Issue 8 Extended Sports Beats
Courtesy Photo/Cimon Yiannikos
Baseball
By Ben Brekke, Staff Writer
// Following an extraordinary regular season, the Acalanes baseball team (22-3 overall, 7-3 league) is looking to make a deep run in the postseason.
After a strong beginning to the regular season, the Dons continued their winning streak into league play.
On April 9, the Dons matched up against the Northgate Broncos. After a competitive start, the Dons pulled away, winning 9-3.
Just two days later, the Dons would play Northgate once again. Similar to the first matchup, the Broncos stood no chance, letting up nine runs to the Dons while only scoring one of their own.
The next week, on April 16, the Dons faced their toughest opponent yet, the College Park Falcons. While the Falcons got out to an early lead, the Dons came storming back, taking the win 4-3.
On April 18, the two teams would meet yet again. While the Dons put up a solid effort, after 17 wins in a row, they fell short, losing 5-1 to the Falcons.
A week later, on April 23, the Dons played the Benicia Panthers. Once again, the Dons suffered a well-fought loss, putting up one run to the Panthers’ eight.
While the team was somewhat distraught at their recent performance, they looked towards hard work and positive culture to get back in the win column.
“We have had a really positive team culture, and I think that has had a really positive outcome. We were starting to deal with some adversity, and it was important that we continued to work hard at that time,” senior Aiden Yates said.
The positive mindset of the team led to a swift rebound for the Dons. On April 25, they played Benicia once again, taking care of business and winning the game 2-1.
In their final series of the season, the Dons took on the rival Campolindo Cougars.It was a hard-fought game, but ultimately the Cougars won the game by one run, 8-7.
Overall, this season has been spectacular for the baseball team. While several seniors will be leaving the team at the end of the year, many hope that the younger members of the team will continue this success in the future.
“Obviously, we have a lot of seniors on this team in the starting lineup, but I think that the underclassmen on this team are ready to step up when their time comes,” senior Benji O'Rourke said.
Courtesy Photo/Kylah Fox
Beach Volleyball
By Cameron Thornton, Print Sports Editor
// The Acalanes beach volleyball team (4-2 overall) has experienced great success this season with a new coach and strong team chemistry.
The team’s new head coach, Nicole Kuhnle, has dedicated her time to giving the players an introduction to the sport as well as a positive environment to progress their game.
“Half of the girls were new to beach [volleyball], so for them the goal was getting them acclimated to the sand, teaching them the rules, basically facilitating a safe space for the girls to learn, grow, and be challenged,” Kuhnle said.
One of the most pressing struggles the team has faced this season has been finding a convenient practice venue. Acalanes does not have beach volleyball courts, thus the team practices were held at Heather Farms in Walnut Creek.
“Right now it is a little tricky, [the players] get out of school and they have to fight through traffic to get to the court and then we have 18 girls on one court… The biggest struggle [has been] structuring practice to where they’re getting a lot of repetition so they can improve and learn,” Kuhnle said.
Although beach volleyball and indoor volleyball are very different, many indoor volleyball athletes take the opportunity to improve their skills by participating on the beach volleyball team.
“My goal for the [beach volleyball] season is to use the court time and coaching to my advantage to be able to work towards the best indoor [volleyball] season yet,” junior Emma Seelenbacher said.
Throughout their successful season, the team has not only been improving their skills on the court, but have learned life lessons that can serve them off of the court as well.
“We talk a lot about how the most successful people in the world have made the most mistakes, so if you don’t allow yourself to make mistakes you’re not really showing up and trying your absolute best because you’re holding back out of fear of making mistakes...I’m trying to teach them to own their mistakes and not put things on other people, and advocate for themselves and just have open conversations that will lead them to better relationships [and] better sportsmanship,” Kuhnle said.
Competitive Stunt Cheer
By Taylor Daggs, Staff Writer
// As the curtains close on another successful season, the acalanes Competitive Stunt Cheer (CSC) team reflects on their journey, filled with growth and spirited performances. With a mix of new members and longtimers, the team navigated through many challenges, leaving an indelible mark on the competitive cheer landscape.
