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The Community Newspaper of Evergreen Valley / Silvercreek Valley since 1982 |
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July 28, 2006 Evergreen Sports
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| Leigh grad Steve Bethune intends to cover the country on foot. He will depart from New York City on August 15, and plans to run 40 miles each day for three months, on his return to San Jose. Photo by Katie Thrapp |
Bethune said he will complete the trek, covering 40 miles each day, in approximately three months, while he pounds the pavement in search of sponsors between legs, aiming to raise $50,000.
He’ll cover 3,000 miles and consume 700,000 calories—8,000 daily—while a friend, Katie Thrapp, trails behind him in a pickup truck with a camper shell. Along the way, Bethune and Thrapp plan on camping at various campsites throughout the country as an economical way to have a place to rest at night.
“She’s been really great about this whole thing,” Bethune said of Thrapp. “She and her mom (Roz Thrapp) actually are helping to plan it too. They’re going through, looking up campsites across the way. She’s gotten me a bunch of maps. They’ve stocked up on food for the trip already. And it’s her mom’s truck that we’re taking
across (country).”
Bethune chose to run for heart disease in part because of the direct affect running, and physical activity in general, has on the disease.
“When I was looking for a cause to do the run for, I decided on heart disease for several reasons,” said Bethune, who plans to leave for New York on August 3, tracing over the course he plans on running back to San Jose. “Because of the family members I lost to it … it’s the number one killer in America, especially for women. Whereas running doesn’t have a direct impact on something like cancer, it directly affects heart disease. I mean, those are kind of the three reasons I chose this, because it’s such a prevailing disease in our society today.”
The 25-year-old Bethune, who spent the past year teaching sixth graders at Los Osos Middle School in Los Osos, near San Luis Obispo, witnessed the tragic effects of heart disease firsthand several years ago, when his grandfather passed away from the ailment. In addition, Bethune also had a great uncle, whom he did not know, who passed away from the debilitating effects of heart disease decades ago.
“I’m hoping that the run helps bring attention to heart disease and maybe inspires people to get out there and run, or at least inspires people to become more active,” he said.
Sporting world
Bethune is no old pro, but running for a purpose is familiar to him.
As kids, Bethune and his brother would sprint to and from Guadalupe Elementary School, never breaking stride between the family’s Montevideo neighborhood home and school.
A neighbor said that’s what she remembers most about the boys, bobbing past her house everyday.
But Bethune said it was strictly survival and that running was a lesser hobby.
While running will go down as his most noted sporting accomplishment, swimming is the 6-foot-5-inch, 185-pound teacher’s first sporting love, a sport he competed in for four years at Leigh. In addition, Bethune also enjoyed the hobby of playing hackey-sack.
Bethune first pictured himself running across the country during his senior year while doing undergraduate studies at UCSB.
“I read about a guy doing it,” said Bethune. “I had never heard of people running across the country before. I became intrigued at that point, but I forgot about it for a couple of years.”
Bethune was reminded last summer, while traveling in Tokyo. He said he watched in awe while Japan’s National footbag team held practice, and that the dedication displayed by Japanese hackey-sackers plucked an emotional chord within him.
“It wasn’t so much what they could do, but the fact that they had dedicated themselves to something so completely and I wanted to know what that felt like,” said Bethune.
Training regimen
The college experience ended last December for Bethune, with a teaching credential earned from Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo.
“I was in that area between college and career, and I have always wanted to do something big,” Bethune said. “I love a challenge and this would be a big challenge. I have never run track or cross country before. I have never truly tested myself.”
Bethune was running four miles daily last August, when he decided to cover the country.
Building from the four-mile base, Bethune has tacked an additional mile onto his course every two weeks. He is currently at 35 miles per day, with plans set to reach 40 miles per day at the start of the run.
