Proving once again that success in all sports is cyclical, baseball is enjoying a dramatic resurgence in Coronado. The Coronado High School Baseball Team’s CIF Division IV title, the first in school history, has been well-chronicled in this space. Last week we covered the Coronado Angels District 32 Tournament of Champions title in the Juniors Division.

Well, the continued good news is that the Coronado 11 and 12 year-old All-Stars won the District 32 title and are now moving on to Little League sectional competition.

Some explanation is necessary at this point. The first level of Little League playoff competition each year is for the teams that have won their league titles. The Junior Division Angels team mentioned above, played a 20-game regular season schedule, won their league and then won the District 32 playoffs, going undefeated in the process. At the conclusion of that level of team play, All-Star Teams are formed from the best players in the entire league.

When you watch the Little League World Series on ESPN from Williamsport, PA, you are seeing are the best 11 and 12 year-old All-Star teams from around the United States and abroad. In its long history, dating to when Dr. Jim Vernetti helped found Coronado Little League in the early 1950’s, no Coronado team has ever won a sectional title.

Managed by Susie Keeney and coached by Scott Meloche, the Coronado 12 and Under All-Stars features 12 seventh grade players. Proving that the valued volunteers often are worked too hard, Keeney is also the Coronado Little League uniform manager and Meloche is the Director of Juniors Baseball. Both also serve on the CLL Board of Directors.

"They started with 17 teams in the District 32 playoffs," said John Ovrom, himself a multi-hyphenate in the "Daily Variety" (actor-producer-director) sense of the phrase. Ovrom and wife Dawn are the proud parents of two All-Star players, while John serves as a regular season manager, post-season coach and director of Minors Baseball.

"They play their first game at Chollas Park Thursday, July 20 at 5:15 pm," Ovrom said of the 12 and under Coronado All Stars. "It is a double-elimination tournament which runs this Thursday through next Tuesday. The goal is to represent San Diego in the Little League regional tournament."

Team members include: outfielder Andrew Ovrom; pitcher and third baseman Alex Wood; catcher Billy Ryan; second baseman Ryan Keeney; pitcher, first baseman and centerfielder Luke Gillingham; shortstop Caleb Crispell; pitcher and first baseman Jake Meloche; outfielders Kyle Peachout, Dylan Bunker and Hunter Corpus; infielder and outfielder Geoff Turnley; and an outfielder who has been injured for a couple of games, Steven Lyons.

The winning game in the District 32 finals was a close contest, according to Ovrom. "We beat Point Loma 5-4 in the bottom of the sixth inning to win the district title. It was a great, great game. The Chollas Park facility is a Padre Park (the San Diego Padres helped pay for the renovation of the facility) and it is a beautiful, gorgeous park. It’s located at 6350 College Grove Drive. I hope we get some people from Coronado there to support the kids."

Ovrom, who is also the current Rotary Club of Coronado Rotarian of the Year, is one of the resident experts on the 10 and 11 year old All-Stars Team that won the District 32 title last year. "They won the district tournament last year as 9 and 10 year-olds and were favored to win this one. We lost the first game and went into the losers’ bracket. We got to the quarter-finals before we were knocked out. We lost 7-6 and had the tying run on third base with one out and couldn’t get him in. It was a good battle, but we lost that one."

Managed by Larry Denson, the squad included: outfielders Alejandro Gastelum, Riley Peterson and Collin Green; shortstop Brian Turley; third baseman Jake Lindee; pitcher and first baseman Matthew Ovrom; first baseman Peter Cheneler, pitcher and catcher Austin Denson; catcher and outfielder Andrew Gillingham (cousin of shortstop Luke above); outfielder and pitcher Dylan Gouthro; and second baseman Ryan Hermann. Team member and contributor Nathan Anderson has been injured of late.

One of the better deals in town is the annual athletic physical fundraiser, which this year has been slated for Monday, August 7 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. To participate in tryouts for a Coronado High School or Coronado Middle School sport, an athlete must have a current physical examination performed by a doctor.

According to CHS Athletic Director Sandy Ferguson, the physicals will be held at the Coronado Specialty Medical Center, located at 1050 B Avenue. The cost is $15 for one student; $25 for two students from the same family; and $10 each for three or more students from the same family.

The money collected is then used to purchase supplies for the training room. Forms should be filled out by parents beforehand and checks should be made payable to CHS ASB Athletics. Forms can be picked up at Coronado Middle School during their Summer School hours or can be downloaded from www.IslanderSportsFoundation.com or via Edline/Athletics.

Ferguson wishes to extend his thanks to Dr. Patricia Kettlehake and Dr. Laura Fagerlund for hosting the fundraiser. Doctors who are interested in participating should call Ferguson at 435-5634 or Kettlehake at 435-2234.

Ferguson also supplied the following information for parents of fall sport athletes. This is a listing of the coaches’ contact information and the practice start dates for each of the CHS fall teams:

Cross Country - There is a summer running club for athletes interested in getting in shape. The first day of the CHS Cross Country season is August 28. Students who wish to participate must have their physical exam performed by that date. For information call George Green at 435-3633 or visit: www.islandertrack.com.

