Gilroy High’s Glenn and Sandoval advance in the ODP
Gilroy – Gilroy High’s Karlie Sandoval and Stephanie Glenn just keep moving up in the world of field hockey.
The two competed in last week’s National Futures Tournament, an Olympic Development Select program event run by U.S. Field Hockey, in Virginia Beach, Va. From there, 16-year-old Sandoval, who competed in the U19 division, was chosen to move on to an Olympic Development Select Camp going on this week, and was chosen to play on the U19 team for the Canada-American Cup in Vancouver from Aug. 3-8. Glenn, who turns 16 this week, was selected from over 300 participants at the U16 Futures Tournament to compete in August’s Junior Olympics in New Orleans.
Both girls were surprised, but excited to be chosen for the elite squads. Glenn, a goalie, and Sandoval, a midfielder, qualified for the national tournament by having solid performances in May’s Futures Regional Tournament in Berkeley.
“(Stephanie) was all smiles and giggles and happy, happy, happy,” said GHS field hockey coach Adam Gemar. “Karlie truly didn’t expect anything. She was stunned, basically in disbelief. It was nice to see both of them (make it).”
Sandoval, the only player from the California team chosen to move on, didn’t have much time to bask in her accomplishment. Less than 24 hours after arriving home from Virginia, she was on a plane back to Pennsylvania for the Olympic Development Select camp she was chosen to attend.
“It’s exciting. We just got home last night,” Sandoval said. “I had to go to work and tell my boss I needed more time out.”
While at the National Futures Tournament, Sandoval played with many older players, several of whom are headed to college field hockey programs, including Boston University, Stanford and Pacific. But Sandoval was able to hold her own.
“It was kind of intimidating,” she said. “But I was able to keep calm and stick to what I knew.”
A highlight of the camp was when her California team beat a Pennsylvania squad, which surprised the Easterners, since field hockey is strongest on the East Coast.
“It was a really good game,” Sandoval said. “We won in the last 50 seconds on a short corner. We were so excited. It kind of put a name on the West Coast.”
Glenn played with a team that represented San Diego at her tournament and felt she performed well.
“Everyone was really good, but for goalies, it’s harder to stand out because you don’t get as much action,” Glenn said. “Only a few stood out.”
Glenn was one of them. She said 128 players were chosen for the Junior Olympics and they will be split into 81 teams. Overall, 15,000 athletes under the age of 16 will compete in 24 sports at the event.
“It’s basically the Olympics for under 16’s,” Glenn said.
Gemars hone skills
GHS field hockey coaches Adam and Erin Gemar were also in Virginia Beach participating in the United States’ first Federation of International Hockey (FIH) High Performance Field Hockey Coaching Course sponsored by the U.S. Field Hockey Association.
“We learned a tremendous amount of hockey information throughout the intensive five day course, the most valuable probably being a result of conversations held and game analysis exercises we completed along side the countries top college coaches,” the Gemars said.
The Gemars thank the Gilroy Field Hockey Club for supporting and helping finance their participation in the clinic.
Tryouts set for Aug. 15
Gilroy High varsity and junior varsity field hockey try-outs begin Aug. 15. All incoming 9-12 graders at GHS are invited to participate, even if they will be picking up a field hockey stick for the first time.
