It was good over the past weekend to see photographs of East Bay Athletic League athletes competing in opposition to one another — and doing so regionally!
Cross-country, golf, tennis and swimming have all been practicing, with some already concerned in competitions.
It had been getting outdated to see social media posts of athletes from across the state heading out of California to play in tournaments with their membership groups.
For now — EBAL groups are beginning to compete once more!
“It has been superior,” Amador Valley cross-country coach Jason Oswalt stated. “It has been precisely what you thought it will be like when the youngsters had been capable of compete once more.”
One benefit with the sports activities which have formally begun is that these sports activities all have afforded the athletes alternative to coach when their respective sports activities had been suspended.
Golf programs have been open for a while now and the elite gamers have been touring to tournaments recurrently.
The identical may very well be stated for tennis gamers. By way of cross-country, it has all the time been OK to go for a run, with most of your high runners already following a coaching program.
“A few of our youngsters have been coaching, some not a lot,” Oswalt stated with amusing.
The Dons have about 40 runners out this season, down from the conventional variety of roughly 70.
“It was a fast turnaround for youths to get their physicals,” Oswalt stated, citing as one factor that affected this system’s numbers. “There have been in all probability others that did not come out due to all that has gone on.”
As excited as Oswalt was to speak about having the youngsters again out once more, he was additionally keen to ensure the phrase was out how everyone seems to be following the protocols.
“We try to make it public that we’re doing this and it is working,” Oswalt stated.
Final Saturday, the Dons hosted Monte Vista. The race was run on a brand new course at Amador as permits to make use of Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Space — the Dons’ standard residence course — weren’t capable of be attained.
The 2 groups entered the beginning space by the soccer subject by way of separate gates, carrying masks, with every crew separated by six toes.
“We even had an additional command letting the runners know they may take off their masks,” Oswalt stated. “However they needed to carry them with them and put them again on after they crossed the end line.”
The chute the place the groups began allowed for the groups to be separated for the primary 300 meters. By the point groups made it that far, the runners are strung out sufficient to permit for secure co-mingling.
The rest of the schedule for all of the EBAL cross-country slate is a piece in progress because it has but to be decided if there shall be a league meet. If not, anticipate to see two- to four-team meets till the season ends on March 20.
The necessary — the youngsters are on the market competing.
“It was nice to have the youngsters placed on the jerseys and compete,” Oswalt added.
On the day, Monte Vista gained the boys race 20-39, however Amador senior Euan Houston took the 2-mile race with a time of 10:11, which after all was additionally a course document by default.
The Mustangs additionally took the women race 18-44. Amador’s high runner was Taya Small who coated the course in 12:32 to complete fourth.
Wooldridge to Louisiana-Lafayette
Former Foothill quarterback Ben Wooldridge, who spent two seasons at Fresno State earlier than coming into the switch portal final yr, has landed at a brand new residence with the College of Louisiana-Lafayette.
As I wrote about before in this space, Wooldridge opted to switch from Fresno State after dropping out in a contest for the quarterback spot with former Monte Vista QB Jake Haener.
It was a contest the place many gave the sting to Wooldridge, including to the extent of frustration.
Now it is on to the Ragin’ Cajuns and the Solar Belt Convention.
Editor’s notice: Dennis Miller is a contributing sports activities author for the Pleasanton Weekly. To contact him about his “Pleasanton Preps” column, electronic mail [email protected]
