Sports Shorts Sports Shorts (May 04, 2005)

TOP OF THE LIST . . . Palo Alto High senior Hilary Austinn Freeman, who is headed to Stanford in the fall, was named the Central Coast Section Female Scholar Athlete of the Year, and will receive a $1,500 scholarship. Freeman becomes the first Palo Alto athlete so honored. She played tennis in the fall before moving into soccer. She plans to study biology and/or international relations. The award is based on strict criteria involving academics, athletics and non-academic citizenship. In addition, each entrant submited an essay on a selected topic. Freeman earned the award from a pool of over 50 applicants. "The quality of extremely talented and dedicated student-athletes throughout the Central Coast Section (which ranges from San Francisco to, and including, King City) is again exemplified by these outstanding young men and women," CCS assistant commissioner Steve Stearns said. "The accomplishments they have already displayed in their school work, athletic endeavors, community service and personal lives is almost unfathomable."

WRESTLING CHAMPION . . . Menlo College sophomore Sara Fulp-Allen recorded a pin at 3:21 over Caitlyn Chase to win the 105-pound weight division at the U.S. National wrestling championships in Las Vegas on Saturday. Fulp-Allen trailed after the first period, but gained the upper hand in the first minute of the second period. Fulp-Allen beat Rachael Holthaus, 7-0, in the semifinals. Menlo freshman Laurin Daniels reached the quarterfinals of the 138-pound division before losing to Stefenie Shaw, 5-1. Daniels beat Megan Nevill of Cumberland College, 10-1, in the consolation finals.

CARDINAL CORNER . . . Stanford currently holds a slim 18.75 lead over Michigan in the race for the Sports Academy Director's Cup following the winter sports season. Stanford, which has won the award the past 10 years, has 875 points to Michigan's 856.25. North Carolina (655), Wisconsin (626.75) and Texas (618.25) round out the top five. Stanford picked up points in 10 of the 15 eligible sports, including men's basketball, women's basketball, fencing, women's gymnastics, men's gymnastics, women's swimming, men's swimming, women's indoor track and field, men's indoor track and field and wrestling. Michigan picked up points in eight sports, including men's ice hockey. Other Pac-10 teams among the top 100 include UCLA (10th), Arizona State (12th), Arizona (18th), USC (19th), Washington (20th), California (29th), and Oregon (74th) . . . Stanford is hosting a Youth Sports Festival and Seminar on Saturday, June 25 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 pm. The event features sports clinics hosted by Stanford University student-athletes and coaches for children ages 8-14, two seminars on the impact of sports participation, a panel discussion with former Stanford student-athletes and numerous interactive exhibits in a festival atmosphere. All events are free and open to the public. The first 1,000 children to register will receive a free Youth Festival t-shirt. For further information, call (650) 724-3910.

COACHING CORNER . . . Menlo-Atherton is looking for coaches for the 2005-06 school year: wrestling, girls' frosh-soph volleyball, track and field assistant, varsity football assistant and cheerleading. Those interested should contact M-A Athletic Director Pam Wimberly at 322-5311 (ext. 57-6) or e-mail resumes to pwimberl@seq.org . . . Menlo School is looking for a girls' varsity basketball assistant coach and girls' frosh-soph basketball coaches. Call 330-2001 (ext. 2282) or e-mail bmckinney@menloschool.org.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.