PMS Cross Country Team Completes It's Most Successful Season Winning Three League Titles

The PMS cross country team concluded its season with league championship meets this past week. The PMS 6th grade boys and girls cross country teams both won league championship titles on Monday, November 5th at Kennedy Grove Regional Park. This was the first time in the history of the team that this has occurred. The girls team placed five runners in the top ten and their point total of 30 (low score wins in cross country) was also the lowest score of any PMS cross country team in championship competition.  The top runner for the team as she has been all season was Erin Hong in 2nd place.  The other top ten finishers were Ella Jeffries in 5th place, Elie Cole in 6th, Laila Adarkar in 7th and Naomi Hollinger in 10th place.

On the 6th grade boys side, it was a very close race in deciding the winner, and one place in the standings made the difference. Piedmont with 56 points won by 1 point, the slimmest of margins. Two PMS 6th grade boys placed in the top 10 in their race.  They were Lorand Cheng in 4th place and Henry Cooper in 10th place.  Also scoring for the team was Dylan Thayer in 12th place, Josh Rogers in 14th, and Kevin Judd in 16th.  

The 7 & 8th grade meet was on November 8th at the same location. The PMS 7 & 8th grade girls were the defending league champions and repeated as winners, another first for the team to have back to-back champions.  The top runner for the team was Skyler Liu in 2nd place and in 9th place was Ellie Coleman.  The other top finishers for the team were Leah Kochendoerfer, Isa Harrison, and Ava Podell.

On the 7&8th grade boys side, while they competed gamely they couldn't quite match the success of the other Piedmont teams, coming in 4th place overall. The first finisher for PMS was Daniel Jones in 15th place.  The other team scorers were Blake Gruendl, Joseph Chu, Kyle Mortimer and Nick Loduca.  There were also JV races that took place and winning the girls JV race was Eleanor Brown with Kayla Lim 2nd.  On the JV boys side, Toby Fischer was 5th and Sam White was 6th.  

Cross Country - Last Regular Meet at Stanley

Our last regular season meet of the season was held on Monday, October 22 at Lafayette Community Park. This was a new venue and the first time that Stanley Middle School has hosted a meet. The course had a little bit of everything and seemed very viewer friendly. Results from the meet are not available but according to my tabulations, in the 6^th grade boys race we had 4 boys in the top ten and 8 boys in the top 16. Our first runner was Mitch Curtis in 6^th place, followed by Dylan Thayer in 8^th place, Henry Cooper in 9^th, Darryl Tjogas in 11^th, Josh Rogers in 11^th, Judge Williams in 14^th, Zach Chamberlin-Carr in 15^th, and Henry Saunders in 16^th place. On the 6th grade girls’ side, Erin Hong ran a strong race from beginning to end and in a close finish came in 2^nd place overall. Our other top 10 finishers were Laila Adarkar in 6^th place and Elie Cole in 7^th place. Rounding out our top five runners was Ruby Wakefield in 15^th place and Carolina O’Bresley in 20^th.

 

In the 7& 8^th grade boy’s race we had 2 boys in the top 15.  Unofficially I believe our first runner was Blake Gruendl in 12^th place followed by Kyle Mortimer in 14^th place.  Rounding out our top five finishers for the team were Walter Teitelbaum, Michael Blake,  and Vincent Titterton.  

On the 7 & 8th grade girls’ side, we placed three girls in the top ten led by another winning effort by Skyler Liu in an unofficial time of 8:20.  Finishing in 7^th place was Ellie Coleman in a time of 8:49, and in 10^th place was Ava Podell.  The team had two runners who finish in the next set of 10 runners with Minnie Cooper in 17^th and Cece Garofoli in 19^th.  




Photos courtesy Jenn Fox, see more at: http://jennfox.zenfolio.com/p630701272

PMS Cross Country – Mid-season Recap of Recent Meets

Orinda Meet on October 1

6^th Grade

For the Orinda meet, our annual team bus ride took place and just about every seat on the bus was filled going to the meet. This provided a bit of a break for our parent carpool drivers and we appreciate all your support this season by driving the kids to and from the meet. Regarding the meet itself, there were several record breaking performances and overall the team really did well. Meet results can be found on the team website: http://www.pmscc.com/meet-results.  

Erin Hong continued her fine running finishing 3^rd overall and breaking the PMS 6^th grade girls record for the course in a time of 6:56. This is the first time a 6^th grade Piedmont girl has run under 7 minutes on this course. PMS girls finished in 3^rd through 8^th place, a very dominating performance for any team as Erin was followed by Laila Adakar, Elie Cole, Ruby Wakefield, Naomi Hollinger, and Josie Gross-Whitaker respectively. In addition, other runners who finished in the top 20 were Lillian Brien placed 13^th, Zoe Ricard was 15^th, Lily Keville in 18^th place. All the girls ran well considering the heat and should be proud of their performance. I wish I could name every girl and boy who competes in the meets.

The 6^th grade boys were equally as impressive, and in the most exciting race of the season so far, Lorand Cheng ran down the race leader in the very last yards of the race and placed first by one second. His time of 6:42 broke the old 6^th grade PMS boys course record. Sam Von Herrmann in 3^rd place and a time of 6:48 also broke the old school course record. Our 6^th grade boys team captured seven of the top 10 places with Henry Cooper, Dylan Thayer and Dylan Han 4^th, 5th, and 6^th; followed by Josh Rogers in 8^th place and Mitch Curtis in 10^th place. A total of 18 PMS boys ran in this race, the most of any school and again all the boys are to be congratulated for running in such warm conditions.

7 & 8th Grades

the 7 & 8th grade girls team showed a lot of depth as we placed 5^th through 8^th with Ava Podell leading the way, followed by Minnie Cooper, Kate Gross Whitaker, and Ellie Coleman respectively. In 15^th place was Monty Miller, Nicole Jiang in 26^th place and Rose Eisenbach in 28^th.

On the 7 & 8th grade boys side, Blake Gruendl was our top finisher in 10^th place. Right after him were Joseph Chu and Daniel Jones in 13^th & 14^th place, and in a very fine race was Walter Teitelbaum in 19^th place.

Orinda Meet on October 4

6^th Grade

Offical results for the meet at MLK are not available, but unofficially for the girls Erin Hong finished in 2^nd place, Frannie Lahey-Teare was 5^th and Ella Jeffries was the 6^th place finisher, Gillian Truesdell was 20^th, and in her first cross country Veda Skatter was 23^rd. On the boys side, Lorand Cheng was 3^rd, with Sam Von Herrmann 8^th and Darryl Tjogas was 9^th.

7 & 8th Grades

Skyler Liu ran a fine race and won the race. Piedmont fielded a rather small team this time out with Ava Podell finishing 14^th, Cece Garofolio 15^th, Emma Nash 23^rd, Charlotte Puscasiu 37^th, Kayla Lim 40^th, and Franny Baronian in 60^th place. Unfortunately, at this time I don’t have the placings for Eleanor Brown, Nicole Jiang, or Eva Hunter.

In the boy’s race, Piedmont was led by Nick Loduca in 16^th place. In addition, Keith Sibal placed 25^thand Reece Proctor was 47^th.  Until the host school issues results I don’t have any placing for our other boys who ran in this race.

Prospect-Sierra Meet on October 4

6^th Grade

This meet was held at Cerrito Vista Park in El Cerrito. The weather was cool and overcast, with even a little drizzle. This course is tight, with lots of twists and turns and many runners make wrong turns as a result of its somewhat confusing nature. In the 6^thgrade girls’ race, we had a nice team turnout, with 12 girls running in the race. They were lead by Naomi Hollinger in 2^nd place in a time of 8:16 and Ella Jeffries in 3^rdplace in 8:17, followed by Franny Lahey-Teare in 8^th place in 8:43, Several girls also placed in the next grouping as Isabelle Wilson was 14^th, Julie Huffaker was 15^th, and Chelsea Fox was 19^th. Overall it was a very solid showing by our girls’ team. I should mention that we had 3-5^th graders from our “development team” run in this race, Piper Palmeri, Julie Ray, and Julia Pappas. They are gaining valuable experience in preparation for when they can run as middle school’ers. Once results are available, they will be posted on our website.

On the 6^th grade boys side, 13 from our team participated and we had two in the top 10 finishers, Ethan Argue in 7^th in a time of 7:52 and Darryl Tjogas in 10^th place in 8:01.  In addition, David Schwarz finished in 20^th place, Justin Casey 21^st place, Dimitri Manolis in 22^nd place and Jamie Tucher in 25^th place. Again a very nice showing by all the boys who ran and they got to experience running on course that is very quirky.

7 & 8th Grades

In the 7 & 8th grade girls’ race, we had a nice team turnout, with 10 girls running in the race.  They were lead by Skyler Liu in 2^nd place.  Skyler led much of the race, but due to a wrong turn, lost ground and was passed by another runner.  Despite this small detour, Skyler still broke the PMS 8^th grade girls course record with a time of 7:50.  As mentioned, over the years, I have seen many runners, including one year the entire pack going the wrong way and this is just one of nuances of cross country running.  In 5^th place with a fine run was Leah Kochendoerfer in 8:16.  The 15^th place finisher was Cece Garofoli in 8:46, 18^th place was Isa Harrison in 8:49, and Emma Nash was the 21^st place runner in 8:53.  All the girls ran hard, and showed a lot of determination, a necessary quality for endurance running and something that is best learned by experiencing it, in my opinion.  When the meet director issues results, I will post it on our website.  On the 7 & 8th grade boys side, 16 boys ran in the race and they were led by Nick Loduca in 13^thplace with a time of 7:40.  Our next finisher was Joseph Chu in 17^th place in 7:46, followed by Daniel Jones in 22^nd place in 7:51.  Aaron Jeffries and Reece Proctor rounded out the top five finishers from PMS. Again a very nice showing by all the boys who ran and they got to experience running on a course that is very quirky.

 

 

Highlanders 8th Grade Tournament

Monday night, October 29th, the 8th grade Highlanders volleyball team kicked off their end-of-season tournament with a win against Foothill 25-13, 25-20. They then played host Stanley. Down 24-20 in the first game, they rallied for 6 unanswered points and a 26-24 win. They lost the second game, then had the match of the night. With many lead changes and several long rallies, the Highlanders were not able to score the game point at 14-13. Stanley and Piedmont matched points to 15, then Stanley pulled ahead for a 15-17 win.

The Highlanders play Martinez today at Stanley and a win gets them to the semis on Thursday.

Volleyball Tournaments Saturday and Monday!

Get your purple on!

Our PMS Volleyball tournaments begin this Saturday.


The 8th grade Scots are hosting the 8B tournament at Morrison gym in Piedmont, first match around 9:00am.

The 8th grade Highlanders play Monday at Stanley.

Tuesday Night Lights

Come out this Tuesday, October 23rd and see the 8th grade Scots and Highlanders teams play at Witter Football under the lights.

Monday Night Football - in Piedmont!

8th Grade Highlanders Volleyball Defeats WCI, Stays Undefeated

The Highlanders remained undefeated after a win against Walnut Creek Intermediate on Thursday, Oct 9th. The Highlanders took the first game 25-22 behind excellent play, especially a nice serve run from Sabrina Kim, but dropped the second game 25-16. The girls regrouped and came on strong in the third game. Serving, passing were on the mark and the Highlanders won the deciding game 15-9.

8th Grade Highlanders Football Defeats Stanley

The Highlander 8th grade flag football team avenged their only this loss this season to Stanley. In Tuesday’s rematch the Highlanders shutout Stanley 14-0. The defense was led by Chris Conn who knocked down many pass attempts and made many tackles. Other outstanding players on defense were Cade Becker and Will Jiang who made many stops on defense, and Max Manalo-Leclair who pressured the Stanley quarterback all game.

The offensive line led by Christian Turner, Jacob Watson, and Max ML provided great pass protection as Nick Pacult completed passes of twenty yards to Andrew Meredith, a 15 yard touchdown pass to Quinn Porter, and a point conversion to Meredith. The second touchdown was a 25 yard touchdown pass from Pacult to Meredith. Later in the game Becker  intercepted two passes that sealed the fate for Stanley. The Highlanders record is now 5-1-1.

PMS 7th Grade Flag Football Pounds Lawrence

It took a PMS goof last Wednesday to unlock a PMS offensive floodgate that dominated an extremely athletic Lawrence Middle School team in Berkeley 19-2. On paper LMS was the superior squad: faster, bigger, er, faster, and more talented.  But - as many have said - "that's why they play on grass."  PMS held a cocky but ineffective LMS offense to a 0-0 stalemate until late in the first half,  aided by OK defense but more-so by glaring LMS offensive miscues; dropped passes, penalties galore, and muffed hand-offs. After pinning LMS to their own one yard line, PMS took over on downs. It was very late in the first, the boys had 99 miles to go, and instead of just running out the clock with under-center quarterback keepers, they instead committed a stupendous blunder - miss-firing a deep shotgun snap so badly it barely stayed in the end zone - an instant 2 point Lawrence safety!  A safety being the most ignominious of football errors, PMS then had to kick the ball to LMS who almost ran in for a TD if not for a flag snagging dive by the kicker.  Two plays later and it was half time 0-2 LMS. Whew!

A confident blob of Purple took the field on defense second half.  Realizing the lack of respect LMS had shown by incessantly throwing the bomb first half, the PMS coach astutely adjusted by sagging the secondary deep.  Presto! Interception and a fantastic run-back for a near pick six that was quickly converted two plays later.  More stifling defense; this time with  D-line personnel changes and line backer blitzes that had the LMS quarterback throwing it away sideline and flags dropping well behind the line of scrimmage.  Back on offense - with the shot gun that's work great all year.  Pow! Short passes and great sideline runs leading to another score.  In the end, the PMS safety boondoggle looked like a match to can of gasoline.  Way to go Purple!

Piedmont Defeats Orinda in 7th Grade Volleyball

The 7th grade Piedmont girls volleyball team won their match up when they faced Orinda Intermediate School on October 3rd. They won two straight games in the best of three format (25-12, 25-14).


The first game was led by strong serves and 6 straight points from Ruby Perkins. The second game showed solid returns and defense from Casey Kama, Lian Call, Hayden Stone, Clarke Elliott, Hanna Pajt, Lindy Wakeling, Nicole Shoptaugh and excellent serves and several aces from Maggie Lucas and Nicole Shoptaugh.

PMS Cross Country Team Hosts Meet at Lake Temescal

On September 27, 2012, the PMS cross country team hosted its annual meet for the East Bay League schools at Temescal Regional Park in North Oakland. Over 350 runners from 15 different schools participated in the meet. It was a picture perfect day, not too warm and nicely chilly in the shade.

Piedmont Middle School is still at the leading edge of technology, being the only school in the league using chip timing to record race results. This technology makes use of small plastic "chips" or bands worn on the runner shoe laces and as they cross the finish line their time place is automatically recorded. This means results are available virtually instantaneously with no manual entry required.

Four different races were held during the meet starting with the 6th grade Girls race. Erin Hong did PMS super proud finishing first with a time of 7:43.5, a full 12 seconds faster than the 2^nd place runner. Josephine Gross Whittaker and Naomi Hollinger also finished amazingly with respective times of 8:05.6 and 8:05.8.

The next race was the 6th grade boys. Piedmont had 5 boys finish in the top 12 of this race! They were lead by Lorand Cheng in a time of 7:25.6 for a 5^th place finish.  Henry Cooper, Dylan Thayer, Sam Von Herrmann, and Mitch Curtis rounded out the rest of the top 12 finishers, all coming in faster than 7:47.

The 3rd race of the day was the 7 & 8th grade girls. Leading much of the race, coming in 2^nd place and setting a new PMS 8^th grade girl’s course record in 7:34.7 was Skyler Liu. The two other top 12 finishers from PMS were Leah Kochendoerfer in 8^th place and Minnie Cooper in 11^th place.

The 7 & 8th grade boys race was the largest group, having 132 participants. Blake Gruendl was the top PMS finisher in this race, coming in 8^th place with a time of 6:50.5. He also set a new school course record for 8^th grade boys and broke the old record by almost 20 seconds.  Daniel Jones and Nick Loduca were among the top 20 finishers with times under 7:08. 

Congrats to all who gave it their all and raced. Much thanks to all the volunteers who helped the race go smoothly.

