With school back in session after spring break, last week’s schedule was pretty busy for Riverbank High athletes. Most teams are winding down Trans-Valley League play, with many looking ahead to possible postseason action.
Bruin Co-Ed Tennis
The Riverbank team had a match on Tuesday, against Livingston, which they won, but another Trans-Valley League game on Wednesday left the season with a three-way tie for first place in the TVL, according to RHS coach Bruce Edwards.
Since all three teams beat each other once, and there is no playoff provision, the league acknowledged the trio – Riverbank, Escalon and Hughson – as TVL champs, he said.
Then, on Friday, the All-League Tournament was hosted in Riverbank. Though some players didn’t do as well as they hoped, in mixed doubles, freshmen Cynthia Pantoja and Victor Jacobo continued their undefeated streak and finished in first place.
The girls doubles number one seed pair, sophomore Ines Albert, an exchange student from Spain, and freshman Nathalie Garcia were runners up to Escalon, in a close match.
Edwards also noted that a several of the Bruin tennis team were named as All-League players.
On the boys side, they include Frank Manzo, Arthus Schnebelen, Roberto D’Agnano and Victor Jacobo. Schnebelen is an exchange student from France, while D’Agnano is a student from Spain, both seniors. The coach noted that D’Agnano has only been playing tennis this year.
All-League Riverbank girls include Jimena Cuellar, Nathalie Garcia, Ines Albert and Cynthia Pantoja.
Edwards was again named TVL Coach of the Year.
On Saturday, Riverbank hosted the TVL Doubles Qualifying Match, where Schnebelen and D’Agnano took second place, while Garcia and Pantoja finished in first. In mixed doubles, the two Bruin pairs swept through the competition, Edwards said, with Manzo and Kaelyn Tongson beating their teammates, Cuellar and Jacobo, finishing first and second.
The coach said that Riverbank will be in the section team playoffs that will start in early May.
“We will most likely be traveling, as we were seeded third in our league based upon our overall match records,” he said.
Bruin Varsity Baseball
The Riverbank diamondmen had a busy week, as well, with a rare doubleheader at Modesto Christian that helped make up a missed game from earlier in the season. They played an afternoon game and an evening game there, since MC has a lighted field.
After beating the Crusaders in a tournament earlier in the season, the Bruins fell last week, 6-5, early in the day, as the home team, on Thursday, April 20. Then they lost again that evening, 17-11, as the away team.
They hosted Stone Ridge Christian in a non-league game Saturday morning, that had been rained out early in the season. Riverbank beat the Knights, 15-8. Baseball was scheduled to complete its season with games against Hilmar, away on April 25, and at home on Thursday, April 27, with Senior Recognition Night.
Co-Ed Track & Field
Riverbank had a dual meet on Wednesday, April 19, hosting Hughson and a few runners from Modesto Christian. But the big event was the German Fernandez Distance Carnival, on Friday, April 21, staged in the Angelo Novi Stadium on the RHS campus.
The meet honors former Bruin track star German Fernandez, who competed in the distance events while a student in Riverbank. He holds a number of records from 2008, his senior year.
They include the 800, 1600 and 3200-meter races. His 4:00.24 in the 1600 is a California Interscholastic Federation state record that still stands, as is his 8:34.33 time in the 3200. And he holds a Cross Country record of 14:24 from 2007.
Fernandez is most well-known for running the California Cross Country State Meet course record (14:24), as well as running a new American high school record, 8:34.40 for two miles, at the 2008 Nike Outdoor Nationals championship. He also holds the World Junior Indoor Mile record at 3:55.02.
He competed while attending Oklahoma State College, and in several Olympics.
An interesting side note was discovered as the girls 1600-meter race was finishing last Friday. RHS freshman Giselle Fernandez won the event going away, with a time of 5:25.08. Coach Monte Wood mentioned that Giselle is the Bruin alum’s little sister. Wood said she was born the year her elder brother graduated, so the running must ‘run’ in the family.
Though there are far fewer events in the carnival, far more athletes participate. And results have no impact on league standings, so in addition to wanting to win, participants mainly work to set a new personal record (PR) in their events.
And more than just TVL schools came to compete. Runners from all over Northern California, as far away as Atwater, Lodi, Tracy and a number of the high schools in Modesto participated. Because of the number of competitors, each event had several heats. As an example, the boys 1600-meter race had three heats, with 25 to 30 runners in each.
In addition to the 1600 for both boys and girls, the events in this special series included 800-meter, 3200-meter, and 4x800-meter relay races.
The Frosh/Soph TVL Championship is scheduled for Friday at Ripon High School, and the TVL Championship Meet is set for Thursday, May 4, at Hughson.
Bruin Volleyball
Riverbank varsity boys hosted a TVL match against Ripon on Wednesday, April 19, falling 16-25, 25-27, and 11-25 in three games. It was their last home game of the season, so seniors were honored before the game.
They were scheduled to finish out the season on the road, at Hilmar on Tuesday and at Livingston on Thursday.
Lady Bruin Softball
The Riverbank girls traveled to Livingston on Wednesday, April 19, falling 8-6, then won 9-2, at Hilmar the next day. They’re scheduled to host Ripon on Friday this week, and welcome Hughson next Wednesday.
