US Rowing has invited Rachel Ersted, a 2010 graduate of Palo Alto High and current sophomore at the University of California, to attend the US U23 National Team Camp to be held this summer in Syracuse, N.Y., and Princeton, N.J.
Ersted is one of three collegiate coxswains chosen to compete for a place on the United States Under-23 Team scheduled to race at the World Championships in Trakai, Lithuania on July 11-15.
In addition, the camp may select crews in the women’s four, pair and double sculls that will compete at the USRowing Under 23 National Team Trials June 24-27 in West Windsor, N.J. A full team roster will be named by July 1.
The U.S. won four medals at the 2011 World Rowing Under 23 Championships in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, including gold in the women’s pair and men’s eight, and bronze in the women’s eight and lightweight men’s single sculls.
As a freshman, Ersted coxed Cal’s Varsity 8+ boat to dual-meet victories over Washington and Stanford and a 2011 Pac-10 Championships; she and her team earned a bronze medal at the 2011 NCAA Championships.
Baseball
Palo Alto High grad Wade Hauser is batting .471 to lead Tufts University this season. Hauser has 51 at-bats for the Jumbos, who are off to a 12-3 start.
Basketball
The JLS Middle School girls’ sixth-grade basketball team completed a 13-0 season after defeating Cunha Middle School of Half Moon Bay, 37-21, in the playoff finals of the Art David Athletic League last week.
JLS team members included Jessalyn Grant-Bier, Carly Leong, Chloe Gong, Karen Li, Sanjana Karamcheti, Meena Karamcheti , Mikaela Cagampan, Brianna Claros, and Dhesya Salsabila. The team was coached by Soni and Maléne Latu.
Girls’ soccer
Jake Moffat is stepping down after seven years as the head coach of the Sacred Heart Prep girls’ soccer team.
Beginning next academic year, Moffat will be the chairperson of the school’s English department. He’ll be replacing Kermit Holderman, who is retiring this June. The increased workload that goes with this new challenge, along with his wish to spend more time with daughter, doesn’t leave enough hours in the day to continue coaching the soccer team.
Moffat coached the Gators to the program’s first-ever Central Coast Section title in 2009 and to three straight West Bay Athletic League crowns from 2009-11. After graduating 10 seniors off last year’s team, SHP went 11-6-5 in 2012 and reached the third round of the CCS Division III playoffs before losing.
Sacred Heart Prep will begin a search immediately to find a new girls’ soccer head coach. Interested applicants should contact SHP Athletic Director Frank Rodriguez at frodriguez@shschools.org or at 650.473.4031.
Tennis
Menlo School grads Daniel Hoffman and Patrick Chase plus Sacred Heart Prep grad Erik Blumenkranz will help the Yale men’s team open Ivy League play this week following a loss to No. 58 St. John’s on Saturday.
Yale (11-6) goes into its first two Ivy League matches having won its past four away matches. The last time the Bulldogs lost on the road was against No. 11 Stanford. Also, the Bulldogs are undefeated against unranked opponents this season.
Yale swept the doubles against St. John’s and has won the doubles point in its last five matches. At No. 1 doubles, the nationally ranked No. 67 team of juniors Hoffman and Marc Powers clinched the doubles point against St. John’s with a 9-7 win. This tandem is currently on a four-match winning streak and has only lost twice this season (12-2). The duo is also the third-highest ranked Ivy League doubles team.
At No. 2 doubles, Chase (a sophomore) and junior John Huang look to maintain their formidable form that has seen them drop only 12 games in their past four matches as a team. Blumenkranz, meanwhile, leads the way at No. 3 doubles.
In singles against St. John’s, Hoffman saw his nine-match winning streak come to an end at No. 2 singles. Nonetheless, Hoffman has won nine of his past 10 matches and remains one of the Bulldogs’ most reliable players.
Blumenkranz also looks to rebound this weekend after a tough singles loss to the Red Storm.
Water polo
Palo Alto High grad Lizzie Abbott helped Harvard win a pair of CWPCA Southern Division matches last weekend as the Crimson clinched the No. 2 seed for the upcoming playoffs.
Abbott, a senior, had one assist and two steals in a 10-4 win over Mercyhurst and added four goals, one assist and two steals in an 18-12 win over George Washington on Saturday.
Abbott has 16 goals, nine assists and 19 steals for Harvard, which is 4-1 in its division and 12-9 overall this season under head coach Ted Minnis, the former Castilleja coach.
By Palo Alto Online Sports
By Palo Alto Online Sports
By Palo Alto Online Sports
Go Rachel!