Sports Shorts Sports Shorts (February 11, 2004)

RUNNING TO WORLDS . . . Three members of the Stanford cross-country program and one Cardinal graduate all have earned berths on the USA team that will compete at the 2004 IAAF World Championships, March 20-21 in Brussels, Belgium. Stanford freshmen Kathleen and Amanda Trotter qualified in the Junior Women's 6K while freshman Forrest Tahdooahnip made it in the Junior Men's 8K and Stanford grad Lauren Fleshman qualified in the Open Women's 4K during the U.S. Cross Country Championships last weekend in Indianapolis, Ind. The top six finishers in each race qualified for the World Championships. Running in temperatures in the mid-20's on a course that was snowy and a bit slippery, Kathleen Trotter finished second over 6,000 meters in 21:06 while Amanda placed fifth (21:34). "It really means a lot to make the team with my sister (Amanda)," said Kathleen Trotter. "We've had a couple weeks of hard training at Stanford, and it's finally good to know that you're top six, and that you're going to go to the World Championships." Kathleen and Amanda helped Stanford win the 2003 NCAA, NCAA Regional and Pac-10 cross country titles. Tahdooahnip clocked 24:25 to finish fourth in the Junior Men's 8K while Fleshman ran 12:38 to finish third in the Open Women's 4K. "The strategy was to run this like a trials, make the World Championship team, and to feel good doing this," Fleshman said. "I got out faster than I expected to, so I was up there in third place from the beginning, so, I figured there's no point slowing down, and the pace felt right. I just hung with that pack and tried to stay relaxed." In the Women's 8K race, Castilleja grad Katie (McCandless) McGregor finished second in 26:47 while Stanford grad Sarna (Renfro) Becker of the Nike Farm Team was 10th in 28:35.

MENLO ROUNDUP . . . Whenever playing women's basketball one thing is sure: Ki'i Spencer-Vasconcellos is sure to have a good game. That played true again last weekend as the senior had 23 points in a 61-59 win over CSU-Monterey Bay on Saturday and 31 points Friday an 84-42 thumping of host Bethany College. Maria Gomez added 14 points and Nadia Clark had 11 off the bench against Bethany. Menlo improved to 6-4 in California Pacific Conference action (10-9 overall) . . . In men's action, Mike Watters had a team high 14 points while Trevor Mates chipped in with 12 more as Menlo fell to CSU-Monterey Bay 76-51 in Seaside. Menlo fell to 4-9 in conference (4-16 overall) . . . In softball, Menlo opened its season by dropping a pair of games to host Redlands, 4-3 and 8-0.

OF LOCAL NOTE . . . Stanford grad Toby Stevenson won the men's pole vault with a clearance of 18-8 1/4 at the annual Millrose Games indoor track and field meet in New York last weekend . . . Menlo Park resident Peter Gilmore finished ninth in the U.S. Men's Olympic Marathon Trials on Saturday in Birmingham, Ala. Gilmore clocked 2 hours, 15 minutes and 44 seconds, four minutes behind winner Alan Culpepper (2:11.42).

LOCAL SOCCER NEWS . . . The Union Football Club is a recently formed CYSA club located in Palo Alto and will be holding tryouts. For information, visit the website at www.unionfootballclub.com or call 387-4128 . . . The Stanford Vortex Under-14 boys' team is holding tryouts for the spring and fall seasons. Information: 321-5944 or www.stanfordsoccerclub.org . . . The MVLA CyberRays, a CYSA Under-12 girls' Class 3 (born after 7/31/91) is looking for several fast, skilled and dedicated players to help the team move up to the next level. Players can be from Saratoga, Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Los Altos, and Los Altos Hills. Information: 996-0505 or by email at almartin@stanford.edu . . . The Stanford Wildfire, an Under-12 girls' Class 3 team moving to Class 1, is holding tryouts for the upcoming spring season. Contact Barbara Zimmer at 424-0736 or kev-barb@pacbell.net.

COACHES NEEDED . . . Woodside Priory is looking for baseball, golf plus track and field coaches for the spring season. Interested coaches should contact Athletic Director Mark Stogner at 851-6107 . . . Sacred Heart Prep is looking for assistant swim coaches for the spring, to work with the boys' and girls' teams. Interested coaches should contact SHP athletic director Mike Ciardella at 473-4031.

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