The Gilroy girls’ field hockey team knocked off Carmel and Santa
Catalina both by a score of 7-0 in back-to-back away games Monday
and Tuesday.
The Gilroy girls’ field hockey team knocked off Carmel and Santa Catalina both by a score of 7-0 in back-to-back away games Monday and Tuesday.
The ‘Stangs (10-1-2, 10-0) need to beat North Salinas and York, two teams they’ve already beat once, over the next two weeks to repeat as undefeated Mission Trail Athletic League champions.
Additionally, co-head coach Erin Gemar said a return trip to the Central Coast Section playoffs is all but sealed.
“Our first goal was to be undefeated (in league). The second was to go to CCS. We may have reached the second goal before the first goal,” Gemar said. “Mathematically, at this point, it’s impossible for another team to catch up with us.”
In the two games combined, Dana Schoeneman led all scorers with five goals. She also had two assists.
Other top offensive contributors included Rushelle Preeshl (3 goals, 1 assist), Karlie Sandoval (2 goals, 4 assists), Jackie Moreno (2 goals, 3 assists) and Megan McAvoy (2 goals, 1 assist).
After slow starts, the ‘Stangs picked up play in the second halves of both games, Gemar said.
“The girls at the beginning of the first half started slower,” she said. “(Santa Catalina) is a tough team to play on their field. It’s real spongy. But I think they got over that in the first half.”
Both games gave the Gilroy coaches a chance to experiment with different lineups.
“We gave the starters a break yesterday and today that usually don’t come out of the game,” Gemar said Tuesday. “We have three more games and are looking forward to the CCS tournament.”
Boys’ XC beats North
Salinas and Salinas
The Gilroy boys’ varsity cross country team stayed strong and beat North Salinas and Salinas in a dual meet with both teams at Toro Park Monday.
Arnulfo Velasquez (17:00), Anthony Dragotto (17:27) and Humberto Pineda (17:35) took first, second and third, respectively, leading the ‘Stangs to victory.
“They’re doing pretty good. They’re in the running for (the) TCAL (championship), so they’re excited,” said Gilroy co-head coach Cathy Silva.
The Gilroy boys head into the Tri-County Athletic League championship meet with a 5-1 second place team record. They are behind first place San Benito, which is 6-0. For each team win during the season, Gilroy has earned two points, which will be tacked on to the number of points the Mustangs acquire at the TCAL championship meet to be held at Salinas’ Toro Park in a week and a half.
“So if we do really well and the team comes in first (at TCAL’s), we take league,” Silva said. “It’s just going to be a real battle…We have a chance but we’re going to have to work really hard.”
The bright spot for Gilroy in the girls’ varsity race was freshman Kathleen Miller, who took fourth with a time of 21:56.
“That’s awesome for a freshman girl to do,” Silva said.
At the JV level, the Gilroy boys (4-2) beat North Salinas but lost to Salinas. The Mustangs’ Manual Casas won that race with a time of 18:58.
Gilroy’s next meet is the TCAL championship meet on Oct. 29 at 10am.
Girls’ tennis snags two wins against N. Salinas
Unfortunately, just when the Gilroy girls’ tennis team is starting to make some real progress, the season is about to end.
“I just wish the season was only half over,” said Gilroy head coach Randy Barbaglia.
Gilroy fell 5-2 to Salinas Wednesday, but picked up some individual wins in the process. No. 1 singles player Amy Huang earned her first win of the season, a 7-5, 6-4 decision and No. 2 singles player Monica Valdez got her second victory.
Valdez was down 4-0 but rallied to win 6-4, 6-2. Two other singles players, Kayla Medina and Laura Seekatz, fought hard in their matches but lost in tiebreakers.
Last week against Live Oak, the No. 3 doubles team of Anneliese Zelina and Rita McDonough pulled off a shocking 6-1, 6-1 win over the Acorns.
“That was phenomenal,” Barbaglia said.
The team will finish its season at the TCAL Tournament, hosted by North Salinas Nov. 1.
“I’m very proud of them,” Barbagia said. “It’s a challenge to take over a team that’s lost all these years and make them win, but they are. It’s just getting it mentally.”
GHS takes 2nd at CordeValle
The Gilroy girls golf team finished second at the final TCAL group tourney of the season between the league’s public schools at CordeValle Tuesday.
Like several other TCAL group meets this season, the Mustangs played second fiddle to San Benito, which outplayed Gilroy by four strokes. Gilroy finished with a score of 218 while the ‘Balers shot a 214.
Kristen Campos led Gilroy with a 48, earning third overall. San Benito’s Marissa Gutierrez (44) was the medalist and Salinas’ Stacy Patterson (46) took second.
Rounding out the Gilroy scores were Annie Cockerill (50), Rowena Tablias (50), Stephanie Walker (70) and Katie Kishimura (65).
Salinas finished third with a 228, followed by Live Oak and Alvarez.
