This week we’ll hop and natter around the Island, as we prepare for the July 4^th Weekend. Since Independence Day falls on a Monday this year, it will feel like July 4^th Week by the time the great day passes.

On the plus side, this is the time of year when you see folks that you haven’t seen for a while, some since last July 4^th. Plus everyone needs an opportunity to bitterly complain about the traffic, while privately enjoying the fact that Coronadoans and family members return home by the thousands.

My small role in adding to the annual holiday traffic congestion is that the Islander Sports Foundation is the benefiting group from the 31^st Annual July 4^th 15K Run/5K Run-Walk that starts at Tidelands Park at 7 am. The ISF annually supplies more than 200 volunteers to work the event, which the past 2 years has had nearly 2,000 runners and walkers of all shapes, sizes, and ages compete.

As the name of the event implies, there are actually two races. The 15K Run is for the more serious runners (9.32 miles) and follows a course that includes a turn-around on the Naval Amphibious Base. The 5K (3.11 miles) is kind of a mixed bag, as some serious athletes run the event, while others take the opportunity to walk with friends and family members, look at the Bay and complain about the traffic.

The race entry fee, a portion of which benefits the Islander Sports Foundation and athletics at Coronado High School and Coronado Middle School, is $30 and includes a commemorative T-shirt. You can still register for the event in person at the Sports Authority at 7725 Balboa Avenue Friday, July 1 from 3:30 to 6:30 pm. American mile record holder and Track & Field Hall of Fame member Steve Scott will be on hand to sign autographs. Or you can register at the Concert in the Park Sunday, July 3 from 5-7 pm. Of course you can also register the morning of the event.

For the technologically inclined, registrations are also accepted through www.kathyloperevents.com.

Participating in the July 4^th Run also provides you with an instant air of superiority for the remainder of the day, as you casually work into the conversation that you are still stiff from your blazing approach to the race finish line. Also, the aforementioned T-shirt does not differentiate between the 15K runner and the 5K walker, so you are also free to ‘editorialize’ to your friends. For more information, please contact Kathy Loper Events at 619-298-7400.

The last team to hold their awards banquet was the CHS Baseball Team, which finished a school-best second place to USDHS in the CIF San Diego Section Division III tournament this year.

The Varsity Awards as announced by Head Coach Sam Ceci were: Gamer Award – Kevin Couture; Co-MVP’s – Blake Spitzer and David West; Co-Best Pitcher Award – Mike Hollinger and Couture; Coach’s Award – Mike Baker-Denson, Danny Cepin, Jimmy Gersonde and Josh Okerman; ISF Award for Integrity, Sportsmanship and Friendship – David Sand.

The Junior Varsity Awards, presented by Coaches Blaze Smallwood and Bo Blumenthal included: MVPs – Ben Thorne, Benson Lorden, and Jake McMahon; Most Improved – Rob De Marsh; and Coach’s Award – Steven Karamoto.

Since the conclusion of the season, the Islander Varsity has received additional well-earned recognition, being ranked 18^th in the state in Division III by CalHiSports.com in their final June 13^th baseball issue. Coronado ended the year with a 21-12 record and were ranked just ahead of No. 19 Mission Bay (23-10) in the same poll.

In the Overall State Baseball Top 50, which ranks teams representing schools of all sizes from throughout the state, the San Diego Section was well represented with seven teams listed. They included No. 2 Rancho Bernardo; No. 11 Granite Hills; No. 12 Poway; No. 20 Grossmont; No. 21 Eastlake; No. 22 Fallbrook and No. 44 El Capitan.

The No. 1 baseball team in the state was judged to be El Camino Real from Woodland Hills, which finished with a 28-4 record and were winners of the Los Angeles City Section title.

Baseball in San Diego County is considered to be strong nearly every year. An interesting contrast is found with the area’s softball programs, where San Diego placed only No. 22 Patrick Henry and No. 23 Rancho Bernardo among the state’s Top 50 teams.

Finally, CHS rising senior Kevin Couture has made the first cut to participate in the prestigious Area Code Games. Couture, who plays shortstop and pitches for the Islanders, is in the running for a slot on the team as a hurler. He will pitch July 15^th in a game to be played at USC to see if he makes the final squad.

