Sports wrap Sports wrap (May 06, 2005)

Baseball teams scrap to avoid demotion

As it turns out, the last of this season's three baseball games between Mountain View and Los Altos will have significance beyond local bragging rights.

After suffering through trying seasons, the schools find themselves in a two-team race to avoid demotion to the lower El Camino Division in 2006, the designation for the cellar-dweller in the De Anza Division at season's end. Thus, when the cross-town rivals square off on the Eagles field on May 6, the contest should take on the feel of a playoff game.

Los Altos enters the last 10 days of its season encouraged by its recent play. Despite taking nearly two months to win their first game, the young Eagles have shown improvement in recent weeks. With a 12-11 win over 10-time defending division champion Wilcox on Apr. 25, and a pair of close losses to current division-leader Los Gatos, Los Altos (2-17, 2-12 division) is ready to avenge its two earlier losses to Mountain View.

The Spartans, on the other hand, have seen the bottom fall out on their season after a promising start. Since its 14-7 rout of visiting Los Altos on Apr. 4 that evened its De Anza record at 3-3, Mountain View had lost seven consecutive games heading into Tuesday's contest against Cupertino. The Spartans (4-15, 3-10 division) reached a new low point with a disheartening 16-6 loss to Wilcox on Apr. 29 in which they squandered leads of 3-0 and 6-2.

A Mountain View victory on Friday would likely put the final nail in the Eagles' coffin and provide a lasting bright spot for the senior-laden Spartans. An Eagles triumph would pull sophomore-rich Los Altos into a virtual dead heat with its archrival. The victor will own all the momentum heading into the season's final week.

With no other teams within two games of them in the standings, Mountain View and Los Altos are left to duke out their De Anza Division supremacy amongst themselves.

Swimmers set for league meet

Behind the strong performances of two of its seniors, the Los Altos boys swimming team emerged victorious from its late-season non-league meet against visiting Menlo-Atherton. Seniors Michael Orton and Connor McColl each won two individual events and swam on two winning relay teams in leading their team to a 95-74 win on Apr. 26.

Orton won the 50-yard freestyle in 22.92 and the 100-yard butterfly in 58.14. McColl topped the competition in the 200-yard freestyle in 1:48.73 and finished first in the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:03.67. The two seniors also helped the Eagles to first-place finishes in the 200-yard freestyle relay and the 400-yard freestyle relay.

The Los Altos girls found the going much tougher against a strong Menlo-Atherton squad. The Eagles lost 108-62 as they failed to win any of the eleven events.

Los Altos competes in SCVAL finals at Saratoga on May 6.

MV softball stumbles

The Mountain View softball team, after winning three of its first four De Anza Division games, stumbled in dropping three of its next four.

Although two of those losses came against undefeated division-leader Monta Vista, the Spartans have plenty of room for improvement with three games remaining.

Despite allowing host Monta Vista only five hits, Mountain View (11-9, 4-4 De Anza) managed just two of its own in a 4-2 loss on Apr. 26. The offense wasn't the only culprit as the Spartans also committed three errors.

In falling to visiting Homestead 3-2 on May 2, Mountain View failed to take advantage of five Mustangs errors.

Freshman pitcher Kendra Vanek was the hard-luck loser in both contests.

With a bid for the Central Coast Section playoffs likely on the strength of their overall record, the Spartans can use their final regular-season games to regain their confidence and their winning ways.

Mountain View visits Homestead on May 9.

Spartan track stars flying high

The Mountain View track and field team appears to be peaking at just the right time. The Spartan girls defeated Homestead 77-31, while the boys beat the host Mustangs 68-31.

Mountain View senior Jane Doolittle was the brightest star, leaping 5-8 in the high jump, nearly breaking the school record of 5-8.25. She broke her previous personal best by four inches.

Tania Morimoto set a personal record in winning the 3200-meter in 12:02.8, and also won the 1600-meter in 5:42.1. Kate Kornegay won both of the hurdles events, taking the 100-meter in 16.9 and the 300-meter 51.7. Katherine Johnson won the shot put with a personal best of 34-0.

Justin Bull carried the Mountain View boys with wins in three individual events. Bull won the 300 hurdles (46.9), the high jump (5-6) and the long jump (19-9).

Should Mountain View have similar individual successes in the El Camino Division finals on May 4, its athletes will represent the school well in the SCVAL qualifier on May 14. --Scott Campbell

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