Many team members made the transition from sideline cheer to competitive cheer.
"It was a big adjustment. We shifted focus from dances to stunts, and from cheering on the sidelines to competing head-to-head. It's a whole new ball game, but one we embraced wholeheartedly," junior Heloisa Mateus said.
Many credited the coaches for their unwavering support and contributed to their progress in routines and interpersonal bonds.
"We doubled the number of routines by season's end and grew closer as a team across all grade levels," Mateus said.
For senior leader Grace Chehlaoui, the adjustment held its own set of challenges, by the changes in coaching styles. Despite initial struggles, Chehlaoui also noted the team's remarkable growth in skills and camaraderie.
"Transitioning from sideline to stunt was tough, especially with coaching changes. We've become a tight-knit group, hitting routines flawlessly and supporting each other every step of the way," Chehlaoui said.
Both Mateus and Chehlaoui echoed a sentiment of pride in their team's achievements, regardless of win-loss records.
"While our season's end score wasn't ideal, it's about the journey and progress we've made," Mateus said.
Coaches hold optimism for future seasons, citing lessons learned and areas for refinement.
"We faced hurdles in bonding and skill development early on. Their dedication and positivity have been exemplary. We'll assess our approach and aim to streamline our processes for even greater success," head coach Faith McLeod said.
Courtesy Photo/Randy Jones
Men’s Golf
By Jake Boselli, Staff Writer
// The Acalanes men’s golf team (5-3 overall, 5-3 league) continue their dominance, as they push towards the end of their season.
On March 25, the Dons faced off against Campolindo, in a matchup that could determine the league championship. Campolindo took the win, handing the Dons their first loss of the season.
“Unfortunately our team didn’t play well enough to beat Campolindo, luckily we play them later in the season,” senior Guo An Wang said.
On March 27, the Dons played another league match against the Miramonte Matadors. The Dons played very well and won the match, 211-196.
“We were all shooting very well, if we can continue to play like today, I can see us winning a lot of matches down the road,” Wang said.
The Dons continued their dominance as they took another key win away from Northgate on April 8, winning the match 195-216.
“The success we are having is all from the consistency the team is playing with right now. A huge part of golf is consistency and right now we are succeeding in that field,” senior Jackson Jones said.
On April 15, the Dons faced off against Miramonte in a match that did not go the way the Dons would have liked with the Dons having lost 210-196.
“Today was not our day, playing at Miramonte was also a little difficult just because we were not accustomed to their greens,” senior Nate Lyons said.
However, the Dons rebounded, and took another league factory against Northgate on April 16, winning the match 197-225.
“It was awesome to see the team bounce back after the loss to Miramonte, we needed to keep our heads high as this last stretch of the season is very important,” Jones said.
On April 17, the Dons went up against Campolindo in another key league matchup. The Dons lost the match 208-192.
“It was a tough loss, but we have to keep our heads high as we get closer to the playoffs. In the end our focus should be on NCS and nothing less,” Lyons said.
Despite a rough start to the beginning of their NCS tournament meaning they were not able to qualify for the playoffs, the team has a hopeful outlook for future seasons.
“Overall I really enjoyed the season, there were definitely ups and downs but I thought the team played well and I can't wait to see how the underclassmen play next season,” Jones said.
Courtesy Photo/Jim Malmquist
Men’s Lacrosse
By Henry Hagel, Staff Writer
// The Acalanes Men’s Lacrosse Team (3-12 overall, 2-5 league) played with determination, even though the season may not have gone to plan.
The Dons had an away stint to send them off to spring break, starting with a game at Casa Grande High School on March 23. After a tough game, the Dons came away with the 7-17 loss and a long drive home over the bridge. The Dons followed that up with a close game against their league rival, Clayton Valley, on March 26. However the Ugly Eagles came out on top 10-8.
After spring break, on April 9, the team shifted the momentum with a blowout win against Washington High School 19-2. With a handful of league games still left to play, this win kept the door open for the Dons to qualify for the postseason, and also put an end to the nine game losing streak that began the season.