CHS Water Polo Head Coach Randy Burgess sent a note to remind aquatics fans that the annual alumni water polo games will be held Saturday, July 2. Both the men’s and the women’s games will be played at the Bud Kearns Pool at Morley Field in Balboa Park.

The women will kick of the festivities with a 10:30 am start and the men’s game will follow immediately afterward. A barbeque will follow the games. For more information, please contact Coach Burgess at rburgess@znet.com.

CHS graduate Nick Shepherd (CHS ’05), who was a standout two-way player at fullback and linebacker with the Islanders last season, will continue his football career at Claremont McKenna next year. Shepherd, also an outstanding student, will transition from the green, and white of the Islanders to the maroon, gold and white of the Stags.

Katherine Wingert (CHS ’04) continued her fine track career at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota; considered by Knights alumni at least as one of the nation’s top liberal arts institutions. Wingert started her season with a fine showing in the St. Olaf’s Invitational and finished her campaign with a second place finish in the 800-meter run in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field championships. Her time was 2:19.94. For her efforts she was named Carleton’s Track Rookie of the Year and also the Team MVP.

Mount Holyoke College, located in South Hadley, Massachusetts, has CHS Alumna Kara Solem (CHS ’02) as a member of their golf team. Recently Solem finished seventh in a field of 60 golfers in the NCAA Division III Women’s Golf Championships held at Mid Pines Golf Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina. Solem, who participated in basketball, track and field and (obviously) golf at CHS, is a biology major in her junior year at Mount Holyoke. Her seventh place finish earned her All-American recognition.

Some additional notoriety was justly earned by spring sports athletes in a recent update in The San Diego Union-Tribune. Kevin Couture was named to the Division III First Team in Baseball by the San Diego Hall of Champions; Jed Considine was named to the Division IV Second Team in Boys Volleyball and was also named to the Harbor League First Team in a vote by the conference coaches. Jonathan Smith and Alan Cooper were named to the All-Harbor League Second Team.

In post-high school news, Coronado’s Kitty Robyn won the Hy-Vee Classic in Johnson, Iowa a week ago. Robyn, 50, won the stop on the Women’s Senior Golf Tour and $75,000 for her first place finish. She shot a 4-under 140 to win the two day event.

CHS Assistant Track Coach Jack Nash laced up his track shoes and placed second in the 40 and (way) over division of the Coronado Rotary Low Tide Ride and Stride event. Nash, a former fine distance runner by way of Villanova University, owns a personal best 2-hour and 12-minute finish at the Boston Marathon. Also participating in the event were rising eighth-grader Sallie Privett, who won the 17 and (way) under women’s division. Privett finished second among all women runners. David Grimes finished fifth in the 17 and under men’s division.

Senior soccer star Ashley Copp accounted for all of her team’s points, as the seniors defeated the juniors 14-13 in overtime at this year’s annual Powder Puff Football game. Copp played quarterback, scored both touchdowns and accounted for the extra points. The Pepperdine-bound Copp re-defined the running quarterback position, as a shoulder separation suffered during her junior year prevented her from throwing the ball.

The twist on this annual clash is that the football lettermen coach the girls and the boys also provide the cheerleaders in the flag football game.

The game ended with junior Sasha Vido running a power sweep left, only to be stopped by her sister Alex Vido, who ran her younger sibling down as Sasha reversed field in an attempt to score. I’m just guessing here, but that play just might come up around the Vido dinner table a few years from now.

Get out your calendar and circle the dates for the Islander home football games for next season. The five varsity home games, all of which begin at 7:30 pm include: Sept. 9 vs. Southwest; Sept. 23 vs. Christian; Oct. 14 vs. Clairemont; Oct. 28 vs. Kearny; and Nov. 10 vs. Madison.

The road games are: Fri., Sept 16 at Mar Vista, 7:30 pm; Fri. Sept. 30 at Francis Parker, 7 pm; Fri. Oct. 7 at Calgary Bishop Carroll in Calgary, Canada at 8 pm; Sat., Oct. 22 at Crawford at 1 pm; and Friday, Nov. 4 at University City at 2:30 pm.

As part of the Bishop Carroll game, the team will travel to Banff and Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies. The team members will stay in the homes of the Bishop Carroll football players.

As part of the 2005 California State Games, Coronado High School will host the wrestling competition Saturday and Sunday July 16-17. The competition is scheduled to run from 9 am to 5 pm both days.