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| Leigh high graduate Steve Bethune stands in front of a pyramid of supplements provided to him by Hammer Nutrition for the cross-country run. Photo courtesy of Ann Bethune |
During training for the run, Bethune initially passed the time listening to his MP3 player, which held approximately 60 songs. Tired of listening to the same songs while running the same course over and over again, Bethune switched to listening to books on tape. That led to a sponsorship from All Ears Audio Books in Saratoga, which is providing Bethune with a free one-month, four-book membership.
“I’d listen to those and it got to the point where some of the books were so good that I’d want to get out and run just so I could hear what would happen next,” Bethune said of listening to the books on tape. “It really helped out, it became less tedious at that point. …It made the run seem faster and more enjoyable. I got to catch up on a lot of popular reading that I hadn’t ever done, like the Harry Potter series. I’d never read any of them and I’ve gone through all six of them. I actually did them in two months.”
While the total number of miles will swell to 40 in a single day, Bethune is confident that his body will hold up. He has consulted two men who accomplished the same feat, doctors and a nutritionist. They all say it’s possible.
“The running at this point isn’t the hardest part for me,” Bethune
said. “It’s the preparing. I have to make hundreds of phone calls to different companies to try and get last minute things that can help us out.”
Bethune will break daily totals up into four segments. He will cover 10 miles, rest for an hour and continue.
Bethune said, in fact, that the most important thing he can control is filling his body with the appropriate levels of nutrients and energy.
“When I got up to about 15 or so miles per day, I found that my body was becoming extremely achy and tired,” said Bethune. “I started looking up Web sites for ultra endurance.”
One company that Bethune discovered was Hammer Nutrition. Hammer learned of Bethune’s challenge and proposed to outfit him with energy supplements.
Popular sporting apparel company Under Armour also stepped forward to outfit Bethune with all-weather running gear. Zeal Optics, Fuel Belt, and Spread Shirt also formally sponsored the effort.
“Right now we are at around $3,000,” said Bethune of the fund-raising efforts for the heart association. “What gives me hope that we will reach the goal is that there will be a lot of little cities in between New York and my return
home. …I can continue the fund-raising after I’m done as well.”
Attention from major media sources also helps Bethune rest easy. It appears that people view Bethune’s as a worthy cause: The San Luis Obispo Tribune wrote a feature story on it, and radio stations in Wichita, Chicago and San Diego have contacted Bethune regarding the story.
“Spread Shirt donated about 1,200 shirts for us to sell and we’ve received individual donations from people,” Bethune said.
For more information, or if you are interested in contributing to Steve Bethune’s fund raising efforts, e-mail him at stevenbethune@hotmail.com. To read more about Bethune’s run, including updates once the run kicks off, go to www.aheartinmotion.com.
SPORTS BRIEFS
Citywide Sports Office announces move
The Citywide Sports Office, which provides competitive and recreational adult (ages 18 and over) basketball, softball and soccer leagues with over 2,300 participants, has moved to a new location.
The office, which is operated by the City of San José's Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department, has moved to the Moreland West Community Center located at 1850 Fallbrook Avenue.
Citywide Sports, which was previously located at the Camden Community Center in San José, coordinates popular youth events such as basketball tournaments, track meets, and the punt, pass, and kick event.
The sports field reservations unit is also housed out of the City Wide Sports office. Individuals wanting to make field reservations should contact (408) 871-3827. For more information on Citywide Sports, please contact (408) 871-3821.
Evergreen Friday Night Teen Basketball League signups
Volunteer coaches needed: Coaches are needed and greatly appreciated. Please fill in necessary information on back of form.
Who: Boys and girls in 6th thru 9th grade. Space is limited to 120 players (60 in each division) so sign up
soon. Request to play on the same team as a friend will be noted but may not be honored. Students who are on their high school team may not participate. If registration allows, two divisions will be created. League officials up until the fourth game may move players to another team to balance the skill level of each team. League officials reserve the right to remove any player, coach or spectator from the game or league for misconduct.
