The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of female empowerment.
Perhaps that bears a little bit of explaining.
It has been a good run for local high school girls, both in the athletic arena and stepping out into the spotlight. And it has been fun to watch it unfold.
I got to stop by Oakdale High School when family, friends and school officials sent off the varsity girls soccer team, playing for a Section title, the bus making two passes in front of the school on West G Street, with a police car in front, a fire engine in back. Though they didn’t win the blue banner, their head coach Kico Monares was quick to point out that the team was focused on the same goal and supportive of each other. It was only the second time in school history the team has made it to the championship game.
For the Escalon Lady Cougars varsity basketball girls, they made some history of their own with the team’s first ever appearance in a Section final and they also had a lights and sirens escort out of town along Escalon-Bellota Road when they headed to UC Davis for their game. As it was with Oakdale, the team did not come home with the banner, having to settle for second place, but reaching the final is a huge accomplishment in itself. And, like Oakdale, head coach Joseph Dalpogetti said the team was a close-knit squad and took the loss harder for their teammates than they did for themselves.
In Riverbank, it was a long road trip for the Lady Bruins in the first round of the NorCals that saw them upset a higher seed team, only to then fall at home in an overtime heartbreaker in the second round.
For both Escalon and Riverbank, it was an unforgettable season, as the teams each had a player reach the 1,000-point mark for their high school career. Escalon’s Macie Vickers and Riverbank’s Chancis Gamez hit that milestone, something that few achieve, and two female players from small schools in the Trans-Valley League did it the same season.
Covering sports is definitely the fun part of my job and to see these teams and players performing at such a high level makes it all the better.
Not to be outdone, this was also my first time attending the Distinguished Young Women showcase in Oakdale, going as the reporter/photographer since one of the participants was the daughter of our Oakdale reporter who usually covers it.
In short, all eight of those taking part were amazing. Talk about stepping into the spotlight; they did dance routines, they shared their talents in onstage performances, they stood in front of the microphone and explained who they would choose – dead or alive – to eat dinner with and why.
The panel of judges had the task of deciding who was the ‘winner’ and suffice it to say I am glad they were sitting where they were and I was sitting with camera and notebook in hand.
Again, the undercurrent of this event, put on by the Soroptimist International of Oakdale, was one of true camaraderie. Participants from last year’s event come back to help out with the choreography, provide emotional support and coaching, and are there to assist wherever needed.
Even the newly chosen Distinguished Young Woman, Madison Mattos, enthusiastically spoke of the bond all of them had formed and how grateful she was to have taken part in the event.
For myself and co-worker and friend Michelle Kendig, who got to sit with me in the ‘media’ section, we were truly at a loss for words and simply stunned by some of the talent. Friend and co-worker Teresa Hammond’s daughter Maddy chose to sing – and sign – the well-known hymn ‘How Great Thou Art’ and her acapella version moved Michelle and I to tears; we just looked at each other afterward and said “Wow.”
And that’s been the word for much of what I’ve seen and covered the past few weeks. There’s been a healthy dose of girl power, for lack of a better term, and it has been impressive.
Wow.
Marg Jackson is editor of The Oakdale Leader, The Escalon Times and The Riverbank News. She may be reached at mjackson@oakdaleleader.com or by calling 209-847-3021.
