forward Mariana Shile (Junior of the Year) and midfielder Jamie Erickson (Sophomore of the Year) and Archbishop Mitty defender Nora Souza (Most Valuable Player).
Saratoga standouts Kellie York and Suzanne Lessack were among nine seniors selected to the 13-player first team. Other seniors receiving first team honors were Prospect midfielders Lizzie Innes and Casie Reiss, Los Gatos' Bailey Richardson, Felicia Bersand and Caroline Stege, St. Francis defender Kelsey Enquist and Mitty co-captain Tory Dombrawski.
Rounding out the first team were Leigh sophomore Natalie Nurnberg and three Mitty underclassmen, juniors Molly Busch and Kate Holcomb and sophomore Katie Fleury.
The second team includes Lindsay Walker and Michelle Saxby of Saratoga, Paige Madsen and Liney Warren of Prospect, Vickie Chien of Lynbrook, Erica Nestle and Whitney Mahani of Leigh, Jenelle Mezetti and Courtney Poulsen of Mitty and Kathryn Kamenski and Brianna Dougherty of St. Francis. All are seniors, except Kamenski (junior) and Madsen (sophomore).
Westmont forward Lisa Parola shared Senior of the Year honors in the Santa Teresa Division. Two of Parola's teammates, senior Michelle McLellan and sophomore Courtney Schembri, and Del Mar senior Emilie Johnson were tabbed to the first team.
Westmont also placed two players on the second team, senior Joanna Publicover and junior Jennifer Scott.
Follmar 3rd in state
Most of the season, Saratoga's Alicia Follmar and Ciara Viehweg of St. Ignatius have been racing each other to the finish lines on cross country courses through the Bay Area.
But when the two took to the trails of Fresno's Woodward Park on Nov. 27, the two seniors found themselves chasing someone else down the home stretch of the 3.1mile course--a freshman.
Shelby Buckley of Rosary High School may be just a ninth grader, but she ran like a veteran to stop the watch at 18:10 to win the title in girls Division III at the state meet.
It was something of a photo finish with Viehweg running 18:11 for second and Follmar clocking in at 18:12 for third.
The three finished in the top 16 overall in the state. Buckley ended up 13th with Viehweg 14th and Follmar 16th.
Running as individuals, Lynbrook sophomore MayC Huang and Prospect senior Beckie Palm also ran well at state. Palm ran 19:55 for 41st in the girls Division IV field, and Huang ran 19:30 for 49th place in girls Division II.
In boys competition, Saratoga senior Hari Iyer was 55th in 16:41 in the Division III race.
Lynbrook hosts Stober
Six area girls basketball teams and two squads from San Mateo County will converge upon Lynbrook this week for the fourth annual Sandi Stober Classic, an event played in honor of the late Lynbrook girls coach.
The three-day event begins on Dec. 1. The Vikings sport a 3-0 record entering the 8 p.m. feature game against James Lick.
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Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer