Menlo School boys basketball coach Delandro Leday will hand over the reins next season after announcing his resignation Wednesday.
“The hardest part of this is saying goodbye to all the kids that I’ve had the honor of coaching,” Leday stated in a letter. “I can never say enough about the joy I had being your coach . . . We had one hell of a run and with that I know the program is in great shape and that is what I will take with me knowing.”
During Leday’s three seasons, the Knights went 51-30 overall and held a 37-8 record. The Knights won the Central Coast Section Division IV championship in 2013 and advanced to the section quarterfinals this past season.
Baseball
Sacred Heart Prep fell behind by 7-0 and couldn’t make up the deficit while dropping a 7-4 decision to visiting Carlmont in PAL Bay Division action on Wednesday in Atherton. The Gators (1-2, 6-5) scored four times in the fourth, sending 10 batters to the plate. A bases-loaded, two-run double by JR Hardy was the big hit of the inning for SHP.
In the SCVAL De Anza Division, Jack Cleasby had two hits and two RBI to help host Palo Alto post a 7-3 victory over Los Altos. The Vikings (3-2, 5-6) scored six runs in the second and wound up stealing six bases to help Brian Kannappan pick up the pitching win. He tossed six strong innings, allowing four hits and no earned runs. Chris Smith finished up, allowing one run in the seventh while combining on a five-hitter.
Boys golf
Menlo School fell out of a tie for first place in the West Bay Athletic League golf race following a 192-202 loss to visiting Harker at Palo Alto Hills Golf & Country Club on a rainy Wednesday.
The Knights (4-1) were led by co-captain Ethan Wong’s 5-over 40. Sophomore William Hsieh shot 41 and Riley Burgess carded a 42. Carter Burgess recorded a 44 with Jeff Herr and Rohin Chandra both finishing with a 45 on a difficult day for Menlo, with most of the players shooting above their season averages.
In the SCVAL De Anza Division, Gunn bounced back from its first league loss of the season and defeated host Homestead, 213-221, at par-35 Sunnyvale Municipal on Wednesday. The Titans moved to 8-1.
Girls lacrosse
Amanda Wiseman scored seven goals, but it still wasn’t enough as Menlo-Atherton dropped a 16-8 nonleague decision to host Redwood. The Bears (3-5-1) fell behind by 4-0 before Wiseman got her first goal. Junior Hannah Wilson led a defensive charge by M-A in the second half, but an 11-5 first-half lead by the Giants was too much to overcome.
Boys tennis
Menlo School handed host Sacred Heart Prep its first loss of the WBAL season, 7-0, on Wednesday. The victory was the 200th straight league win for Menlo coach Bill Shine in his 18th season with the Knights, who are 210-0 in league play since 1995. That mark is an ongoing state record. Shine took over in 1997.
Victor Pham, David Ball, Lane Leschly and Vikram Chari combined to lose just four games in singles against the Gators (6-1, 8-4).
Track and field
The Menlo girls finished second and the boys fourth at the WBAL Meet No. 1B on Wednesday at Menlo School. King’s Academy won both divisions.
The Menlo girls got a pair of victories from senior Maddy Price, who took the 100 in a CCS-leading time of 12.10 and came back to win the 300 hurdles in 44.93, the No. 3 time in the section this season.
Other Menlo girls winning included the Knights’ 400 relay (51.20) and freshman Dea Dressel in the 100 hurdles (19.11).
In the boys’ meet, senior Michael Reed of Menlo won the 100 in 11.89, Priory junior Ross Corey took the 800 in 1:57.38 and Menlo junior Paul Touma won the long jump at 19-3 1/4.
By Palo Alto Online Sports/Menlo Athletics
By Palo Alto Online Sports/Menlo Athletics
By Palo Alto Online Sports/Menlo Athletics