Nado Natterings
A weekly column by David Axelson

17 June 2009 Issue #24

This week’s column will complete the Coronado High School sports awards for the 2008-09 academic year. This might also be a propitious time to congratulate the CHS Class of ’09 on their recent graduation.

Next week we’ll venture onto the 10th Annual Axey Awards column, which recognizes the best athletes at CHS by class, along with some highlights of the recently concluded sports season. Including that notice in this week’s column commits yours truly to digging back through copies of columns from the past year, which also means that it might actually get accomplished.

Girls Lacrosse Honors and Awards

The Natterings Grand Tour of the CHS awards banquets concluded last week with the Girls Lacrosse event held at the Coronado Yacht Club. Varsity Head Coach Jessica Battle and Varsity Assistant Coach Liz Dierdorff announced the following award winners: Islander Sports Foundation Award for integrity, sportsmanship and friendship – Melissa Humphrey; Most Improved – Jillian Reidy; Unsung Hero Award – Sandy Shepherd; Coaches Award – Humphrey.

Coco O’Brien and Humphrey were named to the All-CIF First Team, with Michaela Guerrero and Reidy earning All-CIF Second Team honors.

In the City Conference, Coronado was the undefeated champion and Humphrey was recognized as Player of the Year. Humphrey, Guerrera, O’Brien, Reidy and Kirsten Krock were named to the All-City Conference First Team. Lainey Mebust was named to the All-Conference Second Team. Anna Turpit and Shepherd earned Honorable Mention honors.

Humphrey earned All American status for the second consecutive year. Reidy, O’Brien, Shepherd and Humphrey were all named as Academic All-Americans.

Coaches Jade Hughes and Lisa Faletta presented the JV Girls Lacrosse Team Awards, which included: Most Improved – Peri Curtis, Unsung Hero Award – Brianna Silk; Best Defender – Shiobhan Murillo; Best Offensive Player – Maggie Harris and Coach’s Award – Nikki Kruger.

Boys and Girls Track Honors and Awards

Head Track Coach George Green passed along the info on the Boys and Girls Track and Field award winners. Boys MVP – David Grimes; Girls MVP – Sallie Privett; ISF Award – Adrianna Davies; High Point Award – Cassie Callahan; Career Appreciation Award – Bridgid Twomey.

Sadie Gimber had a great year, earning All-CIF honors in both cross country and track. Gimber won the Division II 400 meter dash and placed fifth in the cross country finals. Privett was the CIF Division IV champion in cross country and won Central League titles in both the 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter runs. Callahan also earned two Central League titles, winning both the 300 meter hurdles and the triple jump.

Cross Country Info Meeting

If you are interested in participating in Boys or Girls Cross Country at the high school level this coming school year, there is an important organizational meeting scheduled Wednesday, June 17th at 6:30 pm at the home of Bill Davies. The Davies residence is located at 1110 G Avenue.

Among the topics to be discussed are the team’s summer training program and options for athletes to participate in running camps. For more information regarding the meeting and the CHS Cross Country program, contact George Green at 435-3633.

Boys JV Lacrosse Awards

The CHS Boys Lacrosse program is so large (How large is it?) that they have separate Varsity and JV awards dinners. Last week we covered the Varsity awards, and this week courtesy of Cindy Wilson, we have the JV award winners. Coaches’ Award – Tommy Hart; Most Improved – Paul Rodriguez; Best Attack – Jacob Lujan; Best Middie – Tyler Smith; Best Defenseman – Colton Morris; and Team MVP – Nate Wilson.

Union-Tribune Honors Mason Mills as Male Student-Athlete of the Year

Coronado’s Mason Mills, who starred as the Islander quarterback in football, shortstop and pitcher in baseball and earned a 4.20 grade point average, was named the ‘San Diego Union-Tribune’s’ Male Athlete of the Year last week.

Ashley Sevilla of Mar Vista High School was named the Female Athlete of the Year. Sevilla played volleyball, basketball and softball for the Mariners.

