The Justin-Siena varsity girls and boys swim teams finished their Vine Valley Athletic League regular seasons in March.
Against Napa on March 22 at Napa Valley College, where the Grizzlies were the home team, Justin-Siena’s boys won 90-80 and its girls fell 107-65. Two days later, at Vintage, the girls fell 96-84 and boys lost 112-66.
On March 29, American Canyon’s girls beat the Braves 90-80 and its boys rolled 109-58. But the Justin JV girls won 71-46.
“Between the (Napa and Vintage) meets, we changed up our usual swimmer lineup to different events with great results,” Justin-Siena head coach Monica Linn said. “Versus Vintage, junior Lucas Padowan brought a strong sprint game to the 50 free, 100 free and two relays, veering away from his usual backstroke event. The same day, senior Carlie Fiorito flexed into two ‘A’ team relays and two individual events — all within the front half of the meet — for top finishes in all events.
People are also reading…
“The meet against Napa High was big energy on the boys side. Our fastest boys and their fastest boys share swim life outside of high school and that dynamic brought bragging rights with the win for Napa's boys. The best race of the meet by far was the 100 breaststroke.”
That race saw Braves junior Matthew Tapia take first place at 1:06.66, followed by Napa High senior Mario Deianni (1:06.87) and sophomore Noah Hattori (1:07.03) and Justin-Siena freshman Jacob Imhoff (1:07.19).
“Photo finishes for sure,” Linn said.
For the Justin-Siena girls, junior Lila Heffernan broke the only school record she hadn’t already, in the 100 backstroke, with a time of 58.68. The 100 breaststroke was also an event to watch, as Napa High senior Quincy Frommelt out-touched Braves junior Liliana Wigington by 95 hundredths of a second.
Justin’s JV girls beat Napa, 94-26, Vintage, 91-62, and American Canyon, 71-46, to finish undefeated for the season.
“We have a great group filtering into varsity next season as our five senior girls graduate,” Linn said. “Watch for (current sophomores) Samantha Wahle, Lydia Heil, Megyn Dougherty and June Kelly to all make it. (Sophomore) Madyson Carson and (freshman) Valen Coleman are already testing the varsity water at some meets.”
American Canyon’s girls and boys won 129-51 and 96-84 at Vintage on March 8, respectively, 124-52 and 107-60 over visiting Napa on March 15, and 128-42 and 117-45 over visiting Petaluma on March 22. They also swept Casa Grande at the Justin meet.
Next up are the VVAL Championships April 27-29 at Vintage, where divers will compete on the first day.
Varsity Boys Golf
Justin-Siena 237, Sonoma Valley 243
The Braves went into their current 19-day break from competition with a 5-0 VVAL record after pulling out a hard-fought victory over the Dragons on March 30 at Sonoma Golf Club.
Justin-Siena was led by co-low medalists Charlie Keller and Jack Keller with 44s. Rounding out the Braves’ scores were Andrew Crist’s 48, Justin Mangelson’s 50, Bruno Freschi’s 51 and Logan Khoury’s 53.
“The conditions have been very difficult,” Justin-Siena head coach Ray Graziani said. “We have had to play in very wet and cold conditions this year. In these conditions, the game becomes as much a mental exercise as a physical one. The boys have kept great attitudes throughout, and this has helped them come away with the wins.”
Justin-Siena’s next match is at 3:30 p.m. April 18 against Casa Grande at Rooster Run Golf Club in Petaluma.
Varsity Badminton
Vintage starts 7-0 in VVAL
The Crushers won four more VVAL matches to close out March with a 7-0 league record. They will end their 11-day break from competition when they host Napa at 4 p.m. Tuesday in the second Big Game of the season.
Vintage won the first Big Game, 12-3, over the visiting Grizzlies on March 21.
Sweeping the boys singles were Sam Loomis over Henry Miller, 21-11, 21-18, Collin Durfee over Michael Munoz, 21-10, 21-12, Tylen Carrasco over Tyler Lewis, 21-7, 21-4, and Tyler Hansen over Collin Theunissen, 21-19, 21-8.
Napa won the first three girls singles matches. It was Heidi Gadasy over Akhila Donthi, 21-9, 21-12, Augie Rodriguez over Lily Busby, 21-13, 21-15, and Alina Ceja Delgado, 21-15, 21-8. The Grizzlies nearly swept the division, but Vintage’s Briana Hurtado prevailed over Alexa Briseno, 21-15, 14-21, 21-15, at No. 4.
In boys doubles, Loomis and Durfee beat Miller and Theunissen, 21-10, 21-19, and Vintage’s Bruno Ledesma and Quentin Jericko won 21-4, 21-3.
