Section Silver: Presentation's Melissa Grelli was second in the 3,200 meters at CCS to qualify for the state match.
Photograph by Jeff Kearns
Grelli runs to second at CCS finals
Sarinana wins special award for volleyball
By Dick Sparrer
They were going for the gold at the Central Coast Section (CCS) track and field finals at San José City College last Friday night.
And Presentation sophomore Melissa Grelli came awfully close to striking the mother lode.
Grelli finished second in the 3,200-meter run to earn a silver medal and win a trip to the state meet coming up May 31 and June 1 at Cerritos College in Norwalk in Southern California.
Grelli and Mandy Williams each placed at the CCS finals for the Panthers, helping Presentation into the top 20 in the team standings. The Panthers tied with St. Francis for 16th overall.
Grelli ran 10:36.68 to wind up second in the 3,200. Ruth Graham of Gunn, a junior, was the champion in the event, running 10:32.06.
Willow Glen freshman Christina Diaz didn't win a state trip, but she did give an indication of things to come as she came through with an impressive 12th-place finish overall in the 3,200. Diaz clocked in at 11:35.42 in her first CCS event.
Williams supported Grelli's showing with a sixth-place finish in the 800 meters for the Panthers. Williams, also a sophomore, ran 2:18.14 to get sixth.
Volleyball
Mark Sarinana won a special award and topped a list of four Willow Glen players honored with spots on the all-league volleyball team in the Mt. Hamilton Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League (BVAL).
Sarinana, a senior outside hitter for the Rams, was named the senior of the year after an outstanding season for Willow Glen. He was the kill leader in virtually every match for the Rams in 2002.
Senior middle blocker and junior outside hitter Frank Sarinana were named to the all-league first team for the Rams, and senior setter Jesse Cruz was picked for the all-league second team.
The Rams played their way into the CCS playoffs this spring before losing a tough five-game heartbreaker to Bellarmine in the first round of play. Willow Glen finished the year 22-12 overall.
Baseball
There was a youth movement on the baseball diamond at Willow Glen this spring. Coach Gary Rose had just one senior on his squad, and the Rams took their lumps in the rugged Mt. Hamilton Division of the BVAL.
But the young Rams did manage to win three ballgames in league play, and two of the squad's youngsters were rewarded with positions on the all-league second team.
Sophomores Chris Hobbs and Mario Montes each won all-league honors for the recently completed 2002 season.
Softball
It was something of a disappointing season for a Presentation girls softball team that coach Ray Malley thought could contend for the championship in the tough Mt. Hamilton Division of the BVAL this season.
The Panthers finished well off pace in the league race and failed to come through with a berth in the CCS playoffs.
But that finish did little to diminish the heroics of senior standouts Shannon Linerud and Nicole Rousseve, who each won all-league spots for the Panthers.
Linerud, the club's shortstop, was named to the all-league first team for the fourth straight season. The talented Panther had already accepted a scholarship to play softball at Santa Clara University before her senior season began.
Rousseve, who split time between pitching and playing center field, was named to the all-league second team.
Willow Glen, meanwhile, had one player earn all-league honors in the Santa Teresa Division of the BVAL. Sophomore center fielder Charisse Panieda was named to the second team.
Willow Glen, California Since 1992
