Top 10 Feats in High School Sports in 2011

What were the most memorable accomplishments of the teams and athletes at Menlo-Atherton High School, Menlo School and Sacred Heart Prep in 2011? We’re glad you asked.

Here is a look at the area’s top 10 difference makers of the past year:

1. Tom Kremer and Ally Howe – Sacred Heart Swimming: The dynamic Gators land atop the list because they each set a Central Coast Section record while winning two titles apiece at the section finals. Kremer, then a junior, defended his 2010 championships in the boys 100-yard backstroke (48.50 seconds) and 200 freestyle (1:36.72), breaking the section record in the latter. Howe capped her phenomenal freshman year by establishing a new CCS mark in the girls 100 backstroke (53.31) and also won the 200 individual medley (2:00.24).

2. Menlo Baseball: The 26-5 Knights became the first San Mateo County team in 17 years to win back-to-back CCS championships, downing Santa Cruz 4-0 in the Division III final to claim their fifth section title overall. Freddy Avis struck out 17 in a playoff opener, Jake Bruml threw a five-inning no-hitter in the quarterfinals and Craig Schoof was named the ESPN Rise/Cal-Hi Sports coach of the year in the small schools division.

3. Sacred Heart Boys Water Polo: Thanks to winning a two-overtime thriller against Bellarmine, the Gators (19-10) secured the outright West Catholic Athletic League championship for just the second time, and then went on to win their fifth CCS Division II title. Senior Kyle Koenig and junior goalie Will Runkel anchored the defense, and they were joined by junior Michael Holloway and sophomore Harrison Enright on the All-WCAL first team.

4. Menlo-Atherton Girls Volleyball: Junior outside hitter Ali Spindt and senior setter Sarah Collins led the Bears to the best season in program history, a 31-7 campaign that left M-A as the Northern California Division I runner-up. The Bears also reached a CCS final for the third straight year and went 14-0 in the Peninsula Athletic League’s top-tier Bay Division as Spindt earned MVP honors.

5. Sacred Heart Boys Basketball: Led by the versatile McConnell twins, Will and Reed, as well as point guard Colin Terndrup, the Gators streaked to a 25-3 season that included the program’s second straight CCS Division IV title. Sacred Heart’s designs on a deep run in the California Interscholastic Federation state playoffs ended abruptly with a heartbreaking 49-48 defeat to visiting St. Patrick/St. Vincent in a NorCal opener.

6. Sacred Heart Girls Water Polo: The 23-5 Gators continued their dominance in winning their fifth consecutive CCS Division II title, outscoring their three playoff opponents by a combined 46-12. Sacred Heart also finished as a WCAL co-champion, as defender Mackenzie O’Holleran, driver Clare Rudolph and utility players Erin Sheridan and Pippa Temple earned first-team all-league recognition.

7. Stas Della Morte – Menlo-Atherton Boys Track and Field: The senior became the CCS long jump champion by leaping 22 feet, 10½ inches at the section finals. Della Morte also helped the Bears to the boys team title at the PAL finals by winning the long jump in addition to taking second in the high jump (5-9¼) and fourth in the 100-meter dash (11.54).

8. Sam Parker – Menlo Boys Track and Field: Parker capped his senior season in style, breaking a school record in the 800 at the CIF State Championships by finishing in 1:53.52. Earlier, he became a two-time West Bay Athletic League champion in the 1,600 (4:35.03) to advance to the CCS semifinals in two events.

9. Menlo-Atherton Boys and Girls Wrestling: After winning the PAL title in the 119-pound division, Andre Delagnes finished second at the CCS championships to become the first M-A boys wrestler in four years to qualify for the state meet. Kendra Wiley won the PAL girls championship at 122 pounds, and went on to finish third at CCS and seventh at state. Koji Kameda (boys, 152) also won a league title for the Bears.

10. Sacred Heart Girls Volleyball: The Gators fell short of duplicating their fantastic 2010 season, but nonetheless produced a 24-8 record that included a runner-up finish in the CCS Division IV playoffs and a first-round NorCal victory. Outside hitter Sarah Daschach was named the WBAL MVP, and Jesse Ebner and Ellie Shannon also played important roles for a team that pushed eventual state champion Union Mine to five sets.