The Crushers got girls doubles wins from Colette St. Aubin and Donthi over Ceja Delgado and Briseno, 21-16, 21-10, and from Molly Merkner and Victoria Hernandez over Ellie Vance and Angelica Arredondo-Zepeda, 21-13, 19-21, 21-15.
In mixed doubles, Ledesma and St. Aubin beat Gadasy and Munoz, 21-10, 21-14, Aina Akuboshi and Carrasco downed Rodriguez and her partner, 21-15, 21-19, and Busby and Adrien Hoxey won 21-12, 21-15.
Two days later, the Crushers blanked Casa Grande 15-0 in Petaluma.
In boys singles, it was Loomis over Jaxon Schulz, 21-11, 21-6, Durfee over Alex Lopez Cisneros, 21-3, 21-4, Jericko over Tan Lopez, 21-1, 21-8, and Carrasco over Bryant Flores, 21-12, 21-3.
In girls singles, Donthi beat Caitlin Howard, 21-4, 21-3, Allyson Crowley downed Joslyn Pacheco, 21-5, 21-3, Hurtado defeated Jackie Maycha Mendez, 21-7, 21-7, and Akuboshi downed Sophia Dunaway, 21-11, 21-4.
Loomis and Durfee won in doubles over Lopez and Flores, 21-3, 21-5. The No. 2 boys match was forfeited.
In girls doubles, St. Aubin and Donthi beat Ellie Molina and Howard, 21-1, 21-1, and Merkner and Hernandez won 21-8, 21-11.
In mixed doubles, Ledesma and St. Aubin beat Schulz and Dunaway, 21-7, 21-8, and Akuboshi and Carrasco took care of Pacheco and Ian Lopez, 21-5, 21-8.
The Crushers traveled to American Canyon on March 28 and swept the boys singles and doubles in a 10-5 win over the Wolves.
In boys singles, it was Loomis over Owen Adderley, 17-21, 21-12, 21-16, Durfee over Alan Osorio, 21-12, 21-12, Carrasco over Andrew Silmaro, 21-10, 21-8, and Hansen over Andrew Buenaventura, 21-17, 21-6.
In girls singles, No. 1 Crowley came back to down Katelyn Spake, 22-24, 21-16, 21-3, and No. 4 St. Aubin beat Cadence Badua, 21-17, 21-13. American Canyon won the middle matches, as Natalie Vega put away Hurtado, 21-13, 21-9, and Elizabeth Glenn outlasted Akuboshi, 21-17, 21-16.
In boys doubles, Loomis and Durfee swept Buenaventura and Osorio, 21-16, 21-12, and Ledesma and Jericko beat Mark Alviz and James Reynaldo, 21-14, 21-11.
American Canyon swept the girls doubles as Spake and Glenn cruised past Merkner and Hernandez, 21-6, 21-11, and Maya Quidit and Meghan Dang downed Juliet D’Adamo and Gabriela Zepeda, 21-12, 21-3.
In mixed doubles, Ledesma and St. Aubin outlasted Adderley and Vega, 21-16, 18-21, 21-13 at No. 1, and Jericko and Crowley rolled past Tashanda Corpus and Alviz. 21-11. 21-16. At No. 2, the Wolves’ Silmaro and Badua won 21-9, 21-11.
The teams met again March 31 at Vintage, where the Crushers won 9-6 despite missing Durfee.
They split in boys doubles, where No. 1 Loomis beat Adderley, 21-10, 23-21 and No. 2 Carrasco beat Silmaro, 21-15, 21-7. But Buenaventura beat Hoxey 21-18, 21-14 at No. 3 and Mathew Moulder topped Cooper Capitani, 21-9, 21-12.
The Wolves also won the first three girls singles matches, as Vega beat Crowley, 21-9, 21-17, Badua downed Hurtado, 21-15, 21-13, and Quidit beat Akuboshi, 21-14, 21-7. St. Aubin denied the sweep by squeaking past Sophia Ortiz 13-21, 21-19, 24-22 at No. 4.
In boys doubles, Ledesma and Hoxey outlasted Buenaventura and Nolan Saclaw, 16-21, 22-20, 21-17 in a marathon at No. 1, and Loomis and Daniel Fernandez swept Alviz and Reynaldo, 21-11, 21-19.
Quidit and Dang downed D’Adamo and Zepeda at No. 1 girls doubles, 21-7, 21-11. But Vintage’s Hurtado and Miros De Reza answered with a 21-19, 21-19 win over Lela Bertumen and Allysah Pageu.
The Crushers clinched it with a sweep in mixed doubles. Ledesma and St. Aubin beat Adderley and Satake, 21-13, 21-7, Akuboshi and Carrasco beat Silmaro and Badua, 21-18, 21-15, and Fernandez and Crowley overcame Dang and Alviz, 22-20, 15-21, 21-18.