Water polo players Layne Porter and Emily Edds are sharks in the water. Playing for the One Way 12U water polo team out of the Santa Maria Swim Club, Porter and Edds helped lead their team to a second-place trophy at the Oxnard water polo tournament earlier this month. At a recent tournament, Porter, 12, […]
KRISTINA SEWELL
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Not your average athlete
It takes dedication and a mini six-pack of abs to be on the boys’ gymnastics team at KT’s
Hunter Hall looks up at the thick rope hanging ominously from the soaring ceiling. Without even hesitating, he grabs hold of it and begins to climb his way up. In the blink of an eye, he’s already at the top and lowering himself to the ground. Hall does “rope climbs” 15 to 20 times every […]
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Lend your voice
The city of Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department wants to hear from Santa Maria citizens regarding their recreational wants, needs, and priorities. All input will be taken into consideration for the 2013 Leisure Needs Assessment and Action Plan. Two meetings of the “Leisure Assessment Process” remain: on April 25 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. […]
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Waller Park has friends
The Friends of Waller Park will present their Arbor Day award to Gene Peterson during their fifth annual Arbor Day ceremony on April 27 at Waller Park. The group will recognize Gene Petersen for his dedication and services to the community, according to a press release. “Gene has been a tireless supporter of Friends of […]
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Bulldogs welcome a new coach
The Allan Hancock College women’s basketball team will have a new coach for the 2013-2014 season. A recent press release from AHC athletics announced that Coach Gary Nerelli, pending approval from the board of trustees, will take over as the basketball coach. Nerelli, with more than 40 years of basketball coaching experience, has spent the […]
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The Benchwarmer
Move you kids!
The alarm clock goes off. I roll over and beat it into silence. I lie there for a moment and prepare myself for my exit from bed. Here goes nothing. I throw my legs over the edge and sit up. I brace my hands on the bed and straighten my knees to stand— Snap! Crackle! […]
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Athlete of the Week: Courtney Tompkins
Pioneer Valley wrestler Courtney Tompkins is her own toughest critic. Despite having just returned home from the wrestling nationals in Oklahoma City, Okla.—where the junior took third place and earned All-American honors for the second year in a row—Tompkins wasn’t as thrilled as would be expected. “Third place was my goal but I made a […]
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The ‘Dogs are going swimming
Early this month Hancock announced the addition of a women’s swim team to its sports arsenal
The Allan Hancock College swimming pool is empty—no swimmers, no water—while it awaits some needed repairs. But soon enough, the light blue liquid will return, and come spring 2014, the pool will become home to the Hancock swim team. A press release distributed earlier this month announced that the local community college would be adding […]
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Athlete of the Week: Jasmine Miles
Coach Sandy Pearson remembers the first time she met athlete Jasmine Miles (pictured center), who was all business and no smiles. Pearson said she wanted to see the young woman smile at least once. At age 23, Miles is tall and lean—a perfect athletic build. What struck Pearson about Miles more than anything was watching […]
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Larger than life
Santa Maria Special Olympics athletes are ready to compete at the Area Games
“Special” is a word that takes on a variety of meanings, from restaurant entrees to people, places, or events. By definition, special means “better, greater, or otherwise different from what is usual.” While the Special Olympics may take on different meanings for different people, my recent volunteer experience with the local Special Olympics organization has […]
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Taking it in stride
While Hancock track members await their new facility, the team steps it up in competition
While the Bulldog track-—now in it’s 13th season—team awaits the groundbreaking of its new facility, members have had to hold their practices elsewhere this season, making use of the track fields at Righetti, Pioneer Valley, and Santa Maria high schools. Allan Hancock College head track coach Louie Quintana said that while he’s grateful for the […]
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The Benchwarmer
Athletes are pushing the limits of morality
All right, let’s get down to it. I know my last few commentaries from the bench have been fairly critical of the world of sports. Normally, I’m not prone to lengthy rants, and there are plenty of positive aspects to sports. But! It would seem that the moral code of modern athletes is pretty much […]