Youth roundup: Extreme hockey teams strike gold in Antioch

The NorCal Extreme Hockey Club sent three teams to last weekend’s AAU Junior Olympics qualifier in Antioch, coming home with a pair of gold medals.

NorCal’s 14U squad earned the first gold, winning all four of its games including a 4-0 victory of the Tsunami Blue in the finals. Other wins came over the Rampage (8-0 by mercy rule), the Tsunami Red (6-2) and the River Rats (6-2) with local scoring by Joe Blakewell, Miguel Witham, Michael Cognetti, Dylan Lee, Sam Blakewell and Brandon Pacciorini.

Max Landy paced the Extreme defense in front of goalie Nicholas Leacox, who stopped 93 percent of the shots he saw, finishing with 60 saves.

In a tough 16U division, NorCal played four games with the best performance coming in a 3-2 win over Omega. Local goals came from Caleb Hermle, Danny Kumata, Tyler Schafer, Seth Lipson, Jacob Lipson, Henry Campbell and Joe Blakewell, while Ricky Pacciorini posted a couple of assists.

In addition, Leacox finished with an 82 save percentage for the Extreme 16U squad with the help of defense from Ryan Kowta.

Skating as the Saxons, the local 18U team brought home the gold medal with 5-1 wins over Public Enemy and the Revision Mustangs and a 4-2 victory over the Jokes. Brian Varley, Paul Hermle, Caleb Hermle, and Kumata provided the NorCal scoring and Jacob Muller added a pair of assists.

Joe Blakewell placed steady defense for the Extreme’s 18U squad, while goalie Eddie Berlin saved 91 percent of the shots he saw.

Diamonds gymnastics

The Davis Diamonds gymnasts earned gold medals as the squad competed at last weekend’s Spirit of the Flame meet in San Jose.

By nailing her acrobatic series of back handsprings for the first time in competition, Davis’ Amanda Braun earned a career high 9.05 to win beam in the oldest Level 8 division. Bronze medals for her piked Tsukahara vault (9.0) and floor routines put Braun in fourth place all-around, while teammate Micaela Everitt was eighth.

In the intermediate age division, Diamonds gymnast Rebecca Hill swung a strong bars routine to take bronze (finishing just 0.125 from the gold) and was eighth all-around.

At Level 9, Isabela Martinez vaulted a dynamic and clean piked Tsukahara to earn a 9.05 and completed all four events to take eighth all-around, easily qualifying for the state meet. That all-around placing was one spot ahead of teammate Chloe Chan, who got seventh for an excellent floor performance.

In a strong field of Xcel Gold level gymnasts, Davis’ Katrina Hernes won vault (9.175), placed second on bars (9.425) to captured fifth all-around (35.65). Competing in the Xcel Bronze division, Diamond junior competitor Lainey Swanson also grabbed the vault gold, took silver on floor and finished third in the all-around (36.4).

Among the seniors, local gymnast Lucy Shauman showed promise on every event, highlighted by a seventh-place finish on bars, and was 10th all-around.

In the youngest Level 7 division, Karolina Perkins danced and tumbled to a 9.35 floor performance, good for fourth on that event, then vaulted to a personal best of 9.2.

Kyra Lee (fifth place, 9.4) and Kyra Mayfield (9.2) performed strong handspring vaults in the intermediate age division, and Lee followed up with a personal best 9.1 on beam. Mayfield added 9.05 score for her floor routine.

Among the older level 7 gymnasts, Davis’ Kate Miller (9.025) and Cordelia Hsiao (9.175) were strong on vault to earn all-around totals of 34.3 and 34.025, respectively.

“This was certainly the toughest competition our gymnasts have faced all year,” said Davis Diamonds head coach Hilde Aune. “It was both an inspiration and a wake-up call before states and regionals.”

Davis Waldorf basketball

The Davis Waldorf School’s eighth-grade boys basketball team won the 11th annual Waldorf Microwave Championship tournament last weekend.

The Wolfe Pack qualified for the event — which features 21 boys and girls Waldorf middle-school teams — by winning seven straight games to complete league play with a 7-1 record.

Davis then won three contests at the tournament, including beating Sacramento, 33-26, in the championship matchup.

In that game, Ionatan Soule made a key 3-pointer for the Wolfe Pack and leading scorer Max Koehler sank two free throws to seal the victory. Other wins came in exciting games against Alice Birney Charter and Live Oak.

Local all-tournament awards went to Koehler, Max Thompson and Sam Shea Lichter, a Winters resident.

Lady Devil Rugby

The Davis Lady Blue Devils edged Bowling Green, 32-31, in an exciting rugby match on Saturday.

Davis started off strong with Claire Clark, Brigi Glass and Angelica Lopez each scoring tries to put their team up 15-0. Bowling Green, however, responded quickly and took a 19-15 advantage into halftime.

But the Devils were not to be denied as tries by Estephanie Franco and Andira Gilliam put the locals back on top. Lopez’s second try of the game extended the lead and Perla Portillo nailed what turned out to be the decisive two-point conversion kick.

BG rallied back in the final minutes to score a try, cutting the Davis lead to one point, but a conversion kick attempt was missed and the Blue Devils held on.