“Our attitude has stayed positive through the whole season. We knew we were better than our record shows and just had to wait for things to click,” senior Marshall Anderson said.
The team was finding their stride as they went on to blow out their next opponent. This time it was against league rival Alhambra on April 11 and the Dons took a commanding 17-6 win.
“I think that after our first few losses everyone realized that success is not guaranteed. I think this made us practice way harder which I think has translated to our games in the past couple of weeks,” senior Ethan Pancoast said.
The Dons then hosted Piedmont on April 17. Piedmont got the better of Acalanes, with the Dons narrowly losing 7-9. Two days later, on April 19, the Dons lost to Las Lomas 9-11, pushing them out of playoff contention. With a main goal coming to a close, the team picked up new purposes for the end of the season.
“Our main goals at this point in the season is just finishing strong and helping the younger guys prepare to step into bigger roles next year,” Anderson said.
Acalanes was able to pick up one last win against College Park on April 23 with a final score of 9-4. However, the Dons went out on a lower note with a 2-11 loss to Miramonte on April 26, putting an end to their season.
However the win column is not the only thing that matters, the team took many important lessons away from this season.
“We knew this season was not going to be the same after we lost so many seniors last year, but I still loved every second of our practices, games, and team bondings. We have a lot of talented underclassmen and great coaches that are going to guide the program in the right direction,” Anderson said.
Blueprint Photo/Melina Nath
Women’s Lacrosse
By Melina Nath, Staff Writer
// The women’s lacrosse team (13-8 overall, 2-4 league) played an exciting season, ultimately rising to third in the Division II NCS rankings. Coaches and players alike reflected positively on the season, as this year marked the farthest the team has progressed in NCS since 2019.
The team celebrated their senior players before their game against Berkeley High School on April 16. During the ceremony, an announcer shared each senior’s favorite memory on the team as well as their plans for next year. The team scored early in the game, and eventually won a decisive 18-8 victory.
“The senior night festivities started with our reserved parking spots in the senior lot, and then we went into the locker room where it was decorated by the upperclassmen,” senior Ella Thomason said. “When we went on the field, every senior walked with their family and was celebrated by the crowd. My favorite part was hanging out with my teammates in the locker room, or walking with my parents and celebrating the time spent playing with my best friends.”
Following senior night, the team narrowly lost to Campolindo High School in overtime on April 19 with a final score of 6-7, and faced another defeat when playing Carondelet High School on April 22. The team’s final game of the regular season was against Miramonte High School, in which they lost 9-15.
The team entered NCS seeded fourth, and had a dominant victory against Petaluma High School with a score of 20-5. They advanced to the quarter finals and played an exciting game against the fifth-seeded team, Piedmont High School. Though Acalanes had an early lead, Piedmont tied the score in the third quarter. However, the team emerged victorious with a final score of 9-7. Following this match, players reflected on how to keep energy high throughout the course of the game.
“I think either we start out kind of flat and then start playing [well] in the second quarter for the rest of the game or we come out very strong and then by third quarter we slow down a bit, and that leads to the [opposing team] closing the gap,” senior Kelly Todhunter said. “I think [maintaining positive morale] is a lot about the tone and how we say stuff. [For example], if we get scored on, not being accusatory to whoever we think [we should be blaming]. It’s no one’s fault, because it’s a team sport, but just being very supportive and uplifting [is important], and not letting the little mistakes get to us.”
In the NCS semifinals, Acalanes played San Marin High School, the first-seeded team in the division. Though a hard-fought game, the team came up short 7-11.
“The San Marin girls were fast and strong and we had a hard time winning the draw. We definitely made some mistakes but we fought hard until the end especially since it was the seniors' last game. Addie Martin, our goalie, played amazing and was the reason the game was so close,” team captain and senior Grace Imrie said.
With the team’s success, the coaches have high hopes for the future of the lacrosse program, while also acknowledging the players who got them far in NCS this year.
