DVC stays on track at Beaver Relays
March 8, 2016
The resilient Diablo Valley track and field team brought the heat to the cold and wet American River Beaver Relays on March 7.
Notably, Ryan Hoffman, a Campolindo High graduate, was first overall in the men's 400 meters with a season-best time of 49.40 seconds, and Isaiah Mobley (49.75) was second overall.
Geoffrey Weseman continued his impressive first season of track and field with a lifetime best of 1:55.29 in the 800, good for first place overall and No. 4 in the state.
Latell Thayer was third overall in the men's 100 meters in a season-best time of 11.10.
In women's action, Jordan Hinds (Acalanes) was third overall in the 100 (13.04), and Tia Harper (Deer Valley) was second overall in the 400 with a season-best 1:00.80.
Angelina Dazasanchez was second overall in the 800 (2:30.09), and Laura Becerra (Freedom) was second in the 1,500 (5:23.49). Petrice Beattie (Benicia) tied for first in the high jump (1.57m).
Baseball
The Vikings (9-4), who have been dancing around puddles of late, entered the week riding a three-game winning streak. They notched a 5-4 win over a good De Anza squad on March 1, in their most recent game.
First baseman Atticus Soane had a clutch RBI single in the top of the eighth to break a 4-4 tie. Andrew Merken nailed down the save, getting a strikeout to end the game with runners on second and third.
In a recent 6-2 win over Contra Costa, DVC right fielder Ricky Pato made a tremendous diving catch on a dead sprint in the second inning, possibly denying the Comets three runs. He somehow caught the ball and threw the base runner out at third for a double play to end the inning.
DVC is scheduled to open Big 8 play on March 10 at Santa Rosa, after a road game at Canada on March 9.
Women's Basketball
The No. 4 seeded Vikings' outstanding season ended with a 54-46 loss at No. 1 CCSF on Saturday in the North Regional final, meaning the Vikings finished one win shy of the State Final Four for the second straight year.
DVC all but erased 34-17 halftime deficit with a 28-14 uprising in the third quarter, but the Rams recovered and fended them off with a 16-11 run in the fourth quarter.
Freshman all-State selection Jojuan Carrington had 20 points and 15 rebounds, and fellow all-Big 8 pick Brandy Williams had 10 points and 15 boards. Raeona Ford and Cecila Cuneo both had five rebounds. Safiyyah Yasin had 14 points.
CCSF's Gabrielle Vigil had a game-high 22 points.
Softball
The Vikings won two of three games last week to improve to 14-2-1 heading into Tuesday's home doubleheader against district-rival Contra Costa.
The Vikings beat Yuba 14-1 and De Anza 9-0, sandwiched around a 10-5 loss to Feather River.
Nicole Nordahl tossed a one-hit shutout over five innings against De Anza, and right fielder Kaitlyn VanMotman was 4 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored.
Nordahl entered the week tied for the state lead in wins with 14 and was first by a wide margin in strikeouts with 129, 43 more than second place Yasmine Jamison of Southwestern.
The Vikings will open Big 8 Conference play with a doubleheader at Modesto on March 12.
Tennis
The Vikings scheduled matches against visiting American River on March 4 were postponed because of rain. They are scheduled to play at Shasta on Tuesday.
-- Matt Schwab