Football- Equipment will be issued August 14. Parent meetings are scheduled for that same evening. Freshman parents will meet at 6 pm and JV/Varsity parents will convene at 7 pm. Both meetings will be held in CHS classroom 408. Conditioning practices will begin August 15 and all participants must have a physical by that date. Hell Week is scheduled for August 21 through 25. For more information, call the CHS Football office at 522-8970 ext. 2707.

Girls’ Golf– Parents and/or Athletes should plan on meeting at the Coronado Golf Course at 4pm Wednesday, August 23. The tryout process will be explained and the dates and times of tryouts will be announced. For information call Hannah Cohan at 990-8755.

Girls’ Tennis- Practice (tryouts) will begin Monday, August 21. Interested girls should meet at the CHS Tennis Courts at 4pm on that date. Anyone wishing to try out must have an updated physical by August 21. For more information call Robbin Adair at (858) 880-3688 (home) or (858) 610-3622 (cell) or contact him via E-mail at: radair@san.rr.com.

Girls’ Volleyball- Practice (tryouts) will begin Monday, August 21 at 9am in the CHS gymnasium. All potential players must have a physical in order to tryout and should wear shoes suitable for the gym floor. For information contact Christine Laar at 619-225-0282 (home) or 619-920-6536 (cell).

Boys’ Waterpolo - All interested players should meet at the Coronado Municipal Pool Monday, August 21st. All players wishing to tryout must have a physical by that date. For information call Randy Burgess at 851-9733 or David Throop at 851-9734. Information is also available on the Waterpolo website: www.nadoaquatics.com.

Summer is the time of year to improve in your sport and the CHS Girls Water Polo Team members are taking that maxim to heart.

Eight returning varsity players and seven incoming freshmen will travel to Ventura County to participate in the Junior Olympics from Aug. 2-6. They will compete in the 16 and under age category. Returning high school players who will compete include: Alex Adamson, Alana Burgess, Carly Hoshko, Sabrina Anonas, Allie Rodgers, Lenea Smith, Kathryn Bailey and Hannah Sebenaler.

To add a little youth to the squad, the following incoming freshmen will also participate, including: Kelly Ronimus, Ashley Young, Sidney Hoshko, Hillary Estrada, Hilary Hansen, Natalie Stringer and Maddie Murphy.

On the off chance that Ventura County doesn’t satisfy your yearning to play summer water polo, then perhaps Hawaii will suffice. Some of the older CHS varsity players will replace some of those listed above for the Hawaiian Islands Invitational, which will be held Aug. 8-15. Adding some experience to the group will be Morgan Ronimus, Molly Patrick, Danielle Goldblatt, Lauren Corcoran, Maggie Sosnowski and Katie Estrada.

The possible down side to the Hawaii trip is that the team will be competing in the Women’s Open Division as well as the Girls 18 and Under Division. Make that pineapple order to go.

Traveling a week early to Hawaii will be representatives of the CHS Boys Water Polo Team. As the Girls Team will be at the JO’s at that time, the boys squad will train with the Punahou High School team (pro golfer Michelle Wie’s high school) before competing in the Junior Olympics. There will be teams in the Men’s 18 and Under Division, as well as the 16 and Under Division.

According to CHS Girls Water Polo Head Coach Dave Throop, CHS rising senior Morgan Ronimus participated in the National Youth Under 17 Team tryouts and made the ‘B’ team. In the Under 15’s Cadet National tryouts, Ashley Young and Alex Adamson participated in the week-long training camp, honing their skills.

As an annual attendee at the July 4 picnic thrown by Phil and Paulette Hopkins, it was fun to see the U.S. Men’s Senior National Water Polo Team arrive en masse at this year’s event. Thomas Hopkins (CHS ’02, Stanford ’06) is a member of the squad, which was in town to help another team member and former Olympian Layne Beaubien (CHS ’94, Stanford ‘99) celebrate his 30^th birthday and presumably soak up some of the Coronado July 4 ambiance. Other CHS alums and former Olympians on the team and in attendance were Genai Kerr (CHS ’95, UC Irvine ‘00) and Jesse Smith (CHS ’01, Pepperdine ’05).

The CIF San Diego Section, in conjunction with Channel 4 San Diego, is putting together a Thursday evening high school football television package this year. Week No. 8 (October 26) will feature the Crawford Colts at the Coronado Islanders game. The start time for the contest has been set for 7:05 pm kickoff, 30 minutes earlier than most CHS home games start.

Recently graduated CHS senior Megan Mushovic and former Islander teammate Jacy Norton were both members of the San Diego Epic 18 and under volleyball team that recently finished in third place of the Gold Division of the U.S. Jr. Olympic Open Division in Atlanta.

Mushovic, who was the Axey Award winner for Senior Girl Athlete of the Year in 2005-06, will compete at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY this fall. Norton, who played with Mushovic for a year at CHS prior to finishing her prep career at Flour Bluff High School in Corpus Christi, Texas, will play at the University of Arizona next year.