Fall SportsWrap

Dan Hu ‘11, Assistant to Athletic Director Rich Mazzola, wrapped the season with this:

Here Comes the…..BOOOM!!!

The junior boys lead the chants in Voit Gymnasium, cheering on the ever great-to-watch girls volleyball team. It’s packed, and more people are filing in, crowding the mezzanine deck for birds-eye views. These girls comprise what might just be the most exciting volleyball team in the entire Ojai Valley, and their nearly undefeated record is an excellent indicator of just how much fun they have. Certainly, this is one of the most talented teams assembled in recent history. Their technique is flawless, their passion is unbelievable, and whenever one of these girls makes a miraculous dive and just manages to save the ball from slamming into the floor, or one teammate sets up another for a powerful spike—you can feel the electricity in the building. You can also feel it on the football field, when you witness the players’ trust and smarts mix with raw strength, speed, and desire. They fight and scrap for each inch, they play suffocating defense, and they are fueled by pure aggressiveness—always seeking to gain yardage on fourth down, or opting for an on-side kick. Holding your breath and watching them weave through intricate defenses, and waiting to see if they can shoot through the mass of people is an incredible sight. Likewise, the cross country team is an equally impressive beast that demands their share or respect. Gasping for air, thundering down perimeter road towards the stables, these elite runners can punish themselves and withstand cramps, nausea, and severe oxygen deficiency. And when they dart past you, and the wind that trails them smacks you—you can appreciate their mental toughness and disciplined training approach. The year’s opening athletic season allowed us to appreciate the leaps and bounds (literal and metaphorica) that athletes can make with hard work, dedication, and attention to detail. All sports teams, boys and girls, achieved success, and all varsity teams reached the playoffs—a great start to the 2010-2011 school year.

Winter season is settling in, now, like the fog that glides over the valley in the dewy mornings. Voit Gymnasium, built solely for the amplification of athletic achievement, will still be ringing with chants, but this time, for basketball season. Those football cleats have been traded for soccer cleats; goals have been hoisted up on the Upper, Lower, and New Fields. A new season has begun, and new memories are being made on court and pitch.

Boys Cross Country

Coaches: Fred Coleman, Mike McGowan, Sarah DelVecchio

Captain: Will Callan ‘11

League Record: 3-0-0

Season Record: Brentwood Invitational – 2nd place

Most Valuable Runner & Most Inspirational Runner: Will Callan

Most Improved Runner: (Novice): Shravan Rajasekaran ‘13

Most Improved Runner: (Veteran): Justin Myles ‘13

Most Inspirational Runner: Will Callan

Captains for 2011 Season: Andrew Atwong and Ian Bearden.

CIF: 6th place, California State Championships, Division V

Season highlights:

Although many runners logged substantial miles during the crucial summer training period, and six boys qualified for early camp, the quality of this team came as a surprise because of the loss of six of the top eight from last year’s great team. Our first significant test came at the Brentwood Invitational where the boys placed second in a strong field of eighteen teams, just three points behind a good Division IV team. Outstanding senior Will Callan placed 3rd in the race.

Just four days later we traveled to Cate for the first of three Condor League meets. The boys dominated to establish themselves as the team to beat. Then off to Midland for the second meet where the boys repeated their earlier performance and solidified their position as odds-on favorite to win the Championship.

Following two weeks of uninterrupted training the varsity runners (our top seven) were the 8th best Division 5 team (winning their race) at the famous Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) Invitational (the largest cross country invitational in the land). They gained valuable experience on the course that is the site of both the Southern Section Prelims and Finals.

On 3 November at Ojai Valley School the boys secured their fourth consecutive Condor League Championship with a dominating performance in very difficult conditions: 95 degrees and extreme hills.

Then on to the post-season: At the Southern Section Prelims, the boys ran extraordinarily well, placing 3rd in the strongest heat. This qualified them for the sectional finals where the following Saturday the boys ran true to form, placing 6th in the Section and earning an invitation to Fresno for the fourth consecutive year. In the section finals Will Callan finished 2nd, just ten seconds behind the St. Margaret’s runner favored to win the State Championship (which he did). At the State meet at the end of November, Will finished a strong 4th and the boys placed 6th as a team. Since they had been ranked 8thgoing into the State Meet, a final ranking of 6th was truly a remarkable achievement, and the result of superb individual performances.

