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San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
St. Francis softball avoids another early NorCal exit with stirring 1st-round win
A year after complete despair brought on by a stunning upset loss in the first round of the Northern California playoffs, the St. Francis softball team experienced the opposite on Tuesday. With her team having been down to its final strike three times, junior outfielder and three-time West Catholic Athletic League MVP Jaime Oakland delivered a run-scoring double to plate May Meltz to tie the score. A few moments later, Peyton Tsao doubled home the winning run to beat Rocklin 3-2 in a Division 1 contest. Last season, following a 4-1 loss to Amador Valley-Pleasanton, the then-undefeated and national No. 1 Lancers tearfully walked off their home field. On Tuesday, they skipped and joyfully celebrated. The third-seeded Lancers (28-3) next travel to No. 2 Del Oro-Loomis (29-2) Thursday in the semifinals. Tuesday's win did end with controversy. Tsao's liner in right-center field appeared to be caught on a diving play. But after huddling, umpires ruled that the ball had bounced. It took nothing away from the emotional win, said St. Francis coach Mike Oakland, who has led the team to a sparkling 209-30 mark since taking over in 2017, including five Central Coast Section titles. The fifth CCS title came Saturday, a wild 9-6, eight-inning win at top seed Willow Glen-San Jose when Hayden Hummel, Tsao, Gabby Rocha and Isabella Sandoval all drove in two runs. Sandoval, Rocha and Hummel are all seniors. 'Our girls have been resilient all year,' Oakland said via text. 'They kept fighting (Tuesday) and found a way to get it done. Rocklin is a very strong team with an elite pitcher. There were no easy innings and we had runners on base most of the game and couldn't get the hit we needed until the end.' More first-round softball: In Division 2, Isabella Rice, Kylee McKinney and Taylor Jennings all blasted home runs to lift No. 4 seed Liberty-Brentwood (24-4) to a 14-3 five-inning home win over Central Catholic-Modesto. The Lions will travel to play top seed Vanden-Fairfield, an 8-6 winner over Foothill-Pleasanton, which got a home run and two RBIs from Alexa Sponsel. … No. 6 seed King's Academy-Sunnyvale (22-7) beat No. 3 Destiny Christian-Sacramento 5-4 behind two hits and two RBIs each from Katia Nesper and Mia Bennette. … In Division 3, Callie Howard threw a two-hitter with 11 strikeouts and Andrea Mansberry and Izzie Kunimune each had two hits and two RBIs as second-seed Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa beat Calaveras 5-1. … In Division 5, seventh-seed Balboa (14-4) broke open a close game with a 15-run fifth inning to win 20-3 at Foresthill (Placer County). The Bucs will have another long bus ride to face host and third-seed King City (19-11). Baseball first-round: In Division 1, Tyler Spangler and Antonio Castro had three hits apiece and Bubba Vargas drove in three runs as host and top seed De La Salle-Concord defeated Del Oro 7-3. The Spartans will next host St. Mary's-Stockton (26-8), a 4-3 winner over Valley Christian. Mississippi State-bound Dax Hardcastle launched a game-ending leadoff homer in the seventh for St. Mary's. Christian Navarez had a home run for Valley Christian (25-8-1). … A bases-loaded walk to Tyler Harrison in the 12th inning gave No. 3 seed Serra a 2-1 win over College Park-Pleasant Hill. Kelley Crawford, Aiden Waters and Davis Minton combined to throw a five-hitter for Serra, which will host No. 7 seed Los Gatos, a 9-8 winner at Franklin-Elk Grove. Brayden Smith drove in three runs with a double and Rowen Smith added a two-run double for Los Gatos (25-5). … In Division 2, sixth-seeded Acalanes-Lafayette (18-10-1) continued its late-season surge with a 9-3 win over No. 3 Chico (28-2) as Ando Butner had a two-run homer and Drew Asadorian and Cominic Patiucci each drove in two. … Nick Chow threw a four-hitter and Henry Dommer added a homer and double, lifting St. Francis (21-10) to a 5-0 win over Central Catholic. … In Division 4, pitchers Jackson Flanagan and Reid Plamondon made a two-run first-inning double from Zach Roeder stand up for No. 5 seed Menlo School-Atherton in a 2-0 win at Las Lomas-Walnut Creek. … A Zach Gallegos RBI single capped Santa Clara's 10-9 comeback win over Oakland Tech, which led 7-2 in the third inning. John Depner, Drew Diffenderfer and Jaxton Chao all drove in two runs for the Bruins (28-3). … In Division 5, Nicholas Chiu hit a two-run homer and Jerry Hou and Everett Carvalho each drove in three runs leading sixth-seed Lincoln to a 16-4 win at No. 3 Vacaville Christian. The Mustangs (17-15), who got three hits and three runs by Aidan Castaneda, travel to No. 2 Stevenson-Pebble Beach, a 5-2 winner over Torres. State golf: Led by a 4-under round of 67 by Josh Kim and a 71 from Noah Eisen on Tuesday, De La Salle tied for second in the CIF State Golf Championships at Poppy Hills Country Club. The Spartans and Santa Margarita-Rancho Santa Margarita (Orange County) finished at 362, nine strokes back of champion and host Stevenson (353), which had three players finish under par, led by Luke Brandler (67). The individual champion was St. Francis-La Canada (Los Angeles County) freshman Jaden Soong, who shot a bogey-free round of 62 with seven birdies and an eagle to finish two strokes better than Evan Liu (64), of Torrey Pines (San Diego County). Palo Alto, led Brendan O'Keefe's 70 and Joshua Wang's 71, finished fifth out of six teams at 367.
