Inside the VALT: February 10 – 16
February 20, 2020
Welcome to the longest edition of Inside the VALT I will ever write. This writeup features two playoff runs, five season previews, sixteen three pointers, many horses, and one very, very suspect red card. All in all, another successful week for Viewpoint Athletics!
Girls Basketball
The Girls Basketball team played in two playoff games this week, defeating Fountain Valley 47-32 on Thursday night, and crushing Poly (Riverside) 53-26 on Saturday. Senior Katie Topacio was a sharpshooter from deep, hitting five threes on Thursday, before adding five more on Saturday. Karlee White scored 12 points on Thursday, as Viewpoint led nearly buzzer to buzzer. Saturday was another coast to coast win, as the Patriots jumped out to an 8-0 lead. The lead had stretched to 22-4 by the end of the first, behind 12 first quarter points from Kayla Keshmeshian (’22), who finished with 17. Senior Nicole Emi was also on fire from deep, with a 100% success rate from behind the arc. Viewpoint hosts again on Wednesday, Feburary 19th against Anaheim in the quarterfinals of the tournament. The game tips at 7:00 in the PFAC, so be loud, be proud, and come out to support the Pats as they continue their playoff run!
Girls Soccer
The Girls Soccer team also had their first round playoff game against Thursday night, but they were unable to advance over a strong Arcadia team. The team fought incredibly hard, battling back from a 2-0 deficit to take the game to overtime. Neither team scored in added time, and the game was decided in Penalty Kicks, as we fell short, 5-4. Sarah Konopaske (’20) began the comeback with a goal in the 55th minute, and her fellow captain KaiLan Mackey (’20) tied the game up with three minutes to go. Junior goalkeeper Kayla Davis made an excellent save on a breakaway that would have won the game for Arcadia, but penalty kicks marked a cruel end to an incredible season.
The Girls Soccer team wrapped up a really strong season with an 8-5-5 record, with six wins coming in league play. Highlights from this year included an impressive 0-0 draw against the eventual league champs Sierra Canyon on their Senior Night, scoring five against Crossroads on Winter Homecoming, and a 2-1 non-league dub over Calabasas. This year was very successful for the team, with results and progress up and down the roster. Although it didn’t end the way they hoped, the team can be incredibly proud of how they played and stuck together throughout the season. Congratulations on an amazing season!
Equestrian
The Equestrian team competed last weekend, but results were not finalized until midway through the week. Senior Chase Schetter finished first in Novice Hunters and third in Handy Hunter. Chloe Brown (’22) finished fifth in the Novice Hunt Seat Equitation Flat, while fellow sophomore Shea Smith finished ninth in the Freshman Handy Hunters, ninth in Equitation Over Fences, and fifth in the Equitation Flat. Freshman Sienna Gustafson placed third in Varsity Hunters, seventh in Varsity Handy Hunters, third in Varsity Equitation Over Fences, and fourth in the Varsity Equitation Flat. And finally, senior Jordan Nadolenco finished tenth in Varsity Jumpers. Congratulations on another successful meet!
Baseball
The Baseball team had our first game on Saturday, losing 2-1 to Channel Islands. Shortstop Niko Candido (’20) was 3-3 with a double and a run, and first baseman Zach Goffin (’21) was 1-2 with two stolen bases. Catcher Lucas Herman (’22) had the RBI. On the mound, junior Treye Meadows struck out three in one inning of relief.
This season, we’re expecting to challenge for playoffs. The pitching staff will be led by myself and Treye, while defensive efforts will be spearheaded by Lucas and our second baseman Will Lashever (’21). Niko is our big bat in the middle of our lineup, hitting .352 last year, backed up by fellow senior Eli Kreshek. Vinny Terraciano (’22) was our home run leader last year, and will look for a strong sophomore campaign. Next week, we continue the tournament with three games, two at home, against Fairfax on Tuesday and Monroe on Thursday. Both games start at 6:30 at Birmingham High School. We’re on the road on Saturday, playing at 11:00 AM against an unknown opponent.
Softball
The Softball team played their first two games over the weekend, starting with a doubleheader in Carpinteria. The first game was a matchup against Oak Park, and the Patriots controlled it for most of the game, but ended up on the wrong side of a 6-4 decision. The second game against Carpinteria was more of a struggle, but the team can be proud of their efforts despite the 5-0 loss. Pitcher Peyton Rohr (’23) struck out 11 over the two games, and sophomore Jules Mazzolini went 4-5 on the day. Freshman Edith Mendez was 3-5 over the doubleheader as well, and third baseman Birdie Appell (’21) made an excellent diving defensive stop at third to stop a rally.
This year is sure to be a year filled with progress for the softball team. There is not a single senior on the team, and the pitcher-catcher duo of Peyton and Edith are both freshmen, so every game will be an opportunity to learn and develop for the future. The team expects to compete in every single game, taking opportunities to advance as a team. They play twice at home next week, Tuesday against Heritage Christian, and Thursday against Oakwood, so come out and support at Robertson Field! Both games start at 3:15.
Track and Field
The Track and Field team had their first competition over the weekend, competing in the Santa Monica All-Comers Meet. Senior Lizzie Scott finished seventh in co-ed competition in the 3200 Meters with a time of 12:13, and fellow Senior Thomas Matthew finished fifth in the 1600 Meters with a time of 4:36. It was a great meet for the Egberongbe brothers, as Olatian (’23), Oriola (’23), and Adeola (’22) competed in the 100 Meter Dash and 400 Meters, 200 Meters, and 400 Meters, respectively. Sophomore Elias Mohn finished the 100 Meter Dash in 26th with a time of 12.63 seconds.
As for this season, the Track and Field is looking to build off of the success from the Cross Country program in the fall. Seniors Lizzie, Thomas, and Ronnie Orosky will lead the way in the long distance events, while Max James (’21), Luke Boehm (’21), and Valentino Devoto (’22) covers short distances. Tahj Maheswaran (’20), Jaden Howard (’21), and Morgan Wank (’20) represent Viewpoint in the shot put as well. On Wednesday, the team travels to Pierce College to compete in the Time Trial, so good luck to the entire program!
Boys Tennis
The Boys Tennis team has a long-running tradition of excellence, and this year should be no different. Led by seniors Konrad Ulich, Eddy Yang, and Theo Katkov, the team expects to challenge for a league title, and into the postseason as well. Owen Kolbrenner (’22) was excellent during his freshman season, emerging as one of the top singles players, and is looking forward to a strong sophomore season. The team also received a boost with the addition of Philip Hu (’23), who is expected to make an immediate impact. The team begins their season on the road twice this week, starting at Pepperdine on Tuesday against Santa Barbara, followed by a match against Milken at the Van Nuys Tennis Ranch. Good luck to the Pats!
Girls Beach Volleyball
Last but certainly not least, the Girls Beach Volleyball team begins play next weekend, with a tournament on Saturday. The team is led by Deja Bickers (’20) and Trinity Stanger (’21), but will rotate consistently throughout tournaments. Two out of three teams need to win to advance to playoffs, so it will be a team effort to secure postseason play. Good luck to the team this season!
Thank you to anyone who made it this far! Previews for Swim, Lacrosse, Boys Volleyball, and Golf will be in next week’s recap, as we get closer to the start of their seasons. Good luck to all the teams beginning their seasons this week, but a special shoutout to the Girls Basketball team continuing their postseason run on Wednesday. 7:00 in the PFAC, so come out and support!
