With summer rapidly approaching, it’s time to look back at the spring semester and see what the many student athletes on campus have accomplished.
It is hard to pick up any local newspaper and not read about the amazing Tove Berg and her multiple state championships and All-American honors. But what you may not see is that her teammates have also had quite a season as well. Sophomore Zitlalic Ley and sophomore James Poet also both were named All-Americans in their events.
While Vivien Wadeck and Michael Flowers both faced various disappointments in the state finals, both must also be commended for their great seasons. Wadeck hadn’t lost in the 1,500 meters all season before the finals and Flowers also had a great season in a number of running events. Both will continue to run elsewhere next year.
In men’s tennis, sophomore Matt Taoatao was named co-player of the year for the Western State Conference (WSC). He was also part of the honorable mention doubles team that included Greg Arutyunyan, who was named second team All-WSC for his singles season. The doubles team of Emanuel Haug and Ryan Stanbury were also named honorable mention All-WSC.
On the women’s side, sophomore Sonia Rodriguez and freshman Meldia Hacopian were named All-WSC second team in singles. Also, Rodriguez received all-WSC second team honors in doubles with Miyuki Yokozuka.
For softball, the team finished fourth in the WSC Blue Division with a record of 22-17 overall and 15-10 in conference. Sophomore Kelly Korras was named conference pitcher of the year after compiling a record of 17-15 and an ERA of 1.26. Joining Korras with WSC honors are sophomore Diane Garcia, second team; sophomore Melissa Legaspi, honorable mention; and freshman Debbie Martin, honorable mention.
Baseball had its ups and downs all season. The team finished with a record of 17-25 overall and 12-16 in conference. They finished sixth in the south division of the WSC. Sophomore Mike Mendoza and freshman Chris Arredondo were both named to second team All-WSC. Sophomores Ellis Brown and Richard Barrett were both awarded honorable mention.
Men’s golf made a triumphant return to the Glendale campus after a budget induced 25-year hiatus. The team had many bright spots this year including Ryan Richardson earning a scholarship to Cal Lutheran. While the team finished eighth in conference, most of the team will be back next year. Throw in a few new, experienced recruits and the team looks to be a strong contender next year.
With the spring semester ending, next year offers a clean slate for all GCC sports. The best thing about college sports is that the cycle starts again every fall.