Henderson Back But Cal Loses

Seattle, Wash. - Cal senior Jolene Henderson entered the pitching circle Thursday for the first time since April 21, taking the loss in a 7-4 defeat against Washington. She gave up one run in her one inning of work.

Henderson (29-8) injured her knee on a routine play in the infield in a 2-1 loss to Oregon State and had been held out of action. In that stretch with a pair of freshman pitchers, Cal went 0-8.

Henderson entered Friday’s game with the Huskies for five innings, making her presence felt by allowing only two hits, a run and a walk while fanning five before the game was sent into extra innings. Cal ended up losing 9-8 in nine innings, its ninth loss in a row. 

Cal's Jolene Henderson

Going into Saturday’s regular season finale, the Bears are 35-17, 9-14 in the Pac-12, yet with a chance to qualify for the NCAA Women’s Softball Championships. The latest USA Today/ESPN poll has the Golden Bears ranked 20^th in the nation.

Earlier in the week it was announced that Henderson, a Sheldon High School graduate, is one of the ten finalists for the 2013 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award. She broke the record for all-time wins earlier this season and now stands at 127 career victories. Henderson has a 1.21 ERA this year. Tack on to that a .248 batting average with seven home runs and 19 RBI.

Gray Earns All-Atlantic 10 Honor

Former Elk Grove High School pitcher Carlee Gray was picked to the Atlantic 10’s All-Rookie team earlier this week. 

Carlee Gray, on the left

The George Washington University freshman has started every game at first base and has been a force in the heart of the Colonials' lineup in her rookie campaign. She is batting .328 with 45 hits, nine doubles and 28 RBIs, and has reached base at a .410 clip. She ranks second on the team in doubles and third in batting average, hits and RBIs.

Gray has committed only four errors in 311 chances this season.

Sullivan Named To Jr. Olympic Team

Pleasant Grove High School freshman Erika Sullivan was selected to the USA Jr. Olympic volleyball team last week. She’ll play for the USA squad in Dallas, Tex., in July.  

Sullivan with her parents, now a part of USA Jr.
Olympic volleyball team

Sullivan not only played for the Eagles this past fall, but is also a member of the Delta Valley Volleyball club.

Local Soccer Team Wins Cal State North Cup

Last weekend the U14 Endurance girls soccer team, a part of FC Elk Grove, won the Cal North State Cup and are now going on to Hawaii to represent Elk Grove and Northern California in the Far West Regionals.

The team, coached by Phil Burnett, won the Nor-Cal Premier Soccer League championship this year and have won first place in five tournaments over the past few months.

According to one team mom, Lisa Ortiz, a few members of the team also played soccer for their high school this spring.

“Some of the girls played basketball, ran track, etc.,” Ortiz wrote in an email. “They are a group of hard working girls that dedicate their days and evenings to their sports. They missed family functions, and school social events to play in tournaments local and out of town. When they have tournaments they even practice on the weekends on sometimes on a last minutes notice.”

The team is raising money to help pay for their expenses to travel to Hawaii. Donations can be sent to team manager Shirley Chan. Her email address is: Shirls.Chan@yahoo.com.

College Fishing Tournament Coming To The Delta

There are many collegiate sports but recently competitive fishing has begun to draw some interest. Sponsored by FLW Outdoors, which already runs many professional bass and walleye fishing tournaments around the country, FLW College Fishing will hold the third of its four Western Conference events this Saturday in the California Delta.

Fifty collegiate teams will launch from Russo’s Marina in Bethel Island at 7 a.m. Weigh-in begins at 1 p.m.

Two fishermen competing are from Elk Grove. Thomas Kanemoto is on one of three teams representing Sacramento State University. Russyl Soto is competing for San Jose State.

FLW College Fishing teams compete in four qualifying events in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top fifteen teams from each regular-season tournament will qualify for one of five conference invitational tournaments. The top ten teams from each conference invitational tournament will advance to the 2014 FLW College Fishing National Championship.

College Fishing is free to enter and FLW Outdoors provides boats and drivers for