Girls Cross Country

Coaches: Fred Coleman, Mike McGowan, Sarah DelVecchio

Captain: Lili Pike ‘11

League Record: 3-0-0

Season Record: Brentwood Invitational – 1st Place.

Most Valuable Runner: Melanie Reimer ‘13

Most Improved Runner: (Novice): Emma Whitley ‘13

Most Improved Runner: (Veteran): Hutton Becker ‘13

Most Inspirational Runner: Lili Pike

Captains for 2011 Season: Melanie Reimer and Jasmynn Roman ‘13

CIF: 9th Place, California Championships, Division V

Season highlights:

Our girls logged many more miles during the crucial summer training period than ever before, and all of that work paid big dividends! Five girls qualified for early camp and returned for the rigorous pre-season workouts. Our first significant test came at the Brentwood Invitational where the girls dominated a field of eighteen teams, winning both team and individual honors (new sophomore Melanie Reimer won the race).

Four days later we traveled to Cate, took the first of three Condor League meets, and then repeated that result in the second League meet at Midland, just a week later.

Following two weeks of uninterrupted training our top seven varsity runners placed 2nd in their race at the famous Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) Invitational (the largest cross country invitational in the land). They gained valuable experience on the course that is the site of the Southern Section Prelims and the Finals.

On Novembder 3 at Ojai Valley School the girls secured the Condor League Championship with a dominating performance in very difficult conditions – 95 degrees and extreme hills.

Then on to the post-season: At the Southern Section Prelims, the girls (sadly, without injured/ill #5 Elena McGahey ’13 and #6 Nan Macmillan ‘13), ran extraordinarily well, placing 2nd in their heat, and posting a cumulative time of 105 minutes, 32 seconds. This qualified them for the sectional finals where, the following Saturday, the girls ran true to form, placing 5th in the Southern Section and earning an invitation to the State Championships in Fresno. On 27 November the girls finished 9th and Melanie Reimer 13th in the State meet.

Dance

Teacher/Choreographer: Gallia Vickery

Most Inspirational Dancers: Valorie Denton-Moore ’11, Tabitha Sullivan-Wallace ‘12

Most Improved Dancer: Leigh Thomas ‘13

One of our largest groups ever in fall Dance, these twenty young women—who ranged from seasoned Dance Ensemble members to first-time-in-the-dance-studio participants—gained strength and flexibility while learning proper alignment and techniques for numerous jumps and turns in ballet and modern dance. We ended the term with a special guest teacher for a hip-hop class enjoyed by all.

Varsity Football

Coaches: Jeff Hooper, Aaron Snyder, Bill Omansiek, Tony Franco

Captains: Jake Gannon ‘11, Chris Colson ‘11

League Record: 2-1

Season Record: 5-4

Most Valuable Player: Jake Gannon

Most Improved Players: Marco Hernandez ’11, Jack Sligh ‘11

Most Inspirational Player: Chris Colson

Season highlights: The season saw much improvement as the only two returning players with substantial varsity experience (Jake Gannon and Kyle Montes) were playing new positions. We had an unusually high level of varsity participation by younger players, who matured and improved dramatically. The team finished second in the Condor League after losing their final game of the regular season to Cate, and then went on to beat a strong Lancaster Baptist team 50-13 on Family Weekend. In the first round of CIF playoffs, Thacher won on the road at West Shores (Salton City) 66-20, but lost in the quarterfinals to Faith Baptist, 50-12. Gritty leadership by Colson and Gannon helped shape the team’s identity.

