Former Carmel swimmer shatters 2 school marks at George Washington
Connor Rodgers has inked his name into the George Washington University swimming record books after setting new school and conference marks in two events.
The Carmel High graduate came from behind to win the 400-yard individual medley, setting a new Atlantic 10 conference and meet record with a time of 3 minutes, 46.25 seconds.
Rodgers, who trains with the Monterey Swim Club in the off-season, rewrote the conference mark in the 200 fly by a half second, capturing gold in 1:44.47.
The sophomore also anchored George Washington's winning 800 free relay team and swam the lead leg on the gold medalwinning 400 individual medley relay team.
His quadruple title helped George Washington, which is in Washington D.C., to its third straight men's conference team title and sixth in the last seven years.
The Atlantic 10 Most Outstanding Rookie Performer last year as a freshman, Rodgers won the 500 free at last year's conference finals.
A four-year member of Carmel's swim team, Rodgers was fourth in 2019 in the 400 IM at the USA Swimming Futures Championships.
COAST CONFERENCE BASKETBALL HONORS >> Ray McNeal-Price was named the Coast Conference Player of the Year for conference women's basketball champion Hartnell College, while Natalie Marlowe was chosen as the Coach of the Year.
McNeal-Price averaged a double-double this past season for the Panthers, who won their first conference title since 2001 and went into the postseason riding a six-game winning streak.
Joining McNeal-Price on the first team for Hartnell was repeater Daja Scott Mitchell, North Salinas graduate Leslie Jauregui and Tori Gillette. Mariah Schlapfer was a secondteam selection.
Kaiya Dickens and Bella Soto were first-team picks for Monterey Peninsula College, while Shelby Sitko earned second-team honors. Lyndsey Llantero was an honorable mention pick.
On the men's side, playoff-bound MPC saw Monterey High graduate Suheil Ibrahim named to the first team, with Jadan Adams being a second-team selection.
Connor Brown was chosen to the first team for Hartnell.
CLEMENTS OFF TO A BLISTERING START >> Coming on the heels of the best freshman season in Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo softball history, Jessica Clements is hitting .364 in the team's first four games this spring.
The former Santa Catalina four-year starter leads the Mustangs in walks (four) and is second in runs scored, compiling a .563 on-base percentage.
A contact hitter with deceptive power, Clements has yet to strike out in 16 at-bats and has been flawless in the field as an outfielder.
Last year the 5-foot-8 left-handed swinging Clements was the Big West Freshman Field Player of the Year, leading the conference with a .396 batting average, racking up 63 hits.
Clements was a thirdteam NFCA All-West Region selection and a finalist for the Schutt Sports NFCA Division I National
Freshman of the Year honor.
Teammate and former North Salinas High standout Jade Contapay has appeared in three games as a pinch runner, scoring two runs for Cal Poly. STAPLETON, AMARAL AT USF >> Christian Stapleton and J.T. Amaral have each started in the University of San Francisco baseball team's first four games this spring.
A redshirt junior, Stapleton homered in his first game for the Dons, and has driven in six runs as their first baseman, with half of his hits being extra bases.
Amaral, who was recruited as a catcher, is starting in right field, having doubled in his first college at-bat for USF.
The former Palma multi-sport athlete leads USF in walks and is third in runs scored, sporting a .412 on-base percentage.
Stapleton, who prepped at Carmel, was The Herald's Baseball Player of the Year in 2018 when he hit over .600.
SALINAS MOUNTAIN BIKE
TEAM >> Nathan Agan earned the fastest time and the leader jersey for Salinas High, capturing the first racing series of the high school mountain bike season in Modesto.
The Cowboys have put together one of the top high school (not sanctioned by the CIF) teams in the state over the past five years.
Agan was joined on the podium by Asher Banks, who had the fastest sophomore race, finishing second overall.
Earning top-five finishes in their respective divisions for the Cowboys were Harper Walker Lee, Nate Crandall, Diana Rivera-Rojo, Nicklas Weidemann and Alex Tudor.
MONTEREY BAY WIZARDS SIGNUPS >> Signups for boys and girls in third-12th grade are being taken for the Monterey Bay Wizards Youth Basketball Academy. In person registration will be held March 13 from 5-6:30 p.m. and March 18 at 9 a.m. at the Hartnell College Auxiliary Gym. For more information, email Mbay5@aol.com or contact Jim Rimando at (831) 594-4413.
CJS BASKETBALL ACADEMY SIGNUPS >> Registration for the Chris Jackson Sports Academy traveling basketball team will be March 4-5 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Pizza Factory on 1945 Natividad Road in Salinas. Contact Chris Jackson at 831-794-1959 or go to coach@cjssportsdacademy.com
SEASIDE'S FINEST TRYOUTS >> Seaside Finest will have tryouts for their upcoming AAU travel basketball season on March 5. Participants in ninth-12th grade will go from 4-5:30 p.m., while those in thirdeighth grades are from 6-7:30 p.m. Go to https:// seasidesfinest.leagueapps. com/events/3743202-skillsassessment-2023. For more information contact Jason Hieb (831) 915-5362.
GEN GIAMMANCO FOUNDATION >> Applications for all Monterey County senior student-athletes are being accepted for the Gen Giammanco Foundation award program.
Since the foundation was formed in 2011, over $450,000 has been awarded to student-athletes who have continued their athletic careers in college and Monterey County schools.
Last year the foundation awarded $38,000 to students and $12,700 for county schools for their sports programs.
The criteria and application are available at www. gengiammancofoundation. org. Applications are due March 31.