There was plenty of action on the Escalon High School campus for sports teams recently, with spring season in full swing.
COUGAR TENNIS
The tennis team notched a pair of victories this past week. They hosted Sonora in a Trans-Valley League contest on Tuesday, March 4 and came away with a solid 8-1 win. At boys number one singles, Nathan Rose won 6-0, 6-0. Landon Underwood was a 6-1, 7-5 winner at number two boys.
Girls number two singles Violet DaSilva won 6-3, 6-1 with the lone loss coming for Kaili Castellanos at number one girls singles, falling 4-6, 4-6.
Boys number one doubles Daniel Adams and Luca Cerasi were 6-0, 6-0 winners and boys number two Maddox Neilson and Cooper Fugett also swept their opponents 6-0, 6-0.
Girls number one doubles Emma Rangel and Marina Franzia won 6-0, 6-3; girls number two doubles Ashlyn Paxman and Haven MacKinnon won 6-1, 6-2.
Mixed doubles Carolina Sandoval and Brien Novetzke won 6-3, 6-0.
Thursday, March 6 the team made up an earlier rained out match with Millennium and took an 8-1 win. Winning their matches in singles play were Rose, 6-0, 6-0; Underwood 6-0, 6-0; and DaSilva, 6-0, 6-0; with Castellanos taking a loss, 1-6, 0-6.
Adams and Cerasi were 6-0, 6-0 winners in boys number one doubles, Neilsen and Fugett got a forfeit win. Both girls doubles teams took wins, Rangel and Franzia, 6-2, 6-0; Paxman and MacKinnon, 6-3, 6-2; with Sandoval and Novetzke sweeping to a 6-0, 6-0 on in mixed doubles.
BOYS GOLF
Playing in the Yellowjacket Invitational at Turlock Country Club on March 3, Escalon finished 18th as a team with 417 points, out of 25 teams in the event. Leaders for Escalon were Brenden Berchtold, 40th overall with a score of 88. Coming in at 107 was Austin Mustain, 85th overall; Matix Trimble, 109, 87th. Dominic Arauza shot a 113 for 94th overall and Ethan Tellez shot a 133 to finish in 117th place.
In the first Trans-Valley League tournament of the season, Escalon finished fifth as a team. Ripon took first with a team score of 286, followed by Ripon Christian, 302; Hughson, 349; Sonora, 398; Escalon, 445; Hilmar, 453; and Orestimba rounding out the teams taking part. Berchtold again carded the low round for Escalon, with a 71, finishing 18th overall. He was the only Cougar to break the top 20. He was followed by Arauza with an 89, Tellez and Mustain tying at 93, Donovan Martinez carding a 99 and Clayton Cox rounding out the team effort with a score of 118.
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Just one match was on the schedule this past week as Escalon faced off with Gregori on Tuesday, March 4. It was a 3-1 win for Escalon’s varsity boys, with scores of 25-19, 25-22, 22-25, 25-23. The JV boys swept to a 3-0 victory over Gregori.
Escalon will play Orestimba at home on Wednesday, March 12; they were scheduled to start league play on the road at Ripon on March 10.
TRACK AND FIELD
Members of the track and field team headed to Tracy High School on Friday, March 7. They took part in the county qualifying meet and head coach Arend Jones said there were several good efforts.
“Escalon performed well against bigger schools in San Joaquin County, qualifying nearly 20 athletes for the County Clash at Oakdale High School on March 28,” said Jones.
Emilia Jimenez placed third in the triple jump; Gloria Segura and Gracie Airola placed second and third in the shot put. Trenton Epps took second in hurdles and Megan Silva placed third in the 200-meter sprint.
“The next meet is Saturday (March 15) in Manteca for another big invitational,” the coach added.
The team also headed to Oakdale this past week for a practice meet.
“It went well, it was a good meet for new athletes to see what a track meet is like,” Jones said, noting that there are no official results posted as it is a practice meet only.
Along with Jones serving as head coach, assistants this year are Rosie Ball coaching sprints and hurdles; Paul Anserlian and Jim Ball working with the shot put and discus throwers; Erick Flores coaching the distance runners and Dirk Northcutt has been working with the pole vaulters.