For more information about the team and to review complete results and pictures, go the the team website at: www.pmscc.com

Cross Country September 24 at Golden Gate Fields Racetrack

On September 24, 2012 the Piedmont Middle School cross country team participated in the annual Golden Gate Fields (GGF) meet in Berkeley. About 400 students from 13 different schools participated in this annual East Bay League meet which was hosted by Albany Middle School.

It was a beautiful if breezy day at Golden Gate. The infield was an ideal location to have the first meet for the 6th graders and many of the upper grade participants. The race route is flat and grassy the whole way round, meandering between ponds with fountains.

Four different races were held during the meet, starting with the 6th grade boys race. PMS placed 3 boys in the top 10 finishers of this race. Henry Cooper placed 6th, Dylan Thayer placed 9th, and Mitchell Curtis placed 10th. 

Next went the 6th grade girls. Our PMS girls are the defending League champions – wooo hoot! Erin Hong represented the new girls accordingly, placing 3rd among the 6th grade girls, and Zoe Rickard placed very well at 12th. 

Next was the 7th and 8th grade boys race, where Kyler Mortimer lead the 17 PMS runners in this race, finishing 21st. Ellie Coleman and Ava Podell, represented 7th and 8th grade girls superbly in the last race, finishing 5th and 11th respectively.

The trooper of the day was Mini Cooper, who despite a bit of spill, dusted herself off and finished well. Kudos Mini!

For more information about the team and to review complete results and pictures, go to the team website at: www.pmscc.com

PMS 7th Grade Football Dethrones Stanley Powerhouse

A steadily improving 7th grade PMS flag football squad shocked the world Wednesday with a thrilling 12-7 win over perennial favorite Stanley Middle School, handing the dreaded Wildcats an extremely rare lost that sent shock waves throughout the league. Playing in soggy Coach's Field conditions before a sellout crowd of 12, Stanley scored first with their typically balanced run and throw offense.  But even while failing to score in the first half, PMS responded with tenacious defense, putting pressure on the Stanley quarterback, stunting the vaunted Stanley running game, and keeping the game close.  

In the second half, PMS scored first behind the tremendous rushing of the quarterback and the half back , rushing which was aided by brutal blocking along the entire line of scrimmage. Late in the game, and still trailing by an extra point, came "The Play."  PMS, with the ball near the 50, went for it on 4th down.  During what can only be described as WW I trench warfare-like ferocity at the line, the PMS quarterback had what seemed like eternity to find an open receiver. Finally,  a wide receiver broke free from the gritty Stanley secondary right down the middle of the field near the goal line.  From the well protected pocket came a mighty quarterback heave , a perfect spiral, and a sterling catch in stride for the go ahead score.  The flawlessly executed touchdown was greeted at first by silent disbelief, and then by joyous jubilation from the Piedmont Faithful. It was a great game and the boys showed genuine graciousness in victory.  Three cheers for the boys, the coaches, and the parents who wake up early to get the kids to practice!

8th Grade Flag Football - Highlanders vs Stanley

Coming off an intense overtime tie the day before, the 8th grade Highlanders had a disappointing loss 14-12 against Stanley on Wednesday. A touchdown from Nick Price to Nick Pacult gave the Highlanders their first touchdown in the 2nd quarter.

Then down 14-6 with 2 plays to go the Highlanders connected with Goyo Prospero making it 14-12. The Highlanders were unable to complete the 2 point conversion ending the game. Tough plays were made by Luke Eidam, Emmett Smith & Lane Manola-LeClair.

 

PMS Cross Country Schedule

Here is the PMS Cross Country schedule for 2012. Keep watching for results. For other Cross Country information, see the link to left of the site to the PMS Cross Country site.

PMS Cross Country

Date	Event
September 24th	Cross Country Meet at Golden Gate Fields Race Track in Albany @ 4:15
September 27th	Home Meet at Lake Temescal Park in Oakland @ 4:15 p.m.
October 1st	Cross Country Meet at OIS in Orinda @ 4:15
October 4th	Cross Country Meet at Martin Lurther King School in Berkeley @ 4:15
October 11th	Cross Country Meet at Cerrito Vista Park in El Cerrito @ 4:15
October 18th	Cross Country Meet at Cerrito Vista Park in El Cerrito @ 4:15
October 22nd	Cross Country Meet at Rancho Laguna Park in Moraga @ 4:15
October 25th	Cross Country Meet at Martin Lurther King School in Berkeley @ 4:15
October 29th	Cross Country Meet at Lafayette Community Park in Lafayette @ 4:15
November 5th	6th Grade Championship  Meet at Kennedy Grove Park in El Sobrante @ 4:00
November 8th	7/8th Grade   Championship  Meet at Kennedy Grove Park in El Sobrante @ 4:00

7th and 8th Grade Flag Football Schedules

8th Grade Highlanders Football

Game/Event Name	Date	Start Time	Location
at Longfellow	9/24/2012	4:00 PM	San Pablo Park
at Moraga	9/25/2012	4:00 PM	Moraga
at Stanley	9/26/2012	4:00 PM	Stanley
at King	9/27/2012	4:00 PM	King
at Stanley	10/2/2012	4:00 PM	Stanley
vs. Orinda	10/3/2012	4:00 PM	Coaches Field
vs. Stanley	10/9/2012	4:00 PM	Coaches Field
at Willard	10/11/2012	4:00 PM	Willard
vs. Dorris Eaton	10/15/2012	4:00 PM	Dorris Eaton
vs. Longfellow	10/23/2012	7:30 PM	Witter Field