“This is the furthest we have gone since I have been here in NCS, in terms of winning two games and making it to the [semi-finals]. [I] don’t want to discount that and that’s a big accomplishment for the team,” head coach Giles Imrie said. “The goal is always to try to win NCS. That is the number one goal coming into every season and we were right there this year. We did not finish it off that way, but it was within reach, so I do not think it is a stretch to put that out as the goal for future teams.”
Blueprint Photo/Haley Chelemedos
Softball
By Haley Chelemedos, Print Head of Layout and Print Managing Editor
// The Acalanes softball team (17-6 overall, 7-1 league) continues their dominant season and prepares for the postseason as the Diablo Athletic League (DAL) games close and the North Coast Section (NCS) playoffs begin.
The Dons had a five-game win streak from April 9 to April 18, beating tough opponents including Campolindo 19-8. Although they fell short against Monte Vista on April 22, the team rebounded quickly to beat opponent Northgate 6-5 on April 25 and Miramonte 11-0 on April 30th.
Players credit their resilience to the team’s bond and supportive environment.
“Throughout the season, we’ve gotten a lot more comfortable playing together and are able to trust another player to pick us up after a mistake and keep the team going…We have improved this season is by keeping the energy high throughout the game,” junior Emme Young said.
The team continued their season with consecutive wins against Pinole Valley 15-14 on May 1 and Berean Christian 17-10 on May 2. Although their opponents managed to score runs against the Dons, the team delivered wins with its powerful offensive performances.
“Most of our wins recently have come from a really strong offense. We just got 19 runs [against Concord], and then when we played Campo, I think we also had 19 runs,” Orman said.
On May 7, the Dons competed in their last league game against Las Lomas, securing the win with a score of 13-10. This win propelled the team to hold the co-champion DAL title with Northgate. The team aims to carry its momentum into the NCS playoffs.
“We're hoping to get at least a couple rounds into NCS because the past couple years, like, we've had a lot of promise, but fell short. We lost in the first round the past two years, but I think that we have a good chance of getting further this year because we're seeded higher than we have been in the past couple years,” junior Esa Orman said.
Courtesy Photo/Bill Gerhardt
Swimming
By Henry Hagel, Staff Writer
// The Acalanes swim team’s season has come to an end in a controversial fashion before they could understand the incident.
All Acalanes swimmers were denied entry into North Coast Section (NCS) playoffs by what has been classified as “late entries”. Acalanes swim coaches claim that it is due to the outdated technology that they still use to enter swimmers into meets, however NCS is holding firm on their decision, meaning no Acalanes swimmers will be competing in the playoffs.
The Dons were successful in their home meet on April 11 against Clayton Valley, with the women’s team winning 9 out of 16 events and the men’s team winning 10 out of 16 events. The team was firing on all cylinders at this point in the season.
“The season’s been great so far, we’ve done pretty good at every meet,” senior Will Dreyer said.
The Dons finished their regular season with a league meet against Los Lomas on April 16. The women’s swim team won 15 out of the 23 events, while the men’s took 3 of the 22 events.
The Dons worked hard in preparation for Diablo Athletic League (DAL) playoffs, in hopes of qualifying for NCS. The coaches attempted to fine tune as much as they could.
“The coaches have helped shape the team by being great leaders, and they make every practice and meet memorable,” Dreyer said.
Their hard work paid off, and eight swimmers, four men and four women, qualified for the NCS playoffs at the DAL meet. Although they will not be swimming at NCS, they were still honored with their qualification and a default last place in their respective events.
Although the season ended earlier than expected, it was still productive and beneficial to all on the team.
“The best part of swim team is definitely the social aspect. A lot of the people on the team don’t even like the swimming, they just like the community, so regardless of the result the season is still positive,” senior Toby Brock-Utne said.
Blueprint Photo/Tatum McElhattan
Men’s Tennis
By Gus McKinney, Staff Writer
// The Acalanes men’s tennis team (10-4) overall (7-3) league looks to take their momentum with them into the postseason.
