Mountain View native takes 11th in triathlon Mountain View native takes 11th in triathlon (January 16, 2004)

By Samay Gheewala

Amba Kumar, a Mountain View native now living in Santa Cruz, took 11th place in the 30-39 year-old age group at the Santa Cruz Sentinel triathlon, held on Sept. 28, 2003.

Kumar, who swam at Mountain View High in the late 1980s and later competed in synchronized swimming, took third place in the 1,500-meter swimming leg of the race. The triathlon also consisted of a 40-kilometer bike ride and a 10-kilometer run.

After a knee injury prevented her from continuing to compete in synchronized swimming, Kumar tried several other sports before discovering triathlon while working at Cisco Systems in 1999. According to her father, Vijay, who still lives in Mountain View, Kumar has become a dedicated triathlete, competing in "at least one race a year."

During the swim section, Amba Kumar noticed a sea lion had emerged in the middle of the pack of swimmers, disrupting many competitors. "I don't know how she dealt with it, but if I saw a sea lion in my path, you can bet I'd hit Olympic-level speeds," said her father.

Earthquakes Tryouts

The Mountain View-Los Altos Earthquakes is in search of boys born after July 31, 1994 to tryout for the upcoming season. Tryouts will be held on Jan. 24 at Santa Rita Elementary School from 3 p.m.-5 p.m. The team plays in fall, winter, and spring. For more information, check the team's Web site at www.eteamz.com/earthquakes-soccer.

CYSA Tryouts

Tryouts are coming up for two CYSA class 3 girls' soccer teams. The Screaming Nightmares, for girls born before July 31, 1992, will be having tryouts from noon to 2 p.m. on Jan. 24 and Jan. 25 at Rosita Park in Los Altos, just behind Covington Elementary School. If interested, contact Dianna Heeb at 967-2778 or heebp@comcast.net. Another CYSA team, for girls born before July 31, 1993, will be holding tryouts for spring and fall play at Rosita Park on Jan. 24 and 25 as well, from 10 a.m. to noon. For more information concerning the under-11 team, please contact Terri White at twhite@elliot.com.

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