San Francisco Chronicle
21-05-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
St. Ignatius junior Ellie McCuskey-Hay eyes gold at CCS track and field finals
It seems like ancient history to St. Ignatius junior track and field standout Ellie McCuskey-Hay, even though it was just two years ago. As a freshman, out of lane 8, a great start propelled her to a second-place finish in the CIF State Meet 100-meter dash in 11.52 seconds. Later in the competition she let loose on her final attempt of the long jump, going 19 feet, 7¼ inches to place sixth. Both marks that day at Veteran's Memorial Stadium in Clovis were considerable personal bests — her previous top numbers were 11.81 and 18-10½. 'That was such a surreal moment,' McCuskey-Hay said last week from the San Francisco Italian Athletic Club, where she was the San Francisco High School Awards' female athlete of the year. 'I couldn't believe that had happened. Seems so long ago. … I've come very far since then. I'm more consistent than ever.' The day and memory bring big smiles to the petite, powerful, fast-twitched 5-foot-4 athlete. But it could also be a burden to beat two elite marks, which are still lifetime bests. Last season she finaled in both events at state, taking fifth in the long jump (19-0) and ninth in the 100 (11.71). This season, heading into Saturday's Central Coast Section finals at Gilroy High School, she ranks fifth in the state in the 100 (11.54) and seventh in the long jump (19-7). She's perfectly positioned to break those freshman marks and add to her collection of four state medals. The 4x100 relay team that she anchors with Breion Glaspie, Avery Hui-Bytof and Sophia Boudraa also ranks 17th in state at 47.11 and could reach a state finals. But McCuskey-Hay, the daughter of a Marin Waves Track and Field Club founder and director, knows nothing can be taken for granted in this sport. There's weather. Starts. Health. And, perhaps most important, a mindset. That's why McCuskey-Hay works with a sports psychologist to manage a sport where every millisecond and movement counts. 'I would say I'm pretty hard on myself when things don't go the way I'd like them to,' McCuskey-Hay said. 'Restructuring that mindset really helps me. 'I've been doing this so long, I know all the abilities are there. It's a matter of putting it all together and being optimistic.' She's been a model of consistency, breaking 12 seconds in all nine races this season — winning eight — while running 11.54 twice and 11.55 once. Her only non-victory was placing fifth at the nationally recognized Arcadia Invitational, where she went 11.54. In the 200, she won six of eight times with a best of 23.90 (wind-aided), the 11th best time in California this year. McCuskey-Hay could easily bring home four golds from Saturday's meet as she did at the West Catholic Athletic League championship on May 9. North Salinas sophomore Clara Adams and Mountain View senior Hannah Rutherford in the 200 present the biggest obstacles for McCuskey-Hay. 'I definitely have certain expectations and would like to run certain times and jump certain distances," McCuskey-Hay said. 'But I think it's important to go with the flow.' More CCS athletes to watch: The boys 1,600 should be the most competitive as Menlo School-Atherton senior Landon Pretre (4:06.23) and Los Gatos senior Aydon Stefanopoulos (4:06.62) possess the third- and fourth-best times in the state this season. They also rank first and fifth in the 3,200. … Crystal Springs Uplands-Hillsborough senior Benjamin Bouie, the defending champion with a best of 4:06.92, and Sacred Heart Cathedral senior Miles Cook (4:08.33) are two more strong threats in the 1,600. … Other top 10 state marks this season from CCS athletes include: Woodside senior Mattheo Lacasia (400, 47.22, ninth), St. Ignatius senior Prince Buchango-Babalola (110 hurdles, 13.98, seventh), Serra senior Luke Lewis (shot put, 61-6¼, fourth), Woodside senior Evan Usher (shot put, 59-8, ninth), Mountain View senior Rutherford (400, 54.01, fourth), Palo Alto senior Kinga Czajkowska (girls 1,600, 4:46.34, fourth), Mitty senior Maya Ifo Desai (girls discus, 154-11, fourth), Monta Vista-Cupertino junior Lelani Laruelle (high jump, 5-8, tied for second), Burlingame senior Avery Boyse (pole vault, 13-0, second), Monta Vista senior Clara Fan (triple jump, 39-0, 10th).
