SGV/WHITTIER PREP SPORTS ZONE NOTEBOOK: MAY 9, 2022
Notes from throughout the area...
Could Mt. SAC be a place that the CIF Southern Section will be utilizing next spring? That is the possibility after speaking with many swimming and track and field insiders over the weekend.
While the swimming community was thankful that the Margarite Aquatics Center in Mission Viejo served the purpose of the section this past weekend for the CIF-SS Swimming championships, it was a consensus opinion that it was too small to handle an event like a sectional championship moving forward.
Where could the championships be held? Swimming coaches and insiders are hoping that the new refurbished Mt. SAC Aquatics Center will be the site of future championships. Construction has started on the new facility and the artist renditions of the facility have everyone extraordinarily excited.
The artist rendition of Mt. SAC’s new Aquatics Center that has begun renovations recently. (Courtesy: Mt. SAC)
According to the school website, “The Aquatics Complex includes a 59-meter (all deep) competition pool with two movable bulkheads, a 30-meter (shallow to deep) teaching/diving pool with movable bulkhead, four competition diving boards, heated therapy pool, and seating for 2,500.”
What stands in the way of this happening?
Money
Discussions are being planned in the future to see if the section office and the school can work out an agreement. It is the opinion of this observer that this facility would be a perfect spot for not only sectional championships, but state championships as well. The city of Walnut is beautifully set up for these events with plenty of hotels, and restaurants, and is easily accessible off the San Bernardino Freeway (I-10).
If negotiations do not go well, insiders have indicated that the championships would return to Riverside City College. The venue was used by the section for its championships before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down athletic competition in the spring of 2020. The swimming championships were held last year at Santa Margarita High School.
Another CIF Southern Section spring sport that could be moving to Mt. SAC is track and field. The Mt. SAC Relays returned to Hilmer Lodge Stadium this past spring to raving reviews from anyone that attended the event. The stadium could be used by USATF (USA Track and Field) for national championships and Olympic trials further into the future.
One of the main attractions of the stadium is that weather conditions would be more favorable to athletes than at Cerritos College or other venues. Back in 2017 when the stadium hosted the sectional finals, commissioner Rob Wigod said in a video interview with me that the section hoped that it would return to Mt. SAC once the facility was completely refurbished.
The question on the table is “Why didn’t they return to Mt. SAC this year?” Insiders indicated that COVID-19 Health and Safety protocols with the LA County of Public Health were the main stumbling block – which forced the section to hold its championships and Masters Meet at Moorpark High School.
We would be shocked if Mt. SAC was not utilized for the track championships next year and could be in the mix to host the state championships if the state office decides to open the bidding. One sport that the facility will not host is a state championship football final. According to state insiders, the main stumbling block is that state officials prefer the use of the all-purpose field turf surface rather than natural grass to handle possible turbulent weather conditions.
GIRLS BASKETBALL COACHING CHANGES
Times are changing in the Mission Valley League as two of its top girls basketball coaches have left different programs.
Desiree Almaraz, who led Gabrielino to a Mission Valley League championship last year, has accepted the position at Arcadia High School. She will be replacing Adam Conover, who stepped down at the end of this past season to take a similar position at Muir High School, his alma mater.
Almaraz had a very successful tenure as a coach as she complied a 95-40 record and won three Mission Valley League championships and had one season with a record below .500.
Another coach in the move is longtime coaching legend, Steve Goldstein. Goldstein has stepped down as the girls coach at Rosemead High School to accept a similar position with Duarte High School’s boys basketball team.
Goldstein coached at Rosemead for six seasons and compiled a record of 103-42, winning a Mission Valley League title in 2018.
Among the coaching position that recently became vacant include Cross County at San Marino and softball at Montebello High Schools and the varsity football coaching position at Bassett High School.
SPRING FOOTBALL UPDATE
With the conclusion of spring sports two weeks ago, area football teams have begun spring football throughout the area. Bishop Amat will be hosting the area’s first “College Showcase and Breakfast” on May 11th from 6:30 a.m. to 8:00. The event is being used as a vehicle for players on the team to highlight their abilities in front of collegiate coaches.
This has become a new trend in high school football in Southern California. Other programs that have done this successfully include San Clemente and St. John Bosco High School.
AREA BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL GAMES SLATED
As is always the case, some of the top senior baseball and softball players will be featured after the playoffs are completed in a pair of all-star games.
The San Gabriel Valley Baseball All-Star game will take place on Saturday, June 5th at South Hills HS. Game time is slated for 1 p.m., with various pregame activities that will get underway at 11 a.m. Area coaches looking to nominate players for the game should contact Darren Murphy at South Hills HS or Donnie Montanez at Nogales HS.
The annual San Gabriel Valley softball all-star game will take place on May 23rd at Citrus College. What makes this game different is that it will be a mixture of top senior and underclass players. Coaches looking to nominate players for the game should get a hold of Jesse Munoz at 626-430-8443.
Finally, this Friday is the annual North vs South All-Star football game. Coaching the north will be new Sierra Vista football coach Jesse Ceniceros and Pasadena’s Dejuan Shamburger will be heading up the south team.
The kickoff is slated for 7:00 p.m.