8th Grade Scots Football

Game/Event Name	Date	Start Time	Location
at Moraga	9/17/2012	4:00 PM	Moraga
at Dorris Eaton	9/18/2012	4:00 PM	Dorris Eaton
vs. Stanley	9/24/2012	4:00 PM	Coaches Field
at Stanley	9/26/2012	4:00 PM	Stanley Middle School
at Stanley	10/9/2012	4:00 PM	Stanley Middle School
Game	10/15/2012	4:00 PM	Orinda Intermediate School
at Willard	10/17/2012	4:00 PM	Willard Middle School
Orinda	10/22/2012	4:00 PM	Orinda Intermediate School
vs. Willard	10/23/2012	6:00 PM	Witter Field

7th Grade Highlanders Football

Game/Event Name	Date	Start Time	Location
at Moraga	9/17/2012	4:00 PM	Moraga
at Stanley	9/20/2012	4:00 PM	Stanley
at Moraga	9/25/2012	4:00 PM	Moraga
vs. Stanley	9/26/2012	4:00 PM	Coaches Field
at Orinda	10/2/2012	4:00 PM	Orinda Intermediate School
at Longfellow	10/3/2012	4:00 PM	San Pablo Park
at Stanley	10/9/2012	4:00 PM	Stanley
vs. Willard	10/11/2012	4:00 PM	Coaches Field
at Moraga	10/16/2012	4:00 PM	Moraga
@ Stanley	10/17/2012	4:00 PM	Stanley
vs. Willard	10/18/2012	4:00 PM	willard
vs. Orinda	10/22/2012	6:00 PM	Witter Field

7th & 8th Grade Highlanders, Scots Volleyball Schedules

Come out and cheer on the 7th and 8th grade Highlanders and Scots volleyball teams! Home games are at Morrison Gym, usually at 4:00pm.

Highlanders 8th Grade

Game/Event Name	Date	Time	Location
vs. Foothill	9/18/2012	4:00 PM	Morrison Gym
vs. Martinez	9/19/2012	4:00 PM	Morrison Gym
vs. TBD	9/24/2012	4:00 PM	Morrison Gym
at Willard	9/27/2012	5:00 PM	Willard
vs. WCI	10/9/2012	4:00 PM	Morrison Gym
vs. Stanley	10/15/2012	5:00 PM	Morrison Gym
at Foothill	10/16/2012	5:00 PM	Foothill
vs. Dorris Eaton	10/22/2012	4:00 PM	Morrison Gym
8th Grade Tournament (tentative)	10/29/2012	4:00 PM	Stanley
9th Grade Tournament (tentative)	10/30/2012	4:00 PM	Stanley
10th Grade Tournament (tentative)	11/1/2012	4:00 PM	Stanley
11th Grade Tournament (tentative)	11/2/2012	4:00 PM	Stanley

Scots 8th Grade

Game/Event Name	Date	Time	Location
at WCI	9/20/2012	5:00 PM	WCI
at Longfellow	9/26/2012	4:00 PM	Longfellow
at OIS	10/3/2012	5:00 PM	OIS
vs. Longfellow	10/10/2012	4:00 PM	Morrison Gym
vs. Willard	10/11/2012	4:00 PM	Morrison Gym
vs. MLK	10/18/2012	4:00 PM	Morrison Gym
vs. Prospect Sierra	10/23/2012	4:00 PM	Morrison Gym
vs. Dorris Eaton	10/24/2012	4:00 PM	Morrison Gym
vs. 8th Grade B Tournament	10/27/2012	8:00 AM	Morrison Gym

Highlanders 7th Grade

Game/Event Name	Date	Start Time	Location
vs. Foothill	9/18/2012	4:00 PM	Morrison Gym
vs. Martinez	9/19/2012	4:00 PM	Morrison Gym
at WCI	9/20/2012	4:00 PM	Walnut Creek
vs. TBD	9/24/2012	4:00 PM	Morrison Gym
at Longfellow	9/26/2012	5:00 PM	Longfellow
at Willard	9/27/2012	4:00 PM	Willard
at OIS	10/3/2012	5:00 PM	OIS
vs. Stanley	10/4/2012	4:00 PM	Morrison Gym
vs. WCI	10/9/2012	4:00 PM	Morrison Gym
vs. Longfellow	10/10/2012	4:00 PM	Morrison Gym
vs. Willard	10/11/2012	4:00 PM	Morrison Gym
vs. Stanley	10/15/2012	4:00 PM	Morrison Gym
at Foothill	10/16/2012	4:00 PM	Foothill
vs. MLK	10/18/2012	4:00 PM	Morrison Gym
7th Grade Tournament (tentative)	10/22/2012	4:00 PM	Foothill
7th Grade Tournament (tentative)	10/23/2012	4:00 PM	Foothill
7th Grade Tournament (tentative)	10/24/2012	4:00 PM	Foothill
7th Grade Tournament (tentative)	10/25/2012	4:00 PM	Foothill

Summertime

The summer has begun, and we'll be taking a break from sports coverage until the fall season begins.

Here is the PMS sports schedule --
Fall: Cross Country, Volleyball, Football
Winter: Basketball
Spring: Track & Field

If you are entering ninth grade and plan to play a fall sport, don't forget to turn in your medical form as soon as possible.  More information about high school sports is available on the PHS website.

Stay active and have a fun summer!

