2002 Year in Review;
January - June

JANUARY
· Thacher's varsity lacrosse team slams 15 goals on Windward High
The Toads scored goal after goal on their league rivals. At the end of the first quarter, Thacher was up 5-0, and never looked back, taking it to the Los Angeles team, 15-1. The win improved Thacher's overall record to 4-0, and 3-0 in league play.
· Nordhoff's junior varsity boys' soccer team goes undefeated
Nordhoff's boys' junior varsity soccer team is currently undefeated - and coach Alejandro Garcia couldn't be prouder. "I am really proud of how they're playing. They're really into the game." The boys are currently 4-0. The boys' recent 11-0 win over Santa Clara was deemed by players Peter Deneen and Carlos Gomec to be "a joke" and "a bloodbath."

FEBRUARY
· Lady Ranger kickers top league - again
For the fourth year in a row, the Lady Rangers took the Frontier League title. The title was confirmed after Wednesday's win against Malibu, 5-0. It was Nordhoff's eighth shutout in the past 21 games.
· Villanova's boys' basketball crew bests Laguna for title
As the buzzer rang, signaling the end of the Villanova/Laguna Blanca boys' basketball game, the Ojai Valley gained yet another league champion. The Wildcats and the Owls duked it out in an extremely close game, with Villanova netting one more basket than Laguna Blanca.
Though the Owls were never able to pull ahead of Villanova, they were never far behind, always within three points of the undefeated 'Cats. The win guaranteed VPS a berth in the playoffs.

MARCH
· Ranger Hawkins sets discus record
The Nordhoff High School track and field team, under the leadership of new coach Danny Everett, ran to a second-place finish in the Carpinteria-sponsored Rincon Races and Field meet on Saturday, March 2. Leading the charge and setting a new Nordhoff school record in the discus was senior Jordan Hawkins, with a throw of 161 feet, 8 inches, beating Jeff Parish's 1988 record of 159 feet, 2 inches.

APRIL
·55 Ojai youths to play in "The Ojai"
The 102nd Ojai Tennis Tournament welcomes 55 youths from all over the world to compete in the Ojai Valley.
However, many of these youths are from Ojai itself, and hope to follow in the footsteps of people like Lori Stern, the only Ojai youth ever to win her age division.
· NHS tennis players to compete in The Ojai
Nordhoff's boys' tennis team is full of fresh new faces, some of which, like Tyson Barker, Andrew Nelson and Rhett Walker, are beginning to stand out.
Top doubles team Barker and Walker, and top singles player Andrew Nelson, all of whom are buddies, are planning to play in the 102nd Ojai Tennis Tournament. Each of the three enthused that they were very honored to play in "The Ojai."

MAY
· Grilli tops the Ojai Tennis Tournament
Rodrigo Grilli of UCLA defeated Alex Vlaski, 6-3, 6-4 for the Pac-10 singles men's championship. Gabriela Lastra of Stanford defeated Jewel Peterson of USC, 6-3, 6-3 for the Women's Pac-10 singles title. The Men's Open Singles title went to Peter Jeschke of Montecito, who defeated Mark Ellis of Ventura, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. The Women's Open Singles championship went to Dina McBride of Woodland Hills, who defeated Stacy Margolin Potter of Ojai, 6-4, 3-2.
· NHS golfers finish 5th in CIF match
The Nordhoff High School golf team finished in fifth place out of 20 teams that advanced to the CIF playoffs in a tournament held last week at Soule Park Golf Course.
The Rangers shot a team score of 387, paced by junior Mike Bensley who shot an even par 72. Other notable rounds included Andrew Bonsignori and Alex Dwire, each posting 77s, Tyler Brown, who shot a 78 and Nathan VanEtten who had an 83.

JUNE
· VPS spikers fall in second round CIF
The Villanova finished first in the Condor League with a 14-4 overall record, they fell in the second round after a bye.
Against St. Margret's, Villanova was the underdog. The Wildcats' loss was exacerbated by the combination of playing on an unfamiliar court and a five-hour bus ride, said Burt. "They just had good ball control. They knew our weaknesses," Burt added.
·Thacher spears Avalon Lancers in final at-bat
The Toad's winning run against Avalon came off the bat of Dan Bartlett, who hit a single which allowed Caldwell to cross home plate for the win. The final score was Thacher, 4, Avalon, 3.
The win improved Thacher's record to 19-3 and advanced them to the Division VI finals against Grace Brethren, a team the Toads beat 5-4 in regular season play, but lost to Grace Brethren in the finals for second place.
·Anaheim Angels draft Weedon in 37th round
Nordhoff senior Trevor Weedon was picked by the Anaheim Angels in the 37th round of the draft.
As the Rangers' catcher, Weedon and his team made it to the CIF playoffs each year.
·Thacher announces addition of football team to school sports
The Thacher School will join the growing Condor League trend of adding an eight-man football team to the school's fall sports season.
They follow competitors such as Laguna Blanca and Villanova Preparatory in adding the team to the school's already-large array of extracurricular activities.
Thacher's faculty and students considered several other sports like water polo, but finally decided to add football.

© 2003 The Ojai Valley News

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