On April 9, the Dons traveled to Pleasant Hill to face off against College Park. The Dons were dominant to say the least, crushing the Falcons 9-0. Later that week on April 11, they hosted cross town rival Campolindo in an anticipated match. The Dons kept it close, but Campolindo squeaked out a narrow 5-4 win.
The team is senior heavy, with some of the best players on the team playing in their last year.
“Ace Reeder has been great for us, I think he has the best record. Tucker Brewer has also been a standout player this year,” junior Sammy Foster said.
On April 16, the team found their way on the positive side of a close match, defeating Miramonte 5-4.
“I won my matchup against Miramonte which was tough because I lost the first set so I had to battle back,” Foster said.
The same day as the Miramonte match, the Dons skunked Las Lomas keeping them off the board with a final score of 9-0. They continued their dominance of Walnut Creek high schools against Northgate on April 23 at home. The Dons cruised to a 7-2 victory, solidifying second place in league.
“Northgate is always a competitive and evenly-matched rival. That was senior night and we wanted our seniors to go out on a winning note. We played with a lot of energy and focus, and we routed them 7-2. The boys were really free swinging that night,” head coach Rick O’Brien said.
The team had goals of first place, but they know that second place isn’t something to be ashamed of.
“The season has gone pretty well. Obviously I would have liked to be in first place, but after losing a lot of seniors and starting a lot of new guys I’m proud with second place,” senior Tucker Brewer said.
The team finished strong enough in the regular season to advance to the playoffs, and carried momentum with them. They defeated Sonoma in the first round, then stayed hot and knocked off Kick Wilmerding in the second round. Unfortunately for the Dons, the season ended when they faced off against University High School.
“We finished a respectable second and ended up the #4 seed in the NCS Team Championship. We made it to the semis and lost to the #1 seed who went on to win the tournament. I’m pleased with how the team performed this year,” O’Brien said.
Courtesy Photo/Alexandra Mathias
Track and Field
By Jacqueline Kuhner, Staff Writer
// Once again, the Acalanes track and field team (5-0 mens, 2-3 womens) is breaking records and continuing their success as they near the end of their season.
On March 20, the team competed against Northgate High School at Northgate with the men winning 79.5 to 56.5 and the women losing 64 to 72. On March 27, Acalanes faced Miramonte at home, defeating the Matadors 105 to 22 for the men and 81 to 41 for the women.
The Dons sent a few athletes to both the Stanford invitational on March 30 and to the Arcadia Invitational on April 5 and 6. In the Invitational portion of the meet, senior Trevor Rogers won the men’s long jump with a personal record of 24’4, senior Paul Kuhner placed seventh in the 100m, and senior Olivia Williams placed tenth in the 3200m.
Acalanes hosted its annual Bob Warren and Charlie Eaton Invitation meet on April 12-13, and 25 teams attended. Of those teams, the Dons’ men’s team placed first and the women’s team placed fourth. Then, on April 17, Acalanes faced their rivals, Campolindo High School in a dual meet. The men won 87-49 while the women lost 53-82.
The Acalanes men won the Diablo Athletic League (DAL) as the team beat every school in the league during their dual meets while also winning the DAL championship meet. The Acalanes women placed fifth in DAL.
The North Coast Section (NCS) Meet of Champion qualifiers for the men include seniors Kuhner, Rogers, Logan Farzan, Ace Reeder, Miles Clark, and sophomores Deonte Littlejohn, and Illias Kaplanes-Jones. The NCS qualifiers for the women include seniors Olivia Williams, Natalie Lyons, Megan Yee, juniors Haley Chelemedos, Dulci Vail, and sophomore Neve Murphy. The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) qualifiers included Rogers and Lyons.
While track is an individual sport, the team’s chemistry and bond is strong this year.
“Everybody gets along, all the grades are pretty well-mixed in our team, so personally, I think I know as many seniors as I do [frosh] on the team and I think that’s the same experience for everybody,” Lyons said.
The team feels a bond, even between different events.
“I think we have a much better bond with some of the sprinters and the different events than we have in the past and so it’s really fun to all be able to hang out as one team and not just in our own event groups,” Williams said.