Piedmont Hosts Track and Field Meet

BOYS
6th Grade
The 4x100m relay team anchored by Dane Gruendl, Nicholas Rachwald, and Julian Turner ran a 1:06.4. Gruendl (16’) Rachwald (17’), Turner (20’) and Toby Fischer (24’) all did well in the Shotput. Turner (16.50), Gruendl (16.44), Sam White (15.56) and Fischer (15.85) represented well in the 100m. Fischer also ran a nice 200m at 35.41. Mitchell Bloemker (1:08.54) and White (1:17.06) both ran the 400m. Bloemker (5:38) also ran a nice 1600m. Rachwald (11-7 ¾) and Turner (9-3 ½) also long jumped.

7th Grade
Joseph Chu, Daniel Jones, Hunter Stern, and Mitchell Bloemker (6th grader) ran 57.94 in the 4x100m relay. Chu (5:58, 3-10) and Jones (5:52, 3-10) both ran the 1600m and high jumped. Chu (14.72) and Stern (13.50) also ran well in the 100m. Stern also ran the 200 (30.13). Emmet Smith (1:07.62) ran the 400m.

8th Grade
Alex Harrison, Everett Ellis, Gabriel Watson and Emmet Smith (7th Grader) ran 54.62 in the 4x100m relay. Harrison doubled in the 800m (2:43.43). Ellis ran the 400m (1:01.03). Watson also competed in the 200m (28.57) and high jump (4-0).

GIRLS
6th Grade
Minnie Cooper, Olivia Adams, Ko Narter, and Rose Eisenbach ran 1:07.71 in the 4x100m relay. Adams (16.72), Ava Biehn (15.44), and Eisenbach (16.16) competed well in the 100m. Biehn (1:16, 6:43) and Paige Avagliano (1:21.24, 6:58), and Sophia Lincoln (1:27.99, 7:30) ran the 400m and 1600m.  Madeline Lincoln (7:37) and Minnie Cooper (6:27PR) also ran the 1600m.

7th Grade
Emma Nash (1:03.27) and Leah Kochendoefer (100.19) anchored the two 7th Grade girls 4x100m relay teams. Kochendoefer (15.63), Nash (16.09), Ava Podell (15.16), Monty Miller (16.25), Kayla Lim (16.28), and Claire Laymon (15.91) all ran the 100m. Podell (1:10) and Maxine Miller (1:12) ran the 400m. Maddy Murphy ran the 1600m in 5:55.

8th Grade
Maddie Copeland won the 1600m in 5:47. Emma Seevak won the 800m in 2:44. Maura Phillips won her heat in the 100m (14.44). Phillips (4-2) and Isabella Sassi (3-6) both participated in the high jump.

Albany Meet Track and Field Results

BOYS
6th Grade
Nicholas Rachwald, Sam White, Dane Gruendl, and Walter Teitelbaum ran a very strong 4x100m Relay to start the day. Gruendl (16.6), White (15.7), Julian Turner (16.0), and Toby Fischer (15.89) all ran impressive 100m races into the wind. White (1:17) and Mitchell Bloemker (1:09) both ran strong 400m races. Bloemker also blazed a 5:49 1600m to end his day.

7th Grade
Emmet Smith ran with the 8th grade 4x100m relay team and a great 200m time of 27.96. Hunter Stern had a nice double in the 100m (13.86) and 200m (30.31). Elijah Levy ran a nice 800m at 2:57.64.

8th Grade
Alex Harrison, Everett Ellis, Gabriel Watson and Emmet Smith all ran the 4x100m relay to start the day. Zach Bloemker ran a strong race in the 1600m finishing in 6:21. Harrison doubled in the 800m (2:43.43). Ellis ran the 400m (1:00.72) and 200m (27.79) to finish a nice afternoon.

GIRLS
6th Grade
In the 400m, Minnie Cooper (1:19) and Dora Greenwall (1:30) both ran well. Greenwall (16.9), Olivia Adams (16.5), Ko Narter (17.1) and Alison Prendergast all represented Piedmont well in the 100m. Cooper ran a strong 1600m to open the season in 6:35.

7th Grade
Monty Miller (17.1) and Emma Nash (16.1) both ran well in the 100m.

8th Grade
Maddie Copeland won the 1600m in a personal best time of 5:43. Emma Seevak had a great day with a double in the 800m (2:42) and 1600m (6:23). Maura Phillips blazed the 100m in 14.9.

7th Grade Fifers vs. Prospect Sierra

Fifers 21, Prospect Sierra 33
It was a one-point game at the end of the first quarter as the Fifers took on Prospect Sierra, but the Fifers fell to an 8 point deficit by half-time, 15-7. Blake Gruendl, Luke Eidam, and Eoghan Shields combined for 10 of the Fifers second half points, but this wasn't enough to catch the fast-breaking Prospect Sierra team.

7th Grade Fifers Score Victory over Scots

Fifers 31, Scots 29
The Scots took control early against the Fifers, leading 25-16 at the end of the third quarter. The Fifers caught fire in the fourth, with Eoghan Shields, Bing Mitchell, Will McDonald, and Blake Gruendl leading the charge. With under 30 seconds left in the game, Jack McKeen hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 29. Overtime was scoreless until the final 25 seconds when Gruendl scored and won the game.

7th Grade Boys Highlanders vs. Longfellow

Piedmont 34, Longfellow 27
In an exciting game, the 7th grade Highlanders displayed their best teamwork this season. Goyo Prospero worked hard both offensively and defensively for his team high of 9 points. He also had three blocked shots and two steals. Spencer London showed great skill at the guard position and was rewarded with eight points. Greg Wick and Will Jiang spread the offensive power, scoring 6 and 4 points, respectively. Adam Low played great defense with 7 rebounds, 2 steals and a blocked shot. The Highlanders' quick passing and good ball control by Cade Becker and Nick Price put the game out of reach of the skilled Longfellow team.