San Francisco Chronicle
08-05-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Minton brothers lead Serra to WCAL championship with no-hitter, 4-for-4 day
Like many athletic programs, Serra baseball prides itself on family — and, boy, did the Minton brothers offer one heck of a championship performance on Tuesday. Davis Minton, a senior pitcher and infielder, fired a no-hitter with 11 strikeouts and one walk in a 13-0 victory at Riordan to clinch the West Catholic Athletic League outright regular-season title, setting off a double celebration. Davis also went 3-for-4 at the plate with a couple of runs, only to be outdone offensively by his sophomore brother Aaron, who went bonkers, going 4-for-4 with a home run and six RBIs. Aaron, who struggled earlier in the year, is 7-for-7 in his last two games with two homers and 10 RBIs. All of it added up to a joyous day for the Padres (21-5, 11-2) who won their second straight regular-season crown; they shared it last season with Valley Christian. It was the first time back-to-back titles had been won in the WCAL in 12 years. Serra closed the regular season Thursday at home against Riordan before next week's WCAL tournament. 'It was a heck of a way to celebrate a championship,' said Serra second-year coach Mat Keplinger, whose previous experience was in college at San Jose State, USF and San Joaquin Memorial JC. 'It's definitely a competitive, tightly knit group who really care and love one another. They've learned to play together and found different ways to win.' With 18 seniors graduated from last year's powerhouse team, including 10 now playing in college, the Padres have gone from a big-inning, long-ball team to emphasizing speed and execution — classic small-ball stuff. Serra has stolen exactly 100 bases, led by Metro Player of the Year candidate Ian Josephson with 22. Combine that with his team-leading .500 batting average (41 of 82) with nine doubles, six home runs and 32 runs and Keplinger couldn't come up with enough superlatives for Josephson, a St. Mary's signee. 'Just a monster season,' he said of the team's starting shortstop who was a starter at first base last season. 'So many of these guys have had to adjust from their roles last year.' That includes Davis Minton, the team's closer last season. He battled arm problems through the fall and winter and has slowly been transitioned into a starting spot on the mound. He's been more than solid at third base while hitting .350 with 28 hits and a team-best 21 RBIs to go along with three doubles and three home runs. Senior Evan Bradshaw is second on the team with a .417 batting average and 35 hits and 20 RBIs. The mainstay on the mound has been junior right-hander Riley Lim (5-0, 2.55 ERA), while Keplinger has mixed-and-matched the second starting spot most of the year with Aiden Watters (5-0, 1.25), Richie Calderon (4-0, 2.62) and Kelley Crawford (3-2, 2.42). SFIAC event: The ninth annual San Francisco High School Awards are scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday at the San Francisco Italian Athletic Club, with proceeds benefiting the Academic Athletic Association. Among the many to be honored for being the best in their sports are Jarious Hogan (St. Ignatius, football), Jasir Rencher (Riordan, boys basketball), Tara Dacic (Riordan girls basketball), Carol Manu (St. Ignatius, girls volleyball), Archer Horn (St. Ignatius, baseball), Kate Kennedy (University) and Nes Emeneke (Riordan) as scholar athletes. Top overall athletes to be honored will be Ellie McCuskey-Hay (St. Ignatius) and John Tofi Jr. (Riordan), with additional honorees including Joseph Smith (Balboa football), Naomi Mendez and Zoe Ivatt (Lowell girls soccer), Lincoln's Ceyan Lutt and University's Lucas Lau (boys basketball) and Patriceia Walsh (Lowell girls basketball). For tickets, call 415-781-0166 or visit Aumua, a 5-foot-10 first baseman and Auburn signee, broke the NCS career home run record on April 30 with two homers against Dublin, giving her 43. She now has 46 with one more regular-season game remaining, along with the postseason. Granada is 13-9. 'It means a lot to break another record,' Aumua said. 'It's another reflection of the work I put in day in and day out.' Briefly: Angelique Boccara has been named the new head girls basketball coach at St. Ignatius. … Some 40 to 50 college football coaches are expected Wednesday night at Serra's Brady Stadium for the Serra College Showcase. De La Salle-Concord (6-6:45 p.m.), Sacred Heart Cathedral (6:45-7:15) and Serra (7:15-8) will do drill work and then be able to mingle with coaches. 'We had a couple kids offered scholarships that day,' said Serra coach Patrick Walsh. 'It's a great event for the kids, coaches and community.' The public is invited to the free event.
