The Willow Glen Resident

Photograph by Skye Dunlap

Hey Man, Nice Shot: Willow Glen's Rich Clarke won the shot put event to help the Rams to an easy team win over Valley Christian. The Rams finished the dual meet season with a 6-0 record in the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League.

Rams run for track title

Willow Glen rallies to upset Oak Grove

By Dick Sparrer

The Willow Glen Rams knew what they had to do to win the track championship in the West Valley Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League this season.

And they completed the first half of the task last week with a 102-25 victory over Valley Christian to finish the dual meet season with a 6-0 record.

Now the Rams just have to hold off San Jose and Santa Teresa at the league finals this week, and Willow Glen will own its first league track championship since 1979. The finals are set for May 6, 3:30 p.m., at San Jose City College.

Willow Glen wrapped up the dual-meet title with the easy victory over winless Valley Christian last week. Noe Torres, Joe Martinez and Jesse Weston were all double winners for the Rams in the meet.

Torres took the mile in 4:50.94 and the 800 meters in 2:14.25 to lead a Willow Glen sweep in the distance events. Eyasu Kebede added a victory in the two-mile in 10:32.

Martinez was a double winner in the hurdle events, taking the 110-meter highs in 17.62 and the 330 intermediates in 45.5.

Weston doubled up in the jumps for the Rams with a win in the triple jump at 38-5 and a first in the long jump at 18-1.

Chris Watkins romped to a win in the 400 meters in 55.90.

Willow Glen also dominated in the weight events with Rich Clarke and Doug Murr each nailing firsts. Clarke heaved the shot put 43-3 for a win and Murr whirled the discus 124-8 for a victory.

The win helps send the Rams to the league finals as the No. 1 team in the division.

Baseball

Oak Grove was cruising along with a 7-4 lead and appeared headed to its second win of the week in baseball action against Willow Glen last Friday.

But the Rams had other ideas.

Willow Glen rallied for four runs in the bottom of the sixth to take an 8-7 lead, and senior right-hander Sal Politi shut down the Eagles in the seventh to help the Rams pull out the exciting victory in the Mt. Hamilton Division of the BVAL.

David Dudley singled and doubled for the Rams and Eric Brugioni had two hits to drive in three runs. Chris Ferraro also had two hits in the win.

Politi was the winning pitcher for the Rams, evening his season record at 2-2.

Willow Glen, now 6-12 for the year and 4-9 in the division, had lost 7-4 to powerful Valley Christian earlier in the week. The Warriors are 14-0 in the division and 22-1-1 for the year.

Dudley homered and doubled to knock in two runs for Willow Glen and Brad White blasted a homer for the Rams.

Willow Glen was to visit Piedmont Hills on May 5, 3:30 p.m., in a nonleague game, and will host Santa Teresa on May 8, 3:30 p.m., in league play.

Softball

Nicki Garcia tossed a six-hitter and ripped a triple, but the Willow Glen girls' softball team dropped a 5-1 decision to Piedmont Hills last week.

The Rams lost 6-4 to Mt. Pleasant two days later to slip to 3-7 in the Santa Teresa Division of the BVAL and to 5-13 for the year.

Maria Sedillo-Glatt flipped a four-hit shutout and Stephanie Noble cracked a pair of hits to lead Pioneer to a 1-0 win over Piedmont Hills. The win helped the Mustangs improve to 9-1 in the Santa Teresa Division. Sedillo-Glatt boasts a 13-5 pitching record.

Earlier in the week, Amy Thornhill homered and tripled and Casey Gividen ripped two hits to lead the Mustangs to a 3-1 win over Independence. Sedillo-Glatt tossed a five-hitter for the win.

Presentation, meanwhile, lost twice last week to fall to 0-8 in the rugged Mt. Hamilton Division of the BVAL, and the Panthers were no-hit each time.

Presentation couldn't manage a hit in a 15-0 five-inning loss to unbeaten Mitty, then the Panthers were held hitless in an 8-0 loss to Leland.

Tennis

Eric Tursic rolled to a 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 1 singles to lead the Willow Glen boys' tennis team to a 5-2 win over Leigh in the Santa Teresa Division of the BVAL. Jon Hunter supported with a 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 3 singles. Anthony Dean and Vince Butera won 6-4, 6-0 at No. 1 doubles and Nick Perez and Will Burns won 6-4, 6-1 at No. 2 doubles. The team win left the Rams 11-7 for the year.

Diving

Colleen Johnson of Presentation earned All-American consideration when she rolled up 406.80 points at the diving finals in the Mt. Hamilton Division of the BVAL.

The All-American consideration cut-off was 400 points, and Johnson topped that by more than six points on her way to a third-place finish at the league finals.

She also qualified for the Central Coast Section finals that are set for May 7-9 at Independence High School.

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