7th Grade Boys Fifers vs. Dorris-Eaton

Piedmont 27, Dorris-Eaton 47
Dorris-Eaton got off to a quick start with a bucket on the tip-off and controlled the first quarter finishing 7-2. In the second quarter, Doris Eaton utilized their quickness and height to score 13 fast break points in the first 4 minutes.  Willy Matsuno scored for the Fifers on a free throw. The first half came to a close and Doris Eaton was winning 24-7. The second half started and Piedmont came out much stronger but Doris Eaton won the quarter 10-8 and led the game 34-15. When the fourth quarter started the game had already been decided but both teams kept playing hard. 25 points were scored in the fourth quarter with Piedmont having 12 and Doris Eaton getting 13. Dillon Heller scored 8 points in the second half on his way to another double digit scoring game. Matsuno added another bucket to his tally, while Luke Eidam, Eoghan Shields and Jack McKeen also contributed to the team's total.

7th Grade Boys Fifers vs. St. Paul's

Piedmont 16, St. Paul’s 47
All good things must come to an end, and the Fifers’ winning ways were tested at their second home game against St. Paul’s. St Paul’s had a quick basket and Piedmont answered with a 2-pointer. St. Paul’s scored on a turnover, but Piedmont’s Dillon Heller answered by scoring on the next possession. The game was tied 4-4 half way through the first period, but St. Paul’s pulled away and didn’t look back. Piedmont battled St. Paul’s aggressive defense, trying to overcome a 32-6 halftime deficit. Piedmont’s offense doubled their points on the board in the fourth quarter, but it was too little too late. Final score, St. Paul’s 47, Piedmont 16.

7th Grade Boys Fifers vs. Martinez

Piedmont 36, Martinez 8 
The Fifers continued their winning ways during their first home game, beating Martinez 36-8. Piedmont had a solid start, taking a 16-6 lead at the half. Piedmont came out strong in the second half with a 12-0 run in the first 5 minutes. The second half surge put the game away as Piedmont outscored Martinez by 20 in the second half.

7th Grade Boys Fifers vs. Orinda

Piedmont 48, Orinda 8
The Piedmont Fifers chalked up their first win of the season, defeating the Orinda Bulldogs, 48-8. The Fifers’ defense kept the Bulldogs scoreless, allowing Piedmont to take a 24-0 lead. Luke Eidam and Dillon Heller scored in the double digits, with Bing Mitchell following closely with 8 points. Blake Gruendl had three steals in the first ten minutes. Barak “Bo” Albert and Jeff Asa-Hauser also contributed to the team’s scoring.

7th Grade Boys Highlanders vs. Stanley

Piedmont 26, Stanley 30
In a defensive battle, the Highlanders came back from an 11 point deficit in the fourth quarter against Stanley. Spencer London, Cade Becker and Nick Price kept up the backcourt pressure to close the gap to four points, but ran out of time to pull off the upset. London led the team with 12 points, and Adam Low added 7 points. Gregory Wick and Goyo Prospero pulled down 4 and 3 rebounds, respectively.

7th Grade Girls Basketball Scots Finish Season with Win

Piedmont 22, Prospect Sierra 17
The Scots saved the best for last, finishing their season with a thrilling win over Prospect Sierra. The victory was a true team effort with Siobhan Mitchell, Kerry O’Connor, Maddie Wolfe, Gracie Petty and Claire Laymon providing aggressive, defense, and Margaret Meagher, Emily Rexrode and Nina Adarkar combining for 29 rebounds. Meagher led the offense with 10 points and Rexrode added 6 points. Gillian Peters and Avery Bouch each had a basket and played outstanding transition defense. Mitchell and Petty made clutch free throws in the fourth quarter to stop a Prospect Sierra run and insure the win.

8th Grade Girls Basketball Stanley Middle School Invitational Tournament

First round: Piedmont 42, Walnut Creek 58 
The Highlanders kept within 8 points of the Scorpions until the last quarter, when the gap widened and the Highlanders lost, 42−58. It was an exciting game; every Highlander had standout moments. Kelsey Fennell spearheaded the offense, putting up 22 points, and led the team in rebounds with 16.  Malorie Han scored 6 points and made 3 steals; Caroline James, Tess Olcott and Cate Selna put up 4 points each.

Second round: Piedmont 20, Albany 9 
The Highlanders played the Albany Cobras in their second round game on Thursday, January 19th. The team maintained a comfortable lead the entire game, winning 20 - 9. Kelsey Fennell and Cate Selna shared top scoring honors with six points each, with Tess Olcott contributing 4 points. Fennell dominated the boards with 11 rebounds, Caroline James and Caroline Welch had 5 each, and Malorie Han, Sydney Boxer, Selna, Olcott and Mika Lee also contributed to the rebounding effort.

Consolation game: Piedmont 36, Martinez 23
Down by one point at the half, Piedmont came from behind to take fifth place honors in their final game of the season. Sydney Boxer was on fire and ended the night with 10 points, including a 3-pointer. Cate Selna and Kelsey Fennell followed with six points each, and Hana Elabed had four points.  Fennell kept things moving on both ends of the court with 10 rebounds and two steals; Selna pulled down six rebounds, and Caroline Welch, Elabed and Malorie Han had four apiece.
The team treated Coach Marikah Woodson to her first visit to Fenton's to celebrate a successful season.

