Junior Shiva Wolf prepares for a backhand return during his singles match against Creative Connections Arts Academy on March 6 at Rio del Oro Sports Club. (Photo by Arikta Trivedi)

Spring sports spotlighted before all events postponed due to COVID-19 outbreak

Baseball

Although the varsity baseball team lost outfielder-pitcher Nate Jakobs, ’19, who now plays for Pomona-Pitzer, and assistant coach Gary Jakobs, it is returning big this season with 10 players, two more than last year. Coach Chris Millsback (the only baseball coach this season) suffered a shoulder injury before the start of the season, but it has had a minimal effect on practices, according to senior captain and catcher Max Kemnitz. The team is looking to improve from its winless 2019 season (0-15 overall), sophomore outfielder Miles Morrow said.

Senior captain Max Kemnitz: “This season is going to be a reformation year. We have many new players, so we’re (looking to) improve our team dynamic. Playing cohesively is important, and the team is getting better at catching and throwing, which is really good to see in the first couple weeks of the season. As for Millsback’s injury, the seniors are pitching in to help with drills, so we’re making good progress with each practice.”

—By Arijit Trivedi

Swimming

After losing freestyle specialist Joe Zales (now competing at Harvey Mudd College), the swim team enters the season with seven members, one more than last year. The girls won last year’s Sac-Joaquin Section Division III Championships, and the boys finished third. Rebecca Waterson, now a senior and Brown University commit, and Zales qualified for the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Swimming and Diving Championships. Waterson finished seventh in the 100-yard butterfly and ninth in the 100 backstroke in the state meet. Zales did not qualify for the finals in either of his events, the 200 and 500 freestyle.

Coach Brian Nabeta: “I expect to three-peat at the Division III section team championships. However, the challenge this year is to have all our swimmers attend every meet at Jesuit to fill our relays so we can qualify for high school sections.”

—By Arikta Trivedi

Tennis

The tennis team (4-0) ended last season with a 6-4 record in the Sacramento Metropolitan Athletic League (SMAL) and qualified for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II Coed Championships for the second time in three years. Country Day fell in the first round to Delhi. SCDS lost captain and section boys singles winner Leonardo Eisner, ’19, who now attends UC Santa Barbara. The Country Day team, after some late additions, consists of 11 girls and seven boys, finally achieving a full roster. Captains Keshav Anand, a junior, and Sanjana Anand, a sophomore, led SCDS to a 6-3 victory in the season opener against Highlands on Feb. 28.

Coach Jamie Nelson: “We have the strongest team I’ve seen, especially singles, who are very strong and unbeaten. In the past, we’ve had standout players, such as (Eisner). (This year), we have a larger team.”

—By Nihal Gulati

Golf

For the second year in a row, the golf team has just six members. This year’s team consists of seniors Anu Krishnan, Yumi Moon, David Situ and Jackson Crawford and freshmen Samrath Pannu and Shivom Sharma. The Cavs lost Harrison Moon, ’19, senior Emma Boersma and sophomore Nihal Gulati. According to coach Matt Vargo last season, Situ may have advanced to the Masters meet had he been able to attend the section championships. Moon qualified for Masters but was unable to attend. Five players are needed for a team score; otherwise, the Cavs will compete individually. Vargo said that, ideally, the team would have at least nine players. Three Cavs played in the team’s first match on March 6. Crawford placed first with a bogey-free 35 (-1), becoming the league front-runner. 

Coach Matt Vargo: “Jackson Crawford has put a lot of time into golf the last couple of years. He will compete for the league title, should qualify for sections and hopefully advance to the Masters meet.”

—By Ethan Monasa

Track and field

Though the track and field team gained 14 new members, it lost star competitor  Heidi Johnson, ’19. Johnson placed eighth in the long jump at the Masters meet and fourth in the triple jump at the San Joaquin Section Championships last year. Eight competitors from last year return, including seniors Charles Thomas, Emma Boersma, Maddie Woo and Chris Wilson, who is out indefinitely with a partially torn knee ligament.

Coach Rick Fullum: “The ones that are returning show great potential to go far this year, boys and girls. But we are only as good as (the) student-athletes believe in themselves and prepare themselves for improvement. Time will truly tell.” 

—By Arjin Claire

Originally published in the March 17 edition of the Octagon.

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