So many of us can’t wait to get 2016 behind us, but there was plenty for locals to remember fondly in the sports world.
There were so many important moments in the last year that we can’t name here, but here’s a list of six that really stood out. If you feel something was left off this list, please email me at cb******@ne********.com and I will get them up on gilroydispatch.com.
Gilroy football
The Gilroy football won three games in the 2015 season and was simply looking to get back on track in 2016.
The Mustangs not only got back on track, they went father than a Gilroy team had since 2007.
Gilroy was the second place team in the Pacific Division, missed first place by one drive, won eight games and went to the semifinals where the Mustangs fell to Soledad.
And the Mustangs did it all with heavy hearts at the end of the season.
Runningback Dylan Holler was severely injured in an accident while driving to school. The team rallied behind their brother in arms to go forward.
Christopher soccer
Christopher had never qualified for the playoffs in boys soccer and the Cougars got their first taste of post season action and savored it.
The Cougars defeated Los Gatos 1-0 to open the playoffs and went on to defeat Santa Teresa 2-0 to advance to the semifinals.
That set up a date with Alvarez at Valley Christian.
The Cougars went up 1-0 early in the contest and very nearly had a two-goal lead on a pair of point-blank shots but saw both turned aside.
Alvarez scored in the 34th and 40th minutes and held on through the second half to eliminate the Cougars.
But Christopher went out with a record of 13-2-3 overall and a Pacific Division title.
Playoffs in the rain
The Christopher softball team had three epic games against the Mustangs.
Two were games that came down to the last inning against Gilroy. The last was a rain-soaked playoff spectacular that needed extra innings to decide and it finally came down to one bounce that ended Christopher’s season.
The Cougars took top-seeded Pioneer and the best pitcher in the section to the limit with a freshman in the circle.
Christopher had to get past St. Ignatius 10-7 to advance to the quarter finals.
The game was delayed more than an hour because of rain but it didn’t slow down Christopher who actually scored first.
The two teams were tied 3-3 after seven innings thanks to a seventh-
inning run.But a bases loaded slap shot that bounced high over the third baseman ended the game.
Volleyball trip to state
Records from Gavilan’s first run with volleyball aren’t complete, but as best as anyone can tell, this year’s squad may have had the best run of any squad.
Ever.
Again while records are not complete, this was the first verified time that the Gavilan Women’s volleyball team advanced to the state tournament.
The Rams went 23-7 overall. They won 17 matches in a row and had lost just three sets along the way.
Gavilan defeated Hartnell in a tooth-and-nail battle and went on to avenge a loss to CCSF from earlier in the season to punch a ticket to Southern California.
That’s where things ended, unfortunately, but it was still a season to remember.
US Women’s Open
For the first time the biggest US women’s golf tournament came to the Bay Area, returning after a few decades to Northern California.
And the home was at San Martin’s scenic Cordevalle Golf Club.
The week of July 4, the best women’s golfers from around the world descended on the area and played a tournament that will be remembered.
The contest opened with Mirim Lee shooting an 8-under 64 and was the first to shoot that low since 1999 in an Open.
As the weekend wore on, the competition got tight and stayed that way as the course toughened up and the golfers made some tough shots.
But when the dust settled, a two-day leader fell off the pace with a horrendous round and two women were tied atop the leader board.
Anna Nordqvist and Brittany Lang geared up for a three-hole playoff and appeared to be tied going into the final hole.
Nordqvist played her third shot onto the green when officials approached both golfers to inform them Nordqvist had technically grounded her club in a bunker on the previous hole and was hit with a two-stroke penalty.
That changed how Lang approached her third shot and she went on to win when she hit a par to go up by three strokes.
As it turned out the grounding shot that cost Nordqvist a chance at the title was disrupting a mere speck of sand.
It was discovered by a super slow motion, zoomed in shot from Fox Sports who then reported the infraction that no one else saw.
Nordqvist was mad after the match and questions swirled about how the USGA could allow controversy swirl in back-to-back majors with the men’s open coming down to officials not weighing in on a potential violation until after that tournament had concluded.
Stately competitors
Gilroy city had two competitors qualify for state competition in nonwrestling events and they did so in two different events and in two different paths.
Haley Romero from Christopher had two chances at state slip away by that much until she finally hit 18 feet, 1 inch and qualified to compete in Fresno last June.
Then there was Gilroy’s Thai Gutierrez who took on cross country this past fall for the first time in high school and made the most of it.
Guitierrez took second at CCS. He was the first male runner to advance to state in the last 11 years.
He ran a 16:41 at state to acquit himself well.
Meanwhile Romero went 17 feet, 5 inches at state. She would have needed to best her CCS mark by three inches to advance to the finals, but it would have been icing on the cake of finally getting to compete beyond CCS.
Also of note:
• Gilroy wrestling captures another CCS title.
• Christopher girls swim team wins 4th straight league title.
• The Ghost loses in split decision.
Your pick
Gilroy girls water polo player Erika Cates scores six goals against Monterey High and nine against Alvarez.