7th Grade Boys Basketball Scots Add Two Wins

Piedmont 39, Moraga 33

Piedmont 37, Albany 29

The Scots improved their record to 3-1 this week with wins over Moraga 39-33 and Albany 37-29. The team played exceptional defense with 27 rebounds against Moraga and 60 boards against Albany. Highlights for the week include Max Manalo-Leclair scoring 14 points against Moraga and 17 against Albany, with 21 rebounds for the two games. Kyle Mortimer scored 11 points and 5 rebounds. Christian Turner with 13 rebounds, 8 steals, and 3 blocks. Sam Williamson had 6 points and 8 boards. Lane Manalo-Leclair had 3 points and 11 rebounds. Other highlights include Blake Meyers, Justin Nicholas, and Aidan Nabavi as point guards setting up the plays with 11 assists and 14 points between them. Both offensively and defensively Chris Conn, Jake Mura, Jordan Leon, Brandon Lew, Geoffrey Burge and Andrew DiGaetano all contributed to this week’s wins.

7th Grade Boys Basketball Fifers vs. Moraga

Piedmont 21, Moraga 21

The Fifers found themselves trying to play catch-up after the Moraga Marauders took an early lead. Piedmont faced a daunting 15 point deficit at the half, but came back behind Luke Eidem’s scoring to bring the team within eight points in the third. Unfortunately, Piedmont’s late game surge was not enough to defeat the Marauders, who won the game 33-21.

8th Grade Girls Highlanders vs. Albany

Piedmont 34, Albany 21
The Cobras stayed within striking distance with Piedmont leading by 5 points at the end of the first half, but the Highlanders pulled away in the end, scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter for a decisive win. High scorer Caroline James led the offensive effort with 9 points. Tess Olcott widened the scoring gap with a late game three pointer for a total of 7 points, and Kelsey Fennell had 6. Caroline Welch led in rebounds, while Cate Selna and Mika Lee made key assists.

7th Grade Girls Basketball Martinez Jr. High School Invitational Tournament

Monday, January 9, 2012
Piedmont 15, Albany 25
The Scots fell way behind in the first half and lost the game despite a second half run that pulled them within 5 points with less than 5 minutes to go. Margaret Meagher led the Scots with 7 points and 11 rebounds, Avery Bouch had 4 points and played strong defense along with Gracie Petty and Nina Adarkar who each scored a basket and combined for 4 rebounds.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012  
Piedmont 11, Longfellow 15
After getting off to a slow start and trailing at the half by 11 points, the Scots dominated the second half before coming up short and losing 15-11. Margaret Meagher led the Scots with 10 rebounds and 3 assists and was awarded the game MVP trophy by tournament officials.  Emily Rexrode had her most complete game of the year with 4 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals. Meagher and Rexrode combined with Gillian Peters, Siobhan Mitchell, and Claire Laymon on defense to completely shut down the Longfellow offense in the second half.  Maddie Wolfe had 4 points and Kerry O’Connor added a basket.

7th Grade Boys Fifers vs. Willard

Piedmont 21, Willard 30
The Fifers squared-off against Willard in their second game of the season. The Phoenixes took an early lead, but scoring by Jack McKeen and Eoghan Shields brought the Fifers to within one point at the half. Dillon Heller and Bing Mitchell kept the Fifers in the game, and Jackson Beieler scored a memorable bucket against his former school team. The teams were well-matched, but the Fifers were ultimately defeated, 21-30.

8th Grade Girls Highlanders vs. Orinda

Piedmont 20, Orinda 32

The Highlanders played Orinda close for the first half with a halftime score of Orinda 13, Piedmont 10. However, Orinda's full-court press forced multiple turnovers that plagued the Highlanders throughout the game. Kelsey Fennell, had 9 points, Caroline James had 4 points, and Hana Elabed, Sydney Boxer, Caroline Welch and Cate Selna also contributed to the scoring effort. The team never seemed to get in sync and just couldn't overcome the sharp defense, aggressive rebounding and the quick court rhythm Orinda threw at them.

8th Grade Girls Scots vs. Longfellow

Piedmont 18, Longfellow 39
The Scots played Longfellow to an 8-8 draw in the first quarter, but fell behind in the face of their tough defense and ability to score baskets in transition. Ashley Gerrity led the Scots with 7 points, and Elie Docter, Megan Deutsche, Genna Williamson, Julia Kelly and Tina Sieben added to the Scots’ scoring.  Maret Sotkiewicz and Nicole Bilorusky were tough on defense and came up with several steals.

8th Grade Girls Beat Martinez

Piedmont 25, Martinez 2
Their tempo slowed by multiple foul calls in the first half, the Highlanders picked up the pace in the second to beat the Bullpups, 25-2. Leading scorer Kelsey Fennell had 12 points, while Mika Lee hit a three-pointer to score a total of 5, Caroline Welch scored 4, and Malorie Han and Caroline James scored 2 points apiece. Welch added 4 rebounds, while Sydney Boxer added 2 assists and 2 rebounds to Piedmont’s effort.

8th Grade Girls Defeat Bentley

Piedmont 24, Bentley 14
Taking an early lead, the Highlanders faced an energized Bentley Phoenix team to start the new year. Kelsey Fennell was the team’s high scorer with 10 points. Cate Selna and Fennell led the team with 8 and 7 rebounds, while Caroline James, Hana Elabed, Caroline Welch and Malorie Han contributed 5 rebounds each. Tess Olcott sparked the defense with 5 steals. Piedmont pulled away in the third quarter to beat Bentley, 24-14.