Sports Shorts Sports Shorts (December 17, 2004)

VOLLEYBALL'S BEST . . . Stanford senior Oganna Nnamani has been named a first-team All-American for the fourth straight time while Palo Alto High grad Nicole Brandt-Young of Cal State Hayward has been named the Division III Independents national Player of the Year. Nnamani becomes only the eighth Cardinal volleyball player to earn four All-America honors during her career, joining Kristin Folkl, Kristin Klein, Kim Oden, Bev Oden, Wendy Rush, Kerri Walsh and Logan Tom. Nnamani is the is the school and Pac-10 recordholder for career and single-season kills. The Division I national player of the year will be announced tonight in Long Beach. Brandt-Young won that honor for independent schools at the Division III level after leading the Pioneers to a 31-3 record this season while setting a school record for hitting percentage (.383) while topping the team in kills (339), aces (61) and blocks (108).

MENLO CORNER . . . Menlo College senior Cassandra Thomassin and junior Kari Shimomura were named to the Daktronics-NAIA Volleyball All-America Scholar-Athletes recently. Thomassin, who maintained a 3.68 GPA, was a key contributor to the Oaks' Cal Pac championship team. She was fifth on the team in kills with 84 and fourth in total blocks with 47. Shimomura, with a 3.55 GPA, finished second on the team in total kills with 229. She was also second in digs with 248 . . . The Menlo College men's and women's basketball teams play a pair of doubleheaders this weekend, beginning with tonight's games at Cal State Hayward. The women's game starts at 5:30 p.m., followed by the men. Holy Names visits Menlo on Saturday, with the women's game again starting at 5:30 p.m. . . . The Menlo College wrestling team is scheduled to compete in the Las Vegas Desert Duals on Monday.

OF LOCAL NOTE . . . Alpine Hills Tennis and Swim Club in Portola Valley will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a reunion on Sunday at the club at 2:30 p.m. For more information: 851-8843 . . . Palo Alto resident Brian Martin and his luge partner Mark Grimmette won two gold medals over the weekend in Calgary to up their U.S. best international medals total to 48 . . . Stanford grad Markus Rogan won two events and finished second in two others at the European short course men's swimming meet in Vienna over the weekend. The Austria native won the 200 back in 1:51.24, the 200 IM in 1:55.15 and finished second in the 100 back in 50.80, and second in the 100 IM in 53.54. Rogan was a two-time Olympic silver medalist while attending Stanford.

CARDINAL CORNER . . . Stanford senior tight end Alex Smith was named to the Walter Camp Football Foundation All-America second team. Smith completed his Cardinal career as the most prolific receiving tight end in school history with 107 receptions for 1,291 yards and eight touchdowns . . . Stanford senior goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart and junior defender Hayley Hunt were named to the NSCAA/adidas women's NCAA Division I All-America soccer team. Barnhart was voted to the first team, while Hunt earned second team honors. Barnhart, a two-time first-team All-American, finished the year with a 0.44 goals against-average after allowing only 10 goals in 22 games. Barnhart completed her collegiate career ranked No. 1 in school history with a 0.452 goals against-average and No. 2 in career shutouts with 39, one shy of the school record . . . Stanford grad Tara Kirk and Stanford senior Ogonna Nnamani were among those chosen to be honored for their academic and athletic achievements in 2004 by the NCAA Honors Committee. The Today's Top VIII Award winners will be recognized for their contributions at the annual NCAA Honors Dinner on Sunday, Jan. 9, at the NCAA Convention in Grapevine, Texas. Kirk, an Olympian, is a four-time NCAA swimming champion in the 100 breast, and a three-time champion in the 200 breast. She also is an NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship recipient. Nnamani, also an Olympian, led the Cardinal into the NCAA Final Four in volleyball this year. She also was a first-team ESPN the Magazine/CoSIDA Academic all-American.

COACHING CORNER . . . Palo Alto High is searching for a new girls' water polo head coach for the 2005 season. Interested persons should contact Earl Hansen, Palo Alto Athletic Director, at 329-3886 or ehansen@pausd.org . . . Basketball and soccer coaches (for boys and girls) are needed at St. Elizabeth Seton School in Palo Alto. Interested coaches should contact Pat Foy at 326-9004 . . . Menlo School has openings for girls' softball coaches: a varsity assistant, head frosh-soph and frosh-soph assistant. The season runs from February to May. For more information: 593-3895 . . . Sacred Heart Prep is looking for the following coaches: Varsity softball, varsity baseball and varsity girls' lacrosse. Those interested should contact Anthony Thomas, Athletic Director at 473-4031 . . . Castilleja School is looking for coaches for the upcoming season in varsity track and field in addition to an assistant coach for swimming. Interested persons should contact Athletic Director Jez McIntosh at jez_mcIntosh@castilleja.org . . . Menlo-Atherton High is looking for a number of coaches for the 2004-05 season: frosh-soph softball, girls' varsity lacrosse and girls' JV lacrosse. Interested persons should contact M-A Athletic Director Pam Wimberly at 322-5311 (ext. 5706).

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