When: Fridays from September 9th thru December 2nd. Game times will vary for each team each week. The first game begins at 3:30 p.m. and each game will begin every hour until 8:30 p.m. All players must attend the draft clinic on September 9th. Grades 6 and 7 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.; grades 8 and 9 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Chaboya Middle School. Players will not be assigned a team until a workout with a league official is observed.
Where: All games will be held at Chaboya Middle School, 3276 Cortona Dr. SJ, CA 95135
Cost: $110- which includes a game jersey, equipment use, medals for all participants, personal basketball, trophies for 1st and 2nd place teams for the end of season tournament and league officials.
How to sign up: Registration forms can be obtained at Chaboya, beginning August 21st. Contact either John Franza (408) 605-1513 or Allen Ventura (408) 410-3570 (Directors) for more information.
Fill out a registration on back and return to Chaboya Middle School before September 7th, 2006, c/o John Franza or Allen Ventura.
Make checks payable to: E.A.S.Y. HOOPS (cash is also accepted)
Evergreen Valley Church to hold 2nd annual Scramble Golf Tournament August 20
Evergreen Valley Church will hold its 2nd annual Scramble Golf Tournament on August 20 at the Villages Golf & Country Club, located at 5000 Cribari Lane, San Jose, CA 95135.
The tournament benefits the following Missionaries/Mission Organizations:
Horn of Africa- Famine, drought, unclean water & harsh living conditions are the leading cause of death. Addressing the physical needs as well as the spiritual needs.
Hope Breakfast Feeding Program, Dessie - This program feeds 750 orphans breakfast each day.
Shannon and Sammy Mureithi, Kenya – Making a difference in Kenya amongst poverty and despair.
The deadline to sign up for the tournament is July 30. For more information on how to sign up and other related matters, call (408) 274-7422 or visit www.evcsj.com.
Officials needed for high school sports
FERMAR Corporation, which contracts with high schools in Santa Clara County, is recruiting officials for high school athletics. Officials are needed for fall season sports such as football, volleyball and field hockey.
Men and women are encouraged to apply. No experience is necessary, as FERMAR will provide training through classes, clinics and tests. All training materials are provided.
Officials are paid $32-$61 per game, depending on the sport and level of competition. Additional opportunities to officiate youth and adult sports are also available. Interested parties are encouraged to call FERMAR at (408) 567-1700.
Cheer coaches needed for South Valley Pop Warner
Cheer coaches are needed for South Valley Pop Warner. If you're interested in joining a team of outstanding coaches, please call Tiana Zarate at (408) 464-3285 or Teresa Smith at (408) 603-8280, or go to http://www.stpopwarner.org.
Late-game scoring drive sees North top South 7-3 at
32nd Annual Charlie Wedemeyer All-Star Game
Westmont’s Chantz Staden catches 15-yard touchdown
pass with 1:19 left to seal the win for the North
By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor
Chantz Staden’s 15-yard touchdown reception with 1:19 left in the fourth quarter gave the North team something it hadn’t accomplished since 2001—a win over the South by the final score of 7-3—at the 32nd Annual Charlie Wedemeyer All-Star Football Game on July 19.
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| Jerid Ferrante, left, of Oak Grove, Alex Gomez, center, of Santa Teresa, and Bryan North, of Valley Christian walk to the sidelines before the start of the 32nd annual Charlie Wedemeyer High School All-star Football Classic on July 19 at San Jose City College. Photo by Dan Miranda |
The win for the North, coached by Prospect head coach Carlos Boles, set the all-time series record at 17-13-2 in favor of the South.
“I knew, going along, that these guys were going to make plays,” said Boles. “…We got a broken play and he (North quarterback Rich Scudellari) finds Chantz on the backside. Who would’ve expected it? But that’s just
them. That’s why they’re all-stars.”