JV Football

Coaches: Bill Omansiek, Tony Franco, Jeff Hooper, Aaron Snyder

Captain: rotated among the sophomores

League Record: 2-1

Season Record: 4-2

Most Valuable Player: Noah Bohnett ‘14

Most Improved Player: Tristan Hanley ‘14

Most Inspirational Player: Jack Weil ‘13

Most fun to watch play offense: Noah Bohnett ‘14

Most fun to watch play defense: Kyrien Edwards ‘13

Best Blocker: Theo Richardson-Omamo ‘13

Grittiest Players: Kyrien Edwards & Noah Bohnett

Season highlights:

We had lots of young players on the jv squad this year, many of whom had never played before. Some kids played out of position or switched positions entirely. Yet somehow this mix of kids was able to put together a successful season through their hard work and fortitude. Highlights included:

•Kyrien Edwards, Noah Bohnett, and Cody Renfrew ’13 laying many big hits on opposing players who were and were not ready for such collisions.

•Bradley Callander ’13 intercepting a ball right before half-time against Faith Baptist, and scoring a touchdown after running about 50 yards as time expired, putting the first points of the game on the board.

•Playing our very first game in the rain at Santa Clarita Christian. We were missing our starting QB, had a center playing for the first time, had Parker Dawson ’13 playing TE for the first time ever, and had many freshmen play lots of minutes with only three practices under their belts. On the last offensive drive of the game, we moved the ball almost the full length of the field; the clock ran out with our being a mere three yards from scoring our first touchdown of the game.

•Witnessing many freshmen make their first tackle ever, especially Nick Barrack.

•Watching David Chao ’14 and Reed Gulick-Stutz ’14 play noseguard on defense against boys nearly twice their size—and having success.

•David Chao’s always asking who he should “bash” into when playing either offense of defense.

•Seeing Cody Renfrew block as a Full Back – he has a simply beautiful understanding of how to do the job.

•Watching Theo Richardson-Omamo ’13 rumble down the field for 30 or more yards to score a touchdown, a beautifully thrown pass by Noah Bohnett (whether it was caught or not), or the win “for the parents” on Fall Family Weekend. What a special treat!

Rock Climbing

Instructors: Brian Pidduck, Bo Manson

Most Improved Climber: Liam Driscoll

We started the term bouldering out at the Gymkhana Field and learning the critical knots (figure-eight follow-through, bowline and butterfly knot) and, on the lawn in front of Camp Supply, learning belay technique. Once we had solidified these skills, we moved onto using the ropes on Y-Crack and Banjo Cave in our “backyard.” On Wednesday afternoons we ventured to nearby Foothill Crag. Our initial objective was to put our skills to the test on certain climbs, but often we found ourselves enjoying the simplicity and beauty of our surroundings.

We took three weekend camping trips: two to the east side of the Sierra Nevada, near Mammoth Lakes, and one to Joshua Tree National Park. Near Mammoth, we climbed at Clark Canyon, at Horseshoe Lake, as well as the infamous Bachar Boulders.

In Joshua Tree we climbed such features as King Dome, Hall of Horrors, Islands in the Sky and Star Wars Tower. We also climbed on Echo Rock, more specifically Stick to What and Heart and Sole.

Closer to home, we bouldered regularly at the Gymkhana Field. The stand-out climb of the season was Liam Driscoll’s ascent of the Jameson Plaque Route, which has been a test piece for Thacher climbers for many years.

Girls Varsity Tennis

Coach: Pete Fagan

Captains: Mouna Lawrence ‘11, Jo Min ‘11

League Record: 3-3

Season Record: 7-6

Most Valuable Player: Lauren Butler ‘12

Most Improved Player: Lisea Lark ‘12

Coach’s Award: Jo Min

Season highlights:

This fall, the varsity girls tennis team capped a successful campaign with their first post-season bid since 2008. With an overall record of 8-7, the team finished tied for second in the Condor League. Thanks to the luck of a coin-toss, though, we qualified for the CIF playoffs. Overall, the season was a success in many ways. We had our first ever pre-season camp in which eight excited and enthusiastic girls showed up a week before school and worked on different aspects of their game. We did conditioning and focused on match play before we all went off camping. At the start of school, we had a good week of practices before facing Hueneme High School for our first match. With a 13-5 victory to start us off, we were on our way. Some of our highlights include a hard fought victory over Laguna Blanca at home. It came down to a 3rd round singles match in which freshman Shelley Vohr sealed the victory with a 7-5 triumph. Another notable feat came from the doubles team of Lauren Butler ’12 and Katherine Krey ‘12, who swept all three doubles matches against Cate. We bid farewell to four seniors, Captains Mouna Lawrence and Jo Min, along with Christina Hartman and Jina Yun. All four girls have been multiyear varsity players and we are sad to see them go. Next year, with the addition of freshman players Auden Erhinger and Shelley Vohr and returning seniors and Co-captains-elect Katherine Krey and Lauren Butler, the squad will be one to watch.

JV Girls Tennis

Coach: Jason Carney

Captains: Cynthia Santos ‘11, Rae Murphy ‘11

Season Record: 1-1

Most Valuable Player: the whole team

Most Improved Player: the whole team

Season highlights:

With over half of the members of this year’s squad being freshmen, whose hands were busy juggling both horses’ reins and tennis racquets during their afternoons this fall, the season’s focus was on learning the sport, improving as players, and simply enjoying time together on the courts. In embracing these objectives, the girls had a wonderful season. Captains Cyntia Santos and Rae Murphy raved, “We had a great season, with themed practices on Fridays and general mayhem every other day…We practiced diligently and had a lot of laughs, no matter the score. In short, what this year's JV girls' tennis team lacked in skill, they definitely made up in spirit.”

Varsity Volleyball

Coach: Jason Burt

Captains: Mackenzie Boss ‘11, Sarah Hancock ‘12

Overall record: 17-4

Condor League record: 6-3

League finish: 2nd

Most Valuable Player: Mackenize Boss

Most Improved Players: Ellie Hancock ‘13, Anouk Ackerman ‘12

Most Inspirational Player: Sarah Hancock

Best Offensive Player: Sarah Hancock

Best Defensive Player: Maddie McMorrow ‘13

Best Volleyball Dive: Paige Bowie ‘12

Best Volleyball Dive (If you're supposed to land on your chin): Anouk Ackerman

Most Likely to be mistaken for Remy Fisher CdeP 2010: Sarah Hancock

Most Likely to break out into a dance for no reason: Emma Patterson

Season Review:

In 2009, our Varsity Volleyball Team started the season with a group of new players and unsure expectations. What a difference a year makes! The success of our returning players from the 2009 campaign carried over and paved the way for a fantastic 2010 season.

The first challenge that we faced was in terms of how we would handle a completely different team expectation. In 2009, we were very young and our primary focus was on building a competitive team. In 2010, we had our sights set on taking our game to the next level. Its one thing to surprise teams and exceed expectations when playing without any pressure... but when the team philosophy changes from "We can..." to "We should..." it can create some self-imposed pressures.

The girls quickly answered this question with our first competition of the year. After a week's worth of practices, we entered the ten team Santa Paula Varsity Volleyball Tournament. The tournament included some very large schools including: Pacifica, Malibu, Channel Islands, and Nordhoff, Ojai's big local public school. We were the smallest school at the tournament and were seeded to finish 4th place in our pool. Our first game was against Pacifica, a school with more than 2,000 students. We definitely showed some early season mistakes but managed to split games with them 1-1. We then faced a very tough and balanced Malibu High. We responded to the challenge, played more consistently, and managed to split our games with Malibu too. This was a big confidence building game. We realized that we could compete with anyone. We swept our next two opponents (Rosamond and Santa Paula) to finish our pool play. We took 1st Place in our pool and earned the # 2 seed in the Championship Bracket.

We had been clicking and had a lot of momentum. It seemed like we had a bit of bad luck with the playoff draw but little did we know the ride we were about to go on. We opened with a Quarterfinals rematch victory over host Santa Paula and that set-up yet another rematch in the Semifinals with Pacifica. We started the game a bit hesitant but started scoring points in bunches and won the game 25-19. This win vaulted us into the Champioship Final with Bishop Diego, a Santa Barbara school. The girls had every reason not to play well in this game: It was our 11th game of the day, we had only had about a week's worth of practices, we had never advanced to a tournament final before, Bishop had gone undefeated all day long, etc... Despite being the obvious underdog, it was in this game that the girls decided to play their very, very best.

