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The Tongva Times

The Tongva Times

Aesthetic of a staff member
Aesthetic of a staff member
Staff • June 4, 2024
End of school year sports recap
Bren Belmonte, Staff Writer • May 30, 2024

End of school year sports recap

 

Bren Belmonte

Boys Basketball

   The Boys’ Basketball team remained undefeated in the Mission Valley League, with a record of 12-0 and an overall record of 17-11, but they lost in the first round of CIF and ended their season. 

  “I feel like we were definitely well prepared [for CIF],” said captain Alex Hoe, senior.  “It was just a matter of going out there and executing.[…] I feel like we did the best we could out there.”

  Following a uniquely successful 2022-2023 season, the boys kept playing diligently.

  “Ovarian Cancer Night was pretty memorable, lots of people came out and it was pretty exciting,” stated senior Trevor Wang. “I remember in the locker room, we just started going crazy and being happy that we won in front of all our friends and family.”

Bren Belmonte

Girls Basketball

   This season, the varsity girls’ basketball team placed first in the Mission Valley League for the fourth year in a row. However, they lost in the second round of CIF to Villa Park High School. 

  “We had an injured member who missed out on a bunch of league games,” said senior Brianna Hyunh. “The starters, mostly underclassmen, stepped up and improved this year.” 

Bren Belmonte

Football

    Varsity football had a rough season, ending 0-5 in the Mission Valley League and 0-10 overall. Hopeful for the next season, the boys fostered a sense of community to get through the toughest losses, managing to have fun in the process.

  “For me, it was one of the most fun seasons I have ever played,” stated captain AJ Tran, junior. “Winning does not always bring all the happiness.”

Bren Belmonte

Boys Soccer

   This season, varsity boys’ soccer qualified for CIF for the second year in a row, but they lost in the first round. They focused on team chemistry to strengthen their minds. The team ended with a league record of 6-4-3 and an overall record of 7-5-5.   

  “We were losing games we shouldn’t have lost,” stated captain Landon Gray, senior. “After some encouragement, we came together and focused as a team.”

Bren Belmonte

Girls Soccer

This season was about teamwork for varsity girls’ soccer. They made it to CIF, losing the second round against Colton High School. They also placed third in the Mission Valley League, concluding with an overall score of 9-7-2 and a league score of 7-4-2.

  “The season had its rough moments where some of us faced injuries,” said senior Chloe Chong. “But […] towards the end, we were able to improve.”

Bren Belmonte

Baseball

   Despite falling short of the past season’s success, varsity baseball made the most of their time together. Playing every game with pride, focus, and passion for the love of their sport.
“What kept us going was the love for the game, the love we have for each other,” said captain Isaac Perez, senior. “It was a good learning season, we learned how to play with each other.” 

Bren Belmonte

Girls Volleyball

  With the passing of their coach over the summer, the team honored his legacy by keeping up their determination. The girls won Mission Valley League for the twenty-first year in a row. They also made it to the quarter quarterfinals of CIF, continuing to keep their coach’s memory alive and staying united. 

  “Our team’s proudest moment was beating Rosemead, we were at their home court, it was really hot and their crowd was rowdy,” said senior Ashley Lau. “We couldn’t let our legacy of being league champs die.”

Bren Belmonte

Boys Volleyball

  The varsity boys volleyball team navigated their successful season fueled by mutual respect and support. The team ended with an overall record of 26-6-1, first in the Mission Valley League and qualifying for CIF. Losing their second round. Encouraged by supportive families and friends attending the games, they forged a close-knit community on and off the court. 

  “Our coach emphasized that we love each other,” stated captain Seth Asoka. “In volleyball team chemistry is so important.”

Bren Belmonte

Track and Field

  Boys’ track and field wrapped up the season in first place for the Mission Valley League, with individual sprinters and jumpers qualifying for CIF. Despite having difficulty with team dynamics, the boys improved individually, participating in invites every weekend of the season. 

