Latest news with #WillTipton
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Coaches reinstated after probe into racist taunts at Bay Area high school baseball game
[Source] Pinole Valley High School's head baseball coach, T'won Blake, and assistant coach, Will Tipton, will return to their positions following an internal investigation into racist taunts allegedly directed at Albany High School players of Asian descent during a varsity game on April 23. West Contra Costa Unified School District officials told KRON4 that investigators were unable to confirm who made the remarks and said the coaches were unaware of the comments until after the game. District officials said both coaches cooperated fully with the inquiry and acted appropriately once informed of the incident. In response, the district will place a school administrator and the athletic director at all remaining Pinole Valley baseball games. Albany Unified School District maintains that the taunts came from the Pinole Valley dugout. The reinstatement has drawn criticism from some parents, including Eugene Lee, who questioned the lack of disciplinary action for players. Lee, whose son was one of the players targeted by the remarks, continues to call for stronger accountability and broader institutional change. WCCUSD has reiterated its commitment to fostering a respectful and inclusive environment for all students. Trending on NextShark: This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices. Subscribe free to join the movement. If you love what we're building, consider becoming a paid member — your support helps us grow our team, investigate impactful stories, and uplift our community. Trending on NextShark: Subscribe here now! Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today!
Los Angeles Times
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Big Canyon extends Jones Cup lead with 12th victory
Atop an incline behind the ninth green, Robert Pang demonstrated deft touch to chip a ball to the lip of the green, then watched it roll to within six feet of the hole. At times on Thursday afternoon, the hosts from Big Canyon Country Club made it look easy, and it appeared they would win in a laugher. Then Pang missed a short putt, and a couple of green-side spectators gasped. They questioned among themselves whether Big Canyon still had the lead. Under the two-best-balls format, it hadn't mattered. Big Canyon entered the final hole with a three-shot lead over Mesa Verde, and with the rest of the group finished on their scorecards, the hosts clinched a two-stroke victory. In the brilliant light of a setting sun behind the trees, Pang tapped in for a bogey. It had been a laughing matter after all, and a night of celebration was about to begin at the Newport Beach-based club. 'That chip shot, just have to get it on the green,' said Pang, the club's director of golf. 'It was just great. What a fun day. We've been talking [about how] this is the last time we get to play the Jones Cup on this golf course before we redo it in August. It's a really fun day for us.' Robert Muir Graves designed the original golf course at Big Canyon, which opened in 1971. John Harbottle finished the most recent course in 1998.' Big Canyon entered the clubhouse at a combined score of 12 under par. Pang sank five birdies, including four on the first five holes. Senior champion Will Tipton and ladies' champion Olivia Slutzky, longtime veterans of the Jones Cup, each had three birdies. 'That's who we learn from,' said Walter Frome IV, who took much of the drama out of the final hole by making par. 'I've been around since I was little, but those are the people that we look up to. I play golf with Will Tipton every week, and that's how you get better. You play with these people, and you learn about the game. They show you the right way.' The Jones Cup is an annual competition between the country clubs of Big Canyon, Mesa Verde, Newport Beach, Santa Ana and Shady Canyon. Big Canyon has a tournament-best 12 victories, followed by Mesa Verde with eight wins in the event. It's a tournament that each club very much wants to win, although the atmosphere is often more friendly than rivalrous, and members of the respective clubs cheer on their friends on the course. 'You know that they're out there and you're playing against the field, but all you can really control is the shot that you're hitting and then the atmosphere within your group,' Big Canyon club professional Erika Ilagan said. 'I think that was something that we did really well today. Being able to defend [our home course], there's a little bit of pressure, and we were able to kind of keep that at bay and just encourage each other as we were making putts and hitting shots.' Mesa Verde, the runner-up at 10 under par, was led by club professional Mike Fergin, who had five birdies. Men's champion Ryan Knapp added three birdies, and senior champion Don Odom fired in the lone eagle on the round. 'I had about a 210-yard shot in, and I had some good coaching from my teammates,' Odom said of the feat, which came on the second hole. 'I was fortunate. The wind was blowing a little, so I hit a little cut up there. The wind knocked it down, and it helped.' Shady Canyon placed third at six under par, and Newport Beach and Santa Ana tied for fourth at two under par. Ladies' champion Kelly Ly carded four birdies to lead Shady Canyon. The Irvine-based club had some news to share after the competition. 'I played tournament golf 40 years ago, and I ran out of money, ran out of talent,' said Brian Gunson, who is retiring as director of golf at the club. 'This has been my Masters for the last 16 or 17 years. I've loved every second of the Jones Cup. I'm really going to miss it.' Newport Beach's Andrew Alderdice and Santa Ana's Marcus De La Rosa, both club professionals, had four birdies apiece.
The Independent
08-05-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
California high school baseball players suspended for calling Asian opponent ‘PF Chang'
A pair of high school baseball coaches in California were suspended after players on their team allegedly hurled racist"PF Chang" chants at a player of Asian heritage on the opposing team. The incident was reportedly captured on cell phone video, according to KRON4. The footage, taken on April 23, shows a baseball game between Albany and Pinole Valley high schools in East Bay. During the game, players from Pinole Valley yelled "PF Chang" — a Chinese restaurant chain — at Asian players, and "Baljeet" at Indian players. "Baljeet" refers to an Indian character of the Disney show Phineas and Ferb. The West Contra Costa Unified School District told KRON4 that two staff members at Pinole Valley High School — Head Coach T'won Blake and Assistant Coach Will Tipton — have been put on administrative leave until an investigation into the incident is completed. The school district offered the following statement to the broadcaster: 'The district is committed to a fair and thorough process, and we cannot comment further on personnel matters at this time. 'In addition to clarifying the status of our coaches, we want to reiterate that the district's primary focus remains on ensuring a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all students. WCCUSD does not tolerate racism or harassment of any kind, and we are committed to identifying those responsible and taking appropriate action in alignment with district policy. The district is committed to a fair process and will act accordingly once the investigation concludes.' The superintendent of Albany Unified School District also issued a letter to the district, noting that it had filed several complaints over the incident and that officials had spoken to Pinole Valley High School's principal and athletic director. Eugene Lee, a parent of one of the taunted players, told SFGATE that he heard some of the taunts. 'When the Indian pitcher came in, there were audible chants of 'Baljeet,'' Lee told SFGATE. 'When my son came in, there was a voice who said, 'PF Chang, is that you?' My son said he heard them say, 'He can't see through those eyes.'' Albany High School's head coach said the Pinole Valley coach apologized to the team days after the incident, but Lee told SFGATE the apology came across as "generic" and impersonal. 'It was sort of this generic, 'I know what it feels like to be targeted,'' he said. 'I don't think they really understand.' Lee has submitted a formal complaint to the school district's Office of Educational Equity alleging racial harassment and has called for Pinole Valley's baseball season to be brought to an end in the wake of the incident.