During the USC Football dynasty a few years back, they had a saying- "Leave No Doubt." In this game, right from the very first serve... we left no doubt. We came out firing on all cylinders. We beat the # 1 seed 25-17; playing with our Mind, Heart, and Soul. We had won Thacher's first ever Varsity Volleyball Tournament Championship!

The tournament win immediately placed us in the CIF Top Ten. We started at # 9 and reached as high as # 8 throughout the season.

We went undefeated throughout our non-league schedule. Some of the teams that we beat included: Fillmore, Santa Clara, and Providence. During league play, our highlights included a fantastic come-from-behind, five-game victory over rival Cate, we swept our season series with both Cornerstone and Dunn, and had two hard fought, four-game losses to # 2 ranked Laguna. We finished # 2 in the Condor League and entered the CIF Playoffs.

We had a strange draw and despite being ranked all year, we opened at home against St. Monica's. They were the current # 8 team in CIF and were also the CIF's Preseason # 1 ranked team. Despite St. Monica's impressive resume, we played our best match of the year and beat them 3-0 in front of a roaring great crowd. Our reward for the victory put us on the road to play # 5 Viewpoint. Our girls fought hard but came up short, putting an end to our amazing year. The girls had nothing to be upset about, though, as they finished the year with a record of 17-4 and put together perhaps the best season in Thacher volleyball history.

JV Volleyball

Coaches: Chris Vyhnal, Liz Witmer

Captains: Maggie Miller ‘11, Alice Hyde ‘12

League Record: 9-2

Season Record: 11-3

Seniors: Maggie Miller

MVP: Alice Hyde, Gracie Farese ‘13

MIP: Isobel Hayne ‘14, Ciara Byrne ‘14

Most Inspirational Player: Kallie O’Connor ‘13

Season highlights:

•an 11-3 record overall, with a 9-2 record in league play (both are JV best records over the last 10 years, and perhaps longer)

•4 for 4 in deciding 3rd games

•a season sweep over rival Cate for the second consecutive year

•our best game in a narrow loss to perennial powerhouse Laguna Blanca

This was our youngest and most talented JV Volleyball team at Thacher over the last decade—13 girls, including 8 freshmen, most of whom saw significant playing time). We stayed healthy and injury-free all-season long, which was a major contributor to the team’s phenomenal success. I didn’t know what to expect when we started the season with only five veterans—but they were strong players with considerable game experience, and the freshmen soon proved to be experienced, enthusiastic and game-ready even on minimal practice. This group should provide a strong foundation to build on the varsity squad’s success this year. (Freshman setter Annie Beckham, junior setter Alice Hyde and junior outside hitter Helen Brown were promoted to the varsity roster for CIF playoffs.)

Stand-out players included: Alice Hyde, Annie Beckham, and Lexie Kirkwood ’14 at setter; Maggie Miller, Helen Brown and Isobel Hayne at outside hitter; Gracie Farese, Kallie O’Connor and Ciara Byrne at middle blocker; and Susanna Renfrew in the back row passing. With lots of seasoned, returning starters from a varsity squad that knocked-off a top 10 team in the first round of the CIF playoffs this season and a handful of young, talented players moving-up from the JV squad, the future of Thacher volleyball looks very bright indeed.

Instructor: Cathy Bautista

The fall senior yoga class is comprised of a vigorous yoga practice on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, and a restful practice on Fridays. Wednesdays are for "specials"—a variety of practices linked to self-care and/or related to yoga. We have gone to an organic farm for a tour, learned about Ayurveda, done silent walking (up Horn Canyon), sitting meditations, and partner and office/ chair yoga. We also held a "sun salutation marathon" that left most of us sore the next day. The purpose was to challenge ourselves, sweat and also to practice stopping when our bodies tell us to.