Sports Shorts Sports Shorts (April 23, 2004)

FOOTBALL FAN FEST . . . Stanford's annual Spring Football Fan Fest will be held on Saturday at Stanford Stadium. The day includes a youth clinic, free food and drinks, play stations, interactive games and activities, the Cardinal-White Game and an autograph session. Fans will have a chance to check out the 2004 Cardinal in the annual Spring Game, which will begin at 1 p.m. The scrimmage will last approximately one hour. Following the scrimmage, fans will have an opportunity to meet players and get autographs. A Youth Clinic gets the day started at 11 a.m. All kids 14 and under are welcome to participate. Signups begin at 10:15 a.m. on the Stanford football practice fields. The one-hour clinic will feature members of the Cardinal football team and coaching staff. The first 500 participants will earn a free membership to Team Cardinal, which includes a T-shirt and free admission to selected games. The Fan Fest gets under way at 12:10 p.m. at Stanford Stadium. Free food and drinks will be provided to the first 2,000 fans.
RUGBY NATIONALS . . . The U.S. Collegiate Rugby Championships will return to Stanford next week for the second straight year. Heading the men's field of four will be defending champion and top-seeded Air Force. The Falcons will face Cal Poly-SLO in one semifinal on Friday, April 30 at 2 p.m. Second-seeded Navy and No. 3 Cal will meet in the Stanford rugby stadium at 4 p.m. The women's semifinals that day will pit No. 1 Navy and No. 3 Penn State at 10 a.m., followed by No. 2 Virginia and No. 4 Princeton at noon. On Saturday, May 1, four championship matches will be held. The women's Division II finals start at 10 a.m., followed by the women's Division I title match at noon, the men's Division II finals at 2 p.m., and the men's Division I championship at 4 p.m. The two-day event is sponsored by USA Rugby.

SWIMATHON . . . Gunn High will be hosting its annual swimathon on Saturday beginning at the pool at 9 a.m. Members of the school's swim teams will swim laps for pledged donations. A barbecue will get under way at 11 a.m. The fund-raising day benefits efforts to build a new pool on campus. Those who would like to contribute to the pool-building effort can contact Gunn Athletic Director Tom Jacoubowsky at 354-8214.

TENNIS TICKETS AVAILABLE . . . Individual tickets for the Bank of the West Classic went on sale on Monday. The Classic, a WTA Tour Tier II event, will be held July 12-18 at the Taube Tennis Stadium on Stanford's campus. Venus Williams, Kim Clijsters and Lindsay Davenport have all committed early to compete at Stanford. The trio represent the past six championships in event, with Clijsters the defending champion. She also won in 2001, while Williams won the title in 2000 and 2002 and Davenport won in 1998 and 1999. Williams, who missed last year's tournament with a strained abdominal muscle, won the Family Circle Cup title on Sunday in Charleston, South Carolina. It was her first tournament win since February of 2003. "We are excited to be able to announce that Kim, Venus and Lindsay are coming back this year," said Tournament Director Gus Sampras. "We are expecting a great week of tennis." Tickets are priced between $10-$80 per session and are available through City Box Office at 1-415-392-4400 or through Tickets.com at (650) 478-2277. Day sessions Monday through Thursday begin at 10 a.m. and Friday and Saturday at 11 a.m. Evening sessions begin at 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and Saturday at 8 p.m. Sunday's final is scheduled for 1 p.m.

COACHES' CORNER . . . Menlo School is accepting applications for the position of boys varsity basketball coach. Resumes should be sent to the attention of Craig Schoof, Director of Athletics, via email at cschoof@menloschool.org, or by mail to 50 Valparaiso Ave., Atherton, CA 94027 . . . Gunn High is accepting applications for the position of boys' varsity basketball coach. Interested persons should contact Tom Jacoubowsky, Director of Athletics, at 354-8290 . . . Sacred Heart Prep has openings for a boys' varsity basketball coach and a girls' varsity soccer coach. Interested applicants should send resumes to Rich Dioli, Principal, Sacred Heart Prep, 150 Valparaiso Ave., Atherton, 94027. Further information: 473-4020.

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