The North put together the winning drive by getting the ball back on offense with 6:43 left at its’ own 35 after a failed fake punt attempt by the South. The North then proceeded to put together its most promising drive of the game, going from its own 35 to the South 15 on 10 plays. Finally, on second-and-10 at the South 15, Scudellari (St. Francis) dropped back in the pocket to pass, before rolling right to elude the oncoming rush of South defender Michael Dally (Leland), who left his feet to leap in an attempt to sack the quarterback. Scudellari then threw across his body to Staden near the left sideline, who then eluded a South defender and scampered into the end zone for the game-winning score.
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| The South’s Joshua Taufalele (left) and A.J. Alvarez (right) get each other motivated during pre-game introductions at the 32nd Annual Charlie Wedemeyer All-Star Football Game on July 19. Photo by Jeff Frazee |
“I left my feet a little too early and I didn’t wrap up quite right and he got outside on me,” said Dally of the near sack on Scudellari.
“I knew coming in that the defenses would dominate. That was to be expected,” added South head coach Jason Tenner, who also serves as the head coach for Leland. “…It came down to one missed tackle and a big play on their part.”
Offenses for both sides were stagnant for most of the game, as numerous penalties, swarming defenses and physical mistakes plagued progress for both teams.
In the first quarter, the North started out on the South 29 and progressed slowly to the South 21 before Scudellari fumbled the snap on fourth-and-two, with South defender A.J.
Alvarez recovering the ball on the play to end the drive. Another fumble with 5:53 left in the first by the North on the South 37 also ended another drive when Dally recovered the ball for the South.
Likewise, the South offense struggled early on, taking a drive from its own 38 with 2:12 left in the first quarter and taking it all the way to the North 25 before a holding call on the South set the team back to the North 37. After an incomplete pass from South quarterback Duce Ferrante (Branham) on second-and-22 and a 9-yard loss on a lateral from Ferrante to running back Jerid Ferranti on third-and-22, the South was forced to punt the ball away, stalling an otherwise promising drive.
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| Charlie Wedemeyer gives a friendly wink to a player on the South team. Photo by Jeff Frazee |
“Some of them were a little overzealous,” said Tenner, explaining the numerous penalties on both sides. “The kids were intense and there was some physical play on both sides of the ball. Some kids got a little too aggressive, but you’re going to get that in an all-star game, because these kids really want it and sometimes they cross the line.”
With two minutes left in the third, the South was rebuffed again, this time on a goal line stand by North defense, as the South offense drove the ball from the North 32 to the North 5 before four straight running plays resulted in the South offense stalling out at the North 1.
“It’s tough to have a group of 60 kids come together in two weeks,” said Ferrante, explaining the South’s missed opportunities on offense. “Getting used to your centers, getting used to the speed of your running backs, and the speed of your receivers, it’s just a lot different to how it was at (Branham).”
The South managed to get on the scoreboard first however, taking a drive with 8:26 left in the second quarter and moving the ball to the North 4 before kicker Ben Hansen (Valley Christian) booted through a 22-yard field goal with 5:19 left for a 3-0 lead. The scoring drive was set up in part by a 39-yard pass play from Ferrante to tight end David Carranza (Silver Creek) on third-and-six from the 50, as well as a personal foul penalty on the North on third-and-nine at the North 11.
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| Leigh’s Blake McFarland will head to West Valley College in the fall to play football and baseball. At Leigh, McFarland was a three-sport athlete, playing basketball for the Longhorns on top of football and baseball. Photo by Dwayne Woods |
With a chance to add to the lead in the third quarter, the South failed on another promising drive that started at its own 34 with 9:32 left. The South drove the ball to the North 26 on six plays before Hansen booted through a 43-yard field goal on fourth-and-five. But on the play, the North was whistled for an illegal substitution, resulting in a 5-yard penalty and a fresh set of downs for the South.
Despite the opportunity, the South failed to advance beyond the North 21, settling instead for a 39-yard field goal attempt by Hansen on fourth-and-10, whose kick sailed wide right, negating the drive for the South.
