It was quite a chore selecting the Free Lance Senior Scholar
Athletes of the Year for Hollister High this past school year. As
stated in a previously column on May 8, this was the hardest of my
four years of selecting the top scholar-athletes at Balerland.
For the girls, it boiled down to Britta Nordstrom, the ultimate
winner, and Kim Dabo (volleyball/softball) and three-sport athlete
Sarah Groman (volleyball/basketball/track and field). Worthy
choices all who were solid in nearly every criteria I discussed in
that aforementioned column.
It was quite a chore selecting the Free Lance Senior Scholar Athletes of the Year for Hollister High this past school year. As stated in a previously column on May 8, this was the hardest of my four years of selecting the top scholar-athletes at Balerland.
For the girls, it boiled down to Britta Nordstrom, the ultimate winner, and Kim Dabo (volleyball/softball) and three-sport athlete Sarah Groman (volleyball/basketball/track and field). Worthy choices all who were solid in nearly every criteria I discussed in that aforementioned column.
The boys were a bit of a different pickle. Some were stronger in certain categories and not so strong in others. With winner Steve Bianchi, I found the most balanced of all facets. Other top candidates included Brandon Para (football/track and field) and P.J. Galvan (football/baseball).
Again, congratulations to all candidates for fine senior seasons, as well as, fine careers as a Haybaler. Good luck in your future endeavors and never forget where you came from….
Past winners chosen by me were: Carlie Guerra/Ben Flores 1999-00; Matt Engwall/Elzunia Lamb 2000-01; Jillian Williams/Allan Renz 2001-02…..
Trivia: Bjorn Nordstrom, older brother of Britta, won the award in 1995 under the selection of current Free Lance editor Bill Satterle……
I’ve decided to take more of a voice in Baler athletics. Nobody died and made me king or any
thing (See the stuttering John Madden), but I’m a firm believer in the power of the pen. So warning is out for 2003-04 athletics, I’m on the prowl.
Purrrrrrrrrrr…..
Allow me to get the jump on next year’s Free Lance Scholar-Athletes of the Year. Besides hitting the books, I strongly encourage all athletes to play three sports whenever possible. I’ve harped on this before. Coaches need top athletes academically eligible and out for their respective sports…..
It was a great year for athletics with aquatics stealing the show. The boys brought home their first league swim title and added a third league water polo crown. The girls nearly followed swim suit with a co-championship in water polo and a league title in swimming, thanks to some by-laws which weren’t changed from their days in the Monterey Bay League.
The fall saw a fifth straight league championship in volleyball and the retirement of head coach Larry Nabzeska. It was a nice resurgence for the boys hoop team and girls soccer team in the winter, then a co-title for the Baler baseballers, plus T-CAL titles in girls and boys track and field in the spring. Boys golf also had a nice run, leading the regular season much of the way before faltering at T-CAL’s….
Last football season, Chris Cameron’s Baler varsity gridders failed to make the CCS playoffs for the first time in his tenure at 4-5-1. Cameron is hoping this weekend’s freshmen/returning freshmen football camp can start hammering in some fundamentals about Baler football. This is the first annual and could prove huge in helping rebuild the program.
“We have 75 guys signed up and hope to have about 20 more walk-ons,” said Baler defensive coordinator Tod Thatcher.
The flowers of tomorrow are in the planting of seeds of today, my mom once said (or something of that nature)….
Hawks hunt: Former Baler varsity head hoop coach Ed Cecena is on the short list to take over the Anzar basketball program. Cecena coached the girls tennis team at Hollister last season and is reported to be taking over the Baler boys racquet team next spring.
Stay tuned…..
That’s it for now sports fans. I’ll be back next fall with a brand new show. I hope to be a lean, mean fighting machine. That’s if I can stand Cameron’s early a.m. conditioning program this summer.
But first, I need a nap.
