Photos by Dianne Rose
Another semester of students also means another semester of athletes. The spring brought with it a fresh start via a new batch of players to City College teams.
After a tough rebuilding season in 2012 ended with an 11-26-1 record, the school’s softball team’s season has done a complete 180. The team started with a 9-0 record before suffering its first defeat of the season.
The team continued to pick up wins and finished the regular season with a 31-5 record. With another Big 8 Conference title under their belts, the 27th in school history, the team’s members say they are hopeful about heading to the State Championship to possibly earn a fifth state title.
“We had goals before we started the season,” says head coach Tim Kiernan, “[Get] an opportunity to win a state championship. That hasn’t changed.” The Panthers won their first playoff series against De Anza College and now prepare to go up against Sierra College. Sophomores Molly Ryan and Heather Oakley, who were both named as All-Northern California selections, led the team at the plate and freshman Ashten Welch did the same on the pitcher’s mound. Welch, finished the regular season with a 25-3 record for the Panthers and tossed 197 strikeouts.
Welch’s win and strikeout totals are also good enough for second and third in state, respectively, according to the California Community College Athletic Association and ultimately led to Welch being Big 8 Pitcher of the Year as well as a CCCAA All-State selection.
Welch, 19, chemistry major, says she’s happy with the season she and the team had, and says the team is now ready for the playoffs.
“We’re going to be working hard,” says Welch. “[We want to] finish strong.” Meanwhile, the baseball team was knocked out of the playoffs and finished with an 18-20 record, 13-11 in conference, and had a nine-game winning streak that helped turn its season around. Left-handed pitchers Dan Sayles and Ben Brooks and right-handed pitcher Matt Maher led the team; there was also a solid team effort on the offensive and defensive sides. Infielder Orlando Ortiz, 20, business major, says he’s proud of the resiliency and effort the team has shown throughout the season.
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“We responded [well] when we needed to win big games.”
The tennis teams have not experienced similar successes this year. The men and women’s teams haven’t earned a win this season. The tennis teams did however, have four players make it to the state tournament.
Over at Hoos Pool, the swim team has experienced progress throughout the season. Many swimmers have logged personal records. At the most recent meet, the Big 8 Conference Championships at Diablo Valley College in April, the team had 17 swimmers, 10 men and seven women, earn personal bests.
Daniel Cook-Cantu, 21, music major, says he enjoyed his first year on the team and plans on swimming next season.
“The team improved [its] times and they never lost faith whether we lost or not,” says Cook-Cantu. “I learned a lot from my coach and my teammates. [I’m] happy that I joined the swim team.” The track and field teams have so far been highlighted by Jason Dunn’s Northern California Decathlon title and Molly Marshall’s second place finish in the heptathlon at the Nor-Cal Multi meet on April 16 and 17.
In the Big 8 Conference championships, Jesse White (400-meter), Jon Dunn (javelin), Thomas Lomeli (10,000-meter) and Ronnie Floyd (400-meter hurdle), all took first on the men’s side. On the women’s team, Molly Marshall (high jump), Ziel Davis (100-meter hurdle), and Rachel Picknell (discus/shot put) all took first in their
respective events. Both teams prepare for the Northern California championships, which take place May 11.