“In an all-star game, you’re going to get a lack of execution,” said Tenner. “That’s what you saw. The kids barely knew each other and they had 10 practices … that kind of stuff hurts you, and then you don’t execute come game night.”
Finally, with seven seconds left in the game, the South tried in vain to put one final score on the board, moving the ball from its own 4 to the South 20 before Ferrante threw an interception right into the arms of North defender Carlos Alonso (Los Gatos), sealing the win for the North.
“It’s frustrating, but that’s the game of football. Anything can happen at any time,” said South linebacker C.J. Miller (Pioneer). “One play can change a whole game …that’s just football.”
A Season for Champions
Creekside Swim Team takes home another winning title
By Laura Firchow
Times Intern
What does it mean to be a champion? To some it may simply mean being the best, the strongest and the fastest. To others, it may mean achieving a personal goal, even if you didn’t beat the competition. Champions may be personified by strength and endurance or by team spirit and dedication. The 2006 Creekside Cudas Swim Team has accomplished everything it means to be a true champion.
The 2006 Cabana League swim season was full of excitement, surprises and tough competition for the Creekside Cudas. The team had an incredible 178 swimmers competing this season. This record number of swimmers made for a challenging start to the season with crowded lanes at after-school practice and busy schedules throughout the season for both the swimmers and their parents.
Overall, the Cuda swimmers, parents and coaches all pulled together to make this the most successful season in Cudas’ history.
The Cudas hosted the Championship meet at Saratoga High School on Saturday, July 15, a task which would have been unmanageable if it weren’t for the team’s dedicated parent representatives, JoEllen Firchow and Diane Walker, and finals coordinator, Grace Soto, along with a group of parent volunteers who spent tireless hours preparing not only for the Championship meet, but also for the other meets and social events throughout the season.
The Cudas ended the season with a 5-0 record in the Dual Meet Competition. Although they entered the Championship meet as an undefeated team, the Cudas kept competitors in perspective. Every swimmer on the team swam wonderfully throughout the course of the season, but none of the Cudas swam as competitively as they did on July 15. The Cudas had an unbelievable 200 improved times at Champs this year.
During the course of the season, five all-time Cuda records were broken by swimmers, including 12-year-old Claire Karlsson with a 29.76 in the 50-yard butterfly, and a 31.88 in the 50-yard breaststroke. Sean Gray, 14, also broke two records, swimming a 26.34 in the 50-yard butterfly, and an unbelievable 24.11 in the 50-yard freestyle. Lastly, Alyssa Stride, 10 swam with impeccable technique and finished with an 18.28 in the 25-yard breaststroke.
This incredible swimming, dedication and hard work are what earned the Cudas the title of Cabana League Champions for the second year in a row.
Focus is the Key to Competition
Karlsson, 12, has been swimming competitively for Creekside since the young age of 4. During her time so far with the Cudas, Claire has grown into a beautiful young lady, and a fine and skilled athlete.
Creekside is lucky to have an athlete like Karlsson swimming for their team. She is a very consistent swimmer who gives it her all every time she enters the water. The crowd and the coaches love to watch her swim because of her smooth, strong stroke and her flawless technique.
Her mother, Kristine Blanton said, “Claire has beautiful technique. I love watching her swim the butterfly because of her power and strength.”
Even at the young age of 12, Karlsson is looked at by many members of the team as a leader. She sets a wonderful example for swimmers who are both younger and older than her.
The most valuable lesson that every athlete can learn from Karlsson is how to be a humble winner.
The outstanding sportsmanship and class that Karlsson portrays through her swimming astonishes swimmers, parents and coaches alike. Never will you hear Claire boast about her skill or her remarkable times to other swimmers. And never will you see her leave the pool after her races without a physical or verbal pat on the back to her
competitors.
“I never feel like I am better than anyone else, because everyone has potential to be great swimmers,” Karlsson said. “Things can change in an instant, and that is why I feel it is never in my place to act like I am over people.”
