Sports Shorts – March
Ygnacio Valley Athletic Hall of Fame May 4 dinner tickets available
Ygnacio Valley High has put tickets on sale for its 2019 Athletic Hall of Fame dinner on Saturday, May 4, at Contra Costa Country Club. Inductees are Ron Thompson (Class of 1972, football and baseball), Joe Del Bene (’78, football and basketball), Xan Halog (’84, tennis, basketball and softball), Doug King (’72, tennis), Shawn McGarry (’84, football and basketball), Mike Ivankovich (’87, football and track; coach and teacher) and Wes Greenwood (coach and teacher). Visit yvathletichof.com for details and to order tickets.
St. Bonaventure CYO track practice underway
St. Bonaventure CYO spring track and field program is open to boys and girls in second through eighth grades. Practices are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 4-5:15 p.m. at Newhall Park. Saturday meets begin in March and the season runs through May 10, culminating with the Oakland Diocese championships. For more information call 826-7426, email head coach Matt Tillman at matttillman@gmail.com or go to stbonaventurecyo.com.
Registration open for All Out Sports Leagues spring programs
Youth basketball and adult softball leagues, spring tee ball and spring break basketball clinic are scheduled by All Out Sports Leagues in Clayton this spring. AOSL is taking registration online for all those programs. For complete information on All Out Sports leagues, clinics and other programs, visit alloutsportsleague.com.
Springwood Swim Team registration day Mar. 24
Springwood swim team will hold signups on Sunday, Mar. 24, from 2-4 p.m. at Sports Basement in Walnut Creek. Preseason practices begin on Monday, April 15. For more information email Dori Freitas at dorifreitas@att.net or visit springwoodswim.com.
Clayton Valley Hall of Fame hosting bocce ball tournament Mar. 23
Clayton Valley High School’s Athletic Hall of Fame is holding a benefit bocce ball tournament in Clayton at the Ipsen Family Courts on Saturday, Mar. 23 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. The tournament is limited to 16 teams ($400 team entry fee) with a $500 cash prize to the champions. For more information and to register email Herc Pardi at herc_pardi@hotmail.com.
Dana Hills Swim Team taking summer signups
City Meet champion and County swimming second-place finisher Dana Hills Swim Team of Clayton is taking registration for the upcoming summer rec season. Entering its 42nd year, the Otters welcome boys and girls 3-18 years of age. Signups run through May 3. There are multi-child discounts. Younger swimmers can join the Otter Pups, which is not a “learn to swim” program, but is a “learn to swim team” program. Evaluations for the Otter Pups will be on Saturday, April 6. First day of team practice is April 8 and the season runs through the end of July. Visit danahillsotters.com for more information.
Concord Cup XXVI accepting team registrations
The area’s largest annual youth soccer tournament, Concord Cup, returns for its 26th season at a variety of local parks May 18-19. Boys and girls club and recreation teams from under 9 (2010) through U19 (2000) are eligible to participate. Diablo FC, Mt. Diablo Soccer and Concord AYSO co-sponsor the tournament. Visit concordcup.com for complete information and to register a team to participate.
Clayton Valley Athletic Hall of Fame looking for players from new inductees
The 2019 class for the Clayton Valley High School Hall of Fame includes three North Coast Section championship Eagles teams. Event organizers are reaching out to locate members of those teams. The honorees will be inducted Friday, May 3, at Shadelands Art Center in Walnut Creek. The teams are coach Bill Smith’s 1978 wrestling team, the 1999 boys swim team of coach Matt Chamberlain and coach Gary Gardner’s 1979 girls volleyball team. Players on those teams should email committee member Herc Pardi with their contact info to herc_pardi@hotmail.com. Visit the new Hall of Fame website for more info and to purchase tickets at cvhshof.com.
Diablo FC spring rec league underway next week
Diablo FC is offering a spring recreation league for boys and girls 3-12 years of age at Newhall Park in Concord. Diablo FC professional coaches work with parent volunteers to train in a fun, developmental atmosphere. The league runs from Monday, Mar. 18, through May 4. Visit diablofc.org to get more information on the rec league and other club programs.
St. Agnes CYO track taking signups
St. Agnes CYO spring track and field program is open to boys and girls in second through eighth grades. Saturday meets begin in March and the season runs through May 10, culminating with the Oakland Diocese championships. For more information email stagnescyotrack@gmail.com or visit stagnescyo.com.
Walnut Country accepting swim registration online
Walnut Country Swim Team is now registering swimmers 4-18 years for its summer rec program. For more information and to register for the summer season visit the Walnut Country Swim Team Stingrays website.
Chris Wondolowski honored by college conference
De La Salle High and Diablo Valley Soccer Club (Diablo FC) alum Chris Wondolowski will be inducted into the California Collegiate Athletic Association Athletic Hall of Fame. As part of the Chico State soccer team, Wondo led the Wildcats to the NCAA Division II championship game in 2003. He was a four-year member of the Chico State team and was first team all-CCAA every year. His storybook professional career includes 35 appearances for the United States National Team and he now stands two goals short of setting the all-time goal-scoring record in Major League Soccer. The San Jose Earthquakes captain is being called “perhaps the most decorated NCAA Division II athlete in history and one of sports’ ultimate success stories, going from late-round Supplemental Draft pick and bit-part player to one of the league’s most feared goal-scorers.”
Oakhurst Orcas schedule swim team meet and greet nights
Oakhurst Orcas and eighth-year head coach Jasmine Castillo have scheduled meet and greet registration on Thursday, Mar. 14, and Tuesday, Apr.16, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Oakhurst Country Club in Clayton. Early registration discounts are given to families that register before Mar. 14. Registration forms are available at oakhurstorcas.com under the forms tab.
Natalie Coughlin into another Hall of Fame
Carondelet and Cal Berkeley grad Natalie Coughlin is being inducted into another hall of fame. Last year she was among the first class of inductees to the Carondelet Hall of Fame and last weekend she was inducted to the Vallejo Sports Hall of Fame. Growing up in Vallejo her earliest swimming memories are at the Cal Maritime pool. She was a national record holder at Carondelet, NCAA champion at Cal and then a 12-time Olympic medalist.
Jay Bedecarré
Jay Bedecarré is a long-time resident and writer in Concord and Clayton. He began his newspaper writing career while still a senior at Mt. Diablo High School and he has been part of The Pioneer since its inception in 2003. Jay also operates Bay Area Festivals, presenting events around the San Francisco Bay Area including Bay Area KidFest annually in Downtown Concord.