  “The most fun thing about running track is […] you get to share the pain and victory along with everybody else,” said distance captain Ethan Wong, senior. 

Bren Belmonte

Girls Golf

   Despite a season performance that did not match previous years, the girls’ golf team participated in a new league, Rio Hondo, and placed fourth in the league.

  “Hanging out after practice was the highlight of my season,” stated captain Michelle Yu, senior.  “Because the golf team is so small than other sports teams at our school, we are really close-knit.” 

Bren Belmonte

Boys Golf

  The varsity boys golf team made history by winning CIF in division seven. Underclassmen players setting a promising future. They ended fourth in the Rio Hondo League, emphasizing bonding outside of the greens and fostering friendships. 

  “Every Sunday they’re out there playing,” stated captain Hoe. “I’m super proud[…]I watched them, they put a lot of time and effort into the sport.” 

Bren Belmonte

Cross Country 

   Girls varsity placed fourth in the Mission Valley League, unable to qualify for CIF. The girl’s team faced challenges with some members experiencing burnout, but there’s hope for increased support and improvement next season. 

  “I think we did relatively good, we ran pretty hard,” said the girls cross country captain, Lauren Veerachaylukana, senior. “Even though we did not make it to CIF, our work ethic was there and we tried our best.”

Bren Belmonte

Boys Wrestling

  The team concluded with a league score of 2-4, falling short of qualifying for CIF. Facing challenges and setbacks, the varsity boys’ wrestling team displayed resilience throughout the season. With many matches starting with fewer members in their weight classes, they often had to forfeit, yet they persisted.

  “Watching my teammates and still relying on me when I’m at my lowest pushed me to become a better man,” stated captain Asiel Castro, senior. “Seeing your hero fall hurts…I kept fighting inside of me to keep pushing.  

Photo courtesy of Gabrielino Wrestling

Girls Wrestling

Girls varsity wrestling had a triumphant year, as two members placed in the top ten for CIF. Amanda Lee placed sixth, and Juliana Marquez placed first in the state. The team concluded with a score of 2-5 in the Mission Valley League, and all the team members qualified for CIF.

  “Our coaches like to emphasize technique, we always focus on how to do the move properly rather than heavy on conditioning,” said captain Lee, junior. 

Bren Belmonte

Softball

  The girl’s softball varsity concluded their season with an overall score of 7-11, and a 4-8 record in the Mission Valley League, reflecting progress compared to the last season. The coach’s experimental approach with positions, driven by a mostly underclassmen roster, aimed for improvement. 

  “I tried my best to motivate the girls a lot and told them not to focus on getting the wins and more on having fun,” said captain Destiny Lopez, senior. 

Bren Belmonte

Girls Swim

The girls’ swim team achieved CIF qualifiers in two individual events and two relays. A few members qualified for CIF, especially senior Zoe Nimpoeno, who secured a spot in the 200 freestyle relay.

  “The team dynamic is that we are a family, no matter the grade level you are, you will have friends in every other grade,“ said Nimpoeno. “Because we all hype each other up behind the blocks no matter what event you are in.” 

Bren Belmonte

Boys Swim

  The varsity boys swim team had an accomplished season, placing second in the Almont League and making it to CIF.  Additionally, they combatted challenges such as complications in reserving the Smith Park Pool. 

  “During practice, we made sure to work on the strokes we specialized in and focused,” stated senior Kaden Tan. “So we were able to improve on that specific stroke faster than the others.”

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About the Contributor
Bren Belmonte
Bren Belmonte, Staff Writer
Bren Belmonte is a Photographer and Staff Writer with three years of experience on our newspaper team. Outside of journalism, Bren enjoys cosplaying, photographing friends, reading manga, watching anime, and listening to music. Bren chose the journalism class in sophomore year after encouragement from family members in the industry. Since then, they've recognized it as a future passion and career interest.
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