Undoubtedly, Karlsson’s fellow swimmers wonder if she has a secret to success. Does she have any rituals or routines that help her excel in her racing? Is there a special diet that she follows before a big meet?
It seems that Claire’s secret is simply to focus. A tip that she gives to other swimmers is, “I believe you should always close you eyes and imagine yourself doing flawless strokes. It always gets me pumped up and feeling good about myself’.
When you are a dedicated athlete, it is never too early to start thinking about your future in the sport you excel in. Karlsson has given that some thought and said, “My top priority is to get into a good college and have a job
I love. Swimming is something I love to do and will continue for the rest of my life, but sometimes I feel that perhaps it is not something I would like to do career-wise. I am more focused on getting my life to a good start.”
A Swimmer with the Drive to Win
For some, Creekside Swim Team is mostly about having fun, enjoying the team and making new friends. On the other hand, it’s mainly about the competition for some of Creekside’s other swimmers.
Gray, 14 seems to have found the perfect balance between the two. Being a Creekside swimmer for 11 years now, Sean has had the opportunity to build friendships out of the pool, and build on his endurance in the pool.
Gray is a very strong and determined athlete. At the Championship meet alone this season, Gray astonished the crowd with his unbelievable swimming and record times.
Gray’s favorite part about Creekside Swim Team is, “the people and the relationships, I love being around people,” he said.
This is obvious when you first meet Sean. He is a very personable young man who can hold a conversation with anyone and win the heart of every girl on the team. He appears simply to be a light-hearted teenager who is all about socializing, but in a deeper conversation with Sean, you come to realize that he is one of the most serious and driven people when it comes to competition.
“The ultimate thing that drives me is the will to win,” Gray said. “I hate losing. I know people say it’s about having fun, but to me losing is no fun. I believe that every sport is mostly mental. If you go into a race thinking you are going to lose, you’ve already lost. So it all mainly comes down to having a winning attitude.”
This attitude is what brings Gray so much success in swimming and surely in other areas of his life.
Proud parents, Russell and Cheri Gray said, “We are very happy for Sean. I think every parent's dream for their child is to the child learn early in life how to set goals, put in the work, push through the challenges and see those dreams come true. These are character qualities that will carry Sean to success in all areas of like, including non-athletic goals.”
Although swimming has been a huge part of Gray’s life, his true passion lies in football. Gray said, “I love football. I can’t get enough of it. God willing, I will play football my entire life. However, I do plan on swimming for Creekside as long as I can.”
Cudas swim team ends the season with league championship win on July 15
By Ralph Nichols
Special to the Times
The Creekside Cudas kicked off a weekend-long celebration of their Cabana League Swim Championship in both traditional and untraditional ways.
With cheers, tears and celebratory hugs, more than 150 Cudas enjoyed their second league title in the last three years following their resounding win in the league championship meet at Saratoga High School on July 15.
The celebrations continued late into Saturday night with a toilet paper raid on select houses of swimmers' parents. More than 170 swimmers received trophies Sunday completing one of the most successful seasons in
Cuda history.
The Cudas had already enjoyed success with a 263-213 win over the Almaden Dolphins on July 8 to win their second straight dual meet title. The league title was all they needed to complete their perfect season.
Creekside won the league title with 408.50 points followed by Almaden with 349, CrossGates with 334.50, Shadow Brook with 312, Pinehurst with 272.50 and Santa Teresa with 189 points.
Sean Gray set Creekside records in boys' age 13-14 50-yard freestyle (24:11) and 50-yard butterfly (26:34) to lead the Cudas to a resounding win.
“I've been close to records all year,” Gray said. “I try to set records every year whenever I go out.”
Connor Stillwell extended his winning streak, setting a season mark of 37:55 in the boys' 11-12 50-yard breaststroke. Josh Schafer, Claire Karlsson and Cameron Ponce also set season best times for the Cudas.
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