For seniors like Williams, this season represents the last season of a high school sport.
“I’m really going to miss our team a lot. It went by so fast so I’m really glad that I was able to run for as long as I did at Acalanes,” Williams said.
Blueprint Photo/Audrey Martin
Men’s Volleyball
By Ben Brekke, Staff Writer
// After a solid regular season, the Acalanes men’s volleyball team (11-13 Overall, 5-5 in League) looks to make a solid post season run.
Coming back from spring break, the Dons matched up against Berean Christian High School on April 9. The team faced no trouble against Berean Christian, handily winning three sets to Berean Christian’s zero.
Just two days later, on April 11, the Dons played the Las Lomas Golden Knights. While the Knights put up a good fight against the Dons, the Dons emerged victorious, winning three sets to two.
Despite being a smaller team, such victories have been common for the Dons this season. This could be attributed to hard work and dedication in practice and in games.
“Being a very undersized team, we’ve been forced to adapt to overpowering height and offense with cohesive blocking and ground defense. We run a very fast offense to help make up for the difference in height. Because we are put at a natural disadvantage, we’ve really had to be focused and energized in practice and make the most of our time together off the court,” senior Evan Sverak said.
On April 16, the Dons went to Northgate High School to play the Broncos. While the Dons put up a good effort, they ultimately lost the match 3-0.
On April 18, the Dons played the rival Campolindo Cougars at home. The Dons managed to take a set, but came short of winning the match, losing 3-1.
After two tough losses, the Dons went to College Park on April 23. The match was close, but it was the Dons that came out on top, winning 3-2 against the Falcons.
On April 25, the Dons played Berean Christian. It was a hard fought battle on both sides, but ultimately, Berean Christian came out victorious, beating the Dons 3-2.
The next week, on April 30, the Dons hosted Terra Linda High School. Yet again, the Dons found themselves in a close match, and ultimately pulled out the victory, winning 3-2.
With the regular season coming close to a close, the Dons matched up against Hercules High School. After a handful of close games, the Dons had no trouble beating Hercules, winning three sets to one.
In the final game of the regular season, the Dons traveled to Bishop O’Dowd High School. Unfortunately, they were not able to pull out a win, losing to Bishop O’Dowd 3-0.
Looking to the future of this team, many see brightness ahead. The underclassmen seem prepared to improve and ready to take over the team.
“The underclassmen are doing a great job in practice and on the court. Their growth has definitely pushed the team forward, and I’m looking forward to seeing them improve further,” senior Miles Thomas said.
Blueprint Photo/Kaivo Kadai
Diving
By Taylor Daggs, Staff Writer
// The Acalanes diving team finishes up their season strongly. Their new coach, Karl Yett, began this season, and has helped their team lead to success for the Dons.
Because the Acalanes diving team is relatively small, the four athletes that compete have a connection with other teams in the Acalanes Union High School District (AUHSD) such as Miramonte High School, Campolindo High School, Athenian School, College Park and Los Lomas High School to create a diving union. All these teams train at the Campolindo pool together and build community.
Acalanes celebrated their senior diver, Dakota Goyert on senior night
“At our previous competition, we held a senior night celebration for our one and only Acalanes senior diver, Dakota Goyort. It was super fun and emotional. The Acalanes parents worked really hard to give her the recognition she deserved after six years of diving,” sophomore Teagen Frase said.
As the team wraps up their season, divers reflect on their success and an outstanding performance from all four Acalanes divers on April 20.
“We've had five meets this season, including regular ones, excluding DAL, NCS, or CIF competitions… Dakota, Addy, and I qualified for the NCS championships,” Frase said, “Every meet presents new challenges and opportunities for growth, and we've been improving steadily throughout the season."
Their training proved key to the team’s success.
"We train every weekday from four to six pm, focusing on perfecting our dives and learning new ones," Frase said.
With individual goals driving their efforts, the team's collective aim is to foster success for each member. Team members reflect on the individual nature of diving competitions.
"Our aim is for everyone to achieve their personal best and qualify for postseason meets," junior Anya HaasHollenbeck said.