Mills, who recently announced that he would compete in baseball at New Mexico State University to play baseball, was the second Coronado athlete to receive the U-T Student-Athlete of the Year Award. Jamie Klages (CHS ’05) was honored for her efforts in volleyball, soccer and track and field four years ago.

Mills joins an elite group of athletes who have won the award including former pro football players La’Roi Glover (Point Loma) and Bryant Westbrook (El Camino); professional baseball and football player Chad Hutchinson (Torrey Pines); football and track star Reggie Bush (Helix); and volleyball and college basketball star Chase Budinger (La Costa Canyon).

San Diego Hall of Champions CIF Spring Sport Selections

In last week’s column and again this week, several athletes earned All-CIF recognition, in selections compiled and announced by ‘The San Diego Union-Tribune.’ This week All-CIF Teams were announced by the San Diego Hall of Champions, which has their CIF All Section teams voted on by a separate panel of sportswriters and sportscasters, with input from coaches in the area.

Leading the way for the Coronado spring sports teams was Boys Lacrosse, which won their first CIF title this season. Of the 22 players nominated for First and Second Team All-CIF honors, seven played on the Islanders title team. First Team All-CIF honors went to San Diego Section Player of the Year Bobby Braun, as well as Jonny Poe, Kodie Englehart, and Jackson Cusick. Second Team honors went to Daniel Nevitt, Sean O’Brien and Eddie Vita.

Coronado Head Coach Alex Cade was named Coach of the Year.

CHS Girls Lacrosse placed Melissa Humphrey and Coco O’Brien on the All-CIF First Team, with Michaela Guerrera and Jillian Reidy being named to the All-CIF Second Team.

CHS swimmer Andrew Ireland was named to the All-CIF First Team as the winner of the 200 freestyle at the CIF championships.

Laaperi Named CHS Boys Varsity Head Coach

CHS Athletic Director Robin Nixon last week announced the selection of Coronado alumnus J.D. Laaperi (CHS ’99) as the new head coach of the Islander Boys Varsity Basketball team. Laaperi served as the Head JV Coach and Varsity assistant for the past two seasons under Ken Caesar, who recently accepted the same position at Mater Dei High School in the South Bay. Last year Laaperi guided the JV to a fine record of 16-5.

Laaperi began his prep basketball career at St. Augustine before transferring to Coronado, where he played point guard for Head Coach Sandy Dillon for two seasons.

“I’m looking forward to the position,” said Laaperi. “And I’m looking forward to continuing the successful direction the program has taken the past two years.”

ISF’s Mary Humphrey Honored at Crown Awards Event

The good folks at Lamb’s Players Theater came up with the concept of an awards show that honors many of the non-profit organizations in the Coronado community. The concept was to honor the top volunteer from the participating organizations and the Islander Sports Foundation was honored to be part of the festivities for the first Coronado Crown Awards, which were held at the Lamb’s Players Theater Sunday.

Mary Humphrey was honored as the first recipient of the award from the ISF. Humphrey has been a tireless worker for the foundation as a whole and particularly for girls lacrosse. She has served as the secretary of the ISF Board of Directors for the past two years and the president of the Girls Lacrosse Booster Club for three years. In addition, Mary has been the volunteer coordinator for the July 4th 15-K Run/5K Run Walk for three years, which is the ISF’s largest annual fundraiser. More than 200 volunteers are required to run the event and Mary recruited, assigned and accounted for all of the workers for the race.

During her three years of service to the ISF Mary has brought competence, hard work and good humor to the many meetings and projects in which she has been involved. The ISF Board of Directors is proud to have had Mary as a member for the past several years and naming Mary Humphrey as our ‘Volunteer of the Year’ is a small ‘thank you’ for her efforts.

July 4th  15K Run, 5K Run/Walk Race Just Three Weeks Away

One of the better events in and around Coronado each year occurs on July 4th and that is the Independence Day 15K Run and 5K Run/Walk which is held at 7 am at Tidelands Park. The proceeds from the race benefit the sports teams at Coronado High School, Coronado Middle School and the Islander Sports Foundation.

The run is the largest annual fundraiser for the ISF and the teams at CHS supply more than 200 volunteers to make the race run smoothly. Last year there were nearly 2,500 runners and walkers in the event. Specifically the runners for the 15K take off at 7 am, while the runners and walkers in the 5K start at 7:10 am. Typically the total number of participants is pretty evenly split between the two events.

The heartiest race volunteers are the folks who show up at 5 am to take money and help with registration. After the initial wave of helpers arrives around 5 am, the volunteers come in shifts throughout the morning. The Girls Water Polo Team is the first to arrive on site, helping with setup throughout Tidelands Park. The last to leave is Boys Lacrosse as they have cleanup duty. In between, virtually every team at CHS is represented.

Race registration costs $27 until June 19th, is $31 until event day and increases to $35 on the day of the event. Registration fees for both the 15K and the 5K event are the same.

The primary sponsor of the event is the Unified Port District of San Diego, which owns and operates Tidelands Park. The Port is the presenting sponsor for the race and in exchange allows somewhere near 3,000 people to traipse through Tidelands for four or five hours on an annual basis. Thanks also go to the City of Coronado and the United States Navy for their assistance in making the event happen.

A varied cast of characters comes to Coronado for the July 4th Race. Participants include local families who have participated for years and the run has become a tradition for them. Many of the 15K runners are serious competitors who enter because the race course, which runs through the Naval Amphibious Base, is very flat and fast. Many of the 5K walkers are just there to experience July 4th in Coronado with a couple of thousand of their closest friends.

If you are interested in participating in either of the races, please register online at www.kathyloperevents.com or call 619-298-7400 for additional information.

Rogan and Perkins to Run Football Camp at CMS

A reminder that Coronado High School Alumni J.T. Rogan (CHS ’04) and Cote Perkins (CHS ’04) are combining to run the San Diego County Football Camp that will be held at Coronado Middle School June 29-30. Clinic times will be from 10 am to 2 pm and the enrollment fee will be $100. Kids aged 6-13 are eligible to attend the camp.

“You can be a first time player,” said Perkins of kids who plan to attend the camp. “No experience is necessary.” Players attending the camp should wear gym shorts and a t-shirt. Football cleats are not required, but can be worn. Athletic shoes are required.

The camp will be run by collegiate players and coaches, Pop Warner Alumni and USD athletes. A portion of the proceeds will go toward both the Levi Lozano Scholarship Fund and to the Coronado Pop Warner Football program.

For additional information, please contact either Rogan at 619-549-7990 or Perkins at 435-647-6560. The camp is sponsored by Blumenthal Insurance Services of Coronado.

CHS Volleyball Camp Information

For aspiring volleyball players who want to improve their game, CHS Girls Varsity Head Coach Leilani Au Hoon is running a series of camps for girls of various ages over the summer. From June 26-28 there will be a camp for fourth through eighth grade girls, which will run from 5-7 pm on June 26 and from 9-11 am Saturday and Sunday. On the same dates, a high school camp will be held for incoming freshmen through rising seniors. The Friday session is from 7-9 pm and the Saturday/Sunday sessions will run from 11 am to 1 pm. Cost for either of the three-day camps is $70.

The same format holds for the next round of camps from July 24-26. All of the times and details are the same as the earlier session.

The next round of volleyball camps will be held from August 10-12,, with the fourth through eighth grade girls working from 4-6 pm and the high school aged players working from 6-8 pm. This camp costs $80 for either session, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Coronado Girls Volleyball program.

In addition to the camps listed above, there will be open gym sessions available to any girls who are interested in playing for the CHS program this coming year. No experience is required. The open gyms will be held July 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 from 6-8 pm. There will be conditioning sessions on Tuesday mornings on July 7, 14 and 21 at the CHS Gym. 

For more information, or to enroll in one of the camp sessions, please contact Coach Au Hoon at hulaomanini@hotmail.com.