IN SPORTS: A LOOK AT THE LOCAL SCENE IN 2019
Today is the first day of a New Year and decade.
But before we leave 2019, there were plenty of memories made among area athletic teams. As we move forward in the new year, let’s take a look back at those and other sporting events in 2019.
Samuel Wright
In May, Lodi High pole vaulter Wright leaped to top honors at the 101st CIF State Track and Field Championships at Buchanan High of Clovis.
Competing in the boys’ pole vault, Wright won the championship with a leap of 16 feet, 5 inches on his second attempt. Prior, he cleared the bar at 16-01.
Wright, who is now attending Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., became the third Lodi High graduate to win a state title in a track and field event. Mike Alberg won the discus in 1975 and Lloyd Doty tied for the top spot in the pole vault with Sacramento’s Lawrence McLanahan at 12 feet, 10.75 inches.
Before reaching the state meet, Wright won the pole vaulting titles at the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters, Division I and the Tri-City Athletic League meets.
Collegiate pole vaulting comes to Lodi
In June, the countries best collegiate pole vaulters, along with the section’s best in the same sport, arrived in Lodi to compete at the USA Track and Field pole vault competition at the Lodi Farmer’s Market.
Some of the collegiate pole vaulters came from UCLA, Princeton and Samford University, all of whom competed in the Open Elite Men’s division. High school pole vaulters came from Oak Ridge and Golden Sierra — both in El Dorado County — and Turlock.
Liberty Ranch boys basketball, girls soccer and football
Toward the end of February, the Liberty Ranch High boys basketball and girls soccer teams played for section Division IV titles.
On Feb. 22, At Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, the Liberty Ranch boys basketball team played Sonora’s squad. The game was neck-and-neck until the final seconds of the fourth quarter, when Sonora pulled out a 73-70 win over Liberty Ranch, which had won its fourth consecutive Sierra Valley Conference title prior. Liberty Ranch finished its season at 29-4 and earned a CIF NorCal game.
On Feb. 21, the Liberty Ranch High girls soccer team, after playing in the last two section title games that resulted in tough losses, finally brought home the blue banner. Playing El Camino of Sacramento, the Hawks grounded the Eagles 4-0 for the title.
Both the Hawks’ boys basketball team and girls soccer squads played in CIF NorCal games. The Liberty Ranch girls soccer squad hosted its first and only NorCal game at Hawk Stadium, against Miramonte of Orinda. But Miramonte rallied from being behind a 2-1 score to post a 3-2 win. Liberty Ranch boys basketball lost to Fortuna, also in the first round.
In November, the Liberty Ranch High football team hosted Foothill of Sacramento at Hawk Stadium in a D-IV game. But the Mustangs spoiled the Hawks’ first-ever football home playoff game with a 47-30 win. Liberty Ranch finished its season at 5-6.
Lodi High baseball
In May, the Lodi High baseball team won the Tri-City Athletic League title and earned a section Division I playoff berth.
Some of the highlights of Lodi coach Hobie Schultz and the Flames, who finished with a 23-6 record, was beating defending league champion St. Mary’s three times. But the Flames had to forfeit one of the wins because of a pitcher going over the weekly pitch count. While en route to the league title, Lodi dominated Tokay in their three meetings by the scores of 10-1, 14-0 and 8-2.
Hosting Gregori of Modesto in the first round, Lodi saw its playoff run come to an end when Gregori squeaked out a 2-1 win. Lodi had averaged 7.1 runs per game before the playoff loss.
Liberty Ranch won the SVC title, finishing its season with an 18-10 record. For the first time since the school opened in 2009, Liberty Ranch beat West Campus of Sacramento, 3-2, for its first-ever playoff win. But the Hawks’ season ended when Casa Roble posted a 4-1 win in the second round.
Galt boys soccer
Twice was nice for Galt on Feb. 21.