The Best of Terra Nova Sports in 2011

What were the most memorable accomplishments of the teams and athletes at Terra Nova High School in 2011? We’re glad you asked.

Here's a look at the Tigers’ top 10 all-stars of 2011:

1. Football: At the very least, the 2011 Tigers earned a spot alongside the best teams in program history. Terra Nova went 5-0 to win the top-tier Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division for the third year in a row, drilling second-place Menlo-Atherton 35-0 to wrap up the title. An 8-2 regular season mark earned the Tigers a berth in the Central Coast Section’s elite Open Division for the first time, where they lost to eventual state runner-up Bellarmine 56-12. Terra Nova quarterback Chris Forbes earned PAL Bay Player of the Year honors, and Bill Gray was tabbed Coach of the Year. Elias Vargas, Nick Manessis, Jake Smith, Sean Olsen, Hunter Hillen, Ryan Virgin, Ivan Mailangi, and Deryke Murray received All-PAL Bay first-team recognition.

2. Girls Basketball: Terra Nova (24-5) again overwhelmed the rest of the PAL, rolling to a 10-0 mark in the Bay Division and then winning the league tournament for the third straight year. Guard Terilyn Moe, who later committed to Nevada, broke the school’s career, scoring record late in the year. The Tigers had high hopes of contending for the CCS Division III championship, but were derailed by St. Ignatius 89-70 in the semifinals. With Moe, Ivonne CookTaylor (Texas Tech), and Jayzyl Tauala (San Jose State) returning, Terra Nova looks for a breakthrough against the West Catholic Athletic League powers to earn a section crown.

3. Girls Wrestling: Terra Nova, which has won the PAL title in all seven years the league has offered a team championship, continued to leave its mark by finishing sixth at CCS. Angelika Trujillo became the Tigers’ first section champion by winning the 146-pound division, and then the junior went on to finish fifth at the California Interscholastic Federation state meet. Solveig Mitchell (118 pounds) and Sierra Dockery (122) both placed fourth at CCS. Earlier, Kelly Dwyer (126) joined those girls in winning a PAL individual title.

4. Boys Water Polo: The Tigers finished 16-4 and made school history by qualifying for the CCS playoffs for the first time. Terra Nova won the PAL Ocean Division with an 11-1 mark and then beat Woodside in a postseason play-in match. Jeff Arnaudo was named the PAL Ocean’s Most Valuable Goalie, and Joel Crossfield, Shay Tassi, and Brian Luhrs also played key roles.

5. Girls Tennis: Clara Oh and Maddie McAndrew led Terra Nova to its fourth league championship and first since 2004 with a 13-1 record in the PAL Ocean Division that tied El Camino for the crown. McAndrew, at No. 2 singles, finished 11-3 in league matches. Splitting time at No. 1 doubles and No. 4 singles, Sierra Dockery lost just one league match, as did doubles player Ashley Martyn.

6. Softball: Boasting just one senior, the Tigers nonetheless battled to a 6-8 record in the tough PAL Bay Division and earned an at-large berth in the CCS Division III playoffs. Sophomore Alana O’Neill was an All-PAL Bay first-team selection, and sophomore Simala Afoa and senior Devon Murphy were second-team picks. Terra Nova, which finished 13-14 and hosted a postseason game for the first time, appears poised to take another step forward in the 2012 season.

7. Boys Swimming: Powered by standout sophomore Bryant Jacobs, Terra Nova finished tied for third at the PAL Bay Division finals. Jacobs won the PAL Bay championship in the 500-yard freestyle in 4 minutes, 50.77 seconds. One week later, he advanced to the CCS finals and eventually placed eighth in the 500 freestyle (4:42.34).

8. Track and Field: Reina McAlexander put an exclamation mark on her senior season by winning the PAL title in the pole vault by clearing 9 feet, ¼ inch at the league finals. Sprinters Clark Tolero and Vincent Hernandez also qualified for the CCS semifinals. Hernandez capped his Terra Nova career by advancing to the section finals in the 100-meter dash and placing fifth in 11.06 seconds.

9. Keani Hin – Girls Volleyball: The senior middle hitter and outside hitter was named a co-MVP in the PAL Ocean Division after leading Terra Nova (20-8 overall) to a tie for second place at 11-3.

10. Dan Robertson – Boys Golf: After helping the Tigers win a PAL Ocean Division co-championship with Mills, the senior went on to tie for seventh in the CCS tournament. Robertson fired a two-over 73 at Rancho Cañada’s West Course in Carmel to finish four strokes back.