Spring sports overcome elements, head to post-season

After having much of spring sports training and competition disrupted by consistent rains, teams and athletes are now readying for post-season play that gets underway in several sports before the end of the month.

Baseball – Clayton Valley Charter sits second with a 4-2 record in the Diablo Athletic League Foothill Division entering play this week but the Ugly Eagles have already won a championship, taking first at the 50th annual Alhambra Easter Tournament in Martinez. CVCHS (ranked 13th in the Bay Area) defeated Deer Valley, host Alhambra and Benicia 9-6 in the finals.

No. 7 ranked Acalanes is currently undefeated in DAL Foothill with the league concluding May 7.

Concord High baseball hosts its second annual Youth Day on Friday, May 3, for a 4:30 p.m. non-league game against Tamalpais. All youth players wearing their team jersey will get a free hot dog, chips and drink.

De La Salle is in Las Vegas this week for the inaugural All Catholic Classic against four nationally-prominent teams hosted by Bishop Gorman High. The Spartans are currently ranked No. 1 in the Bay Area, losing only one of its first 15 games.

They lead the East Bay Athletic League Mountain Division standings at 9-0, the most recent victory 7-6 over Foothill in a back and forth contest. Their EBAL ends May 3 before the league playoffs May 7-10.

De La Salle has won three consecutive NCS Division I championships and five of the last seven. The NCS playoffs begin May 14-15 with the finals set May 24-25.

Lacrosse – Clayton Valley Charter is first at 6-0 in the single DAL boys division with one match remaining.

Northgate visit CVCHS April 26 in the regular-season finale. The league playoffs are Apr. 30 – May 3 and NCS tournaments for boys and girls begin May 7.

Miramonte and Acalanes are 6-0 in girls lacrosse and face off in the last game of the DAL season.

De La Salle and Carondelet sit in the middle of the pack in EBAL standings.

Softball – Carondelet is second at 6-1 is second to undefeated and top-ranked Foothill in the EBAL softball race. The Cougars aim to reach the NCS playoffs and defend their Division II championship.

College Park leads the DAL Foothill race and the Falcons are ranked third in the Bay Area. CVCHS is 13th but only 2-2, tied with Concord, in the DAL.

The DAL softball schedule mirrors baseball with the double round-robin schedules running until May 9. NCS playoffs begin May 14-15 with the finals May 24-25.

Track & Field – Area athletes continue to shine on the track and in field events.

Clayton Valley Charter seniors Cameron Reynolds, headed to UCLA in the fall, and Daylon Hicks are back at this year. Reynolds, second in the state last year in the 400 meters and 4×400 relay, has the best time in the 200 meters this year and is third behind teammate Justin Lowe in the 400. Hicks was second in the high jump at state last year and is currently ranked No. 1 in NCS and tied for second in the state with a 6-10 mark.

Concord middle distance star Rayna Stanziano will be looking for a potential state title next month in her final prep meet and currently is NCS No. 1 in the 800 and second in the 1600.

Other local athletes who are tops in their events are juniors Kelly Kern (Carondelet, pole vault) and Airiana Dargan (Concord, long jump and triple jump).

The DAL track and field dual meet schedule goes through Apr. 10 while the EBAL ends a day later. The DAL and EBAL league meet finals are May 4. The EBAL Trials are Apr. 26, a day before DAL Trials.

The Tri-Valley NCS Championships are May 11 in Dublin, the NCS Meet of Champions May 17-18 at Diablo Valley College and the State Meet May 24-25 in Clovis.

Boys Volleyball – Northgate has won two invitational tournaments this spring without dropping a set while racking up an overall 19-0 record. They most recently took five straight matches at the St. Patrick – St. Vincent Invitational after earlier winning the Redwood NorCal Invitational.

The double-round robin DAL schedule ends next Thursday. NCS playoffs are Apr. 30 – May 9 and NorCal championships are May 14-18.

Swimming & Diving – The DAL championship meet is next Thursday and Saturday in Moraga at Campolindo High. Concord Community Pool hosts NCS May 2-4 and the CIF State meet is in Clovis May 10-11.

Boys Tennis – DAL championships are Apr. 25-27. The Section team championships are May 7-11 after the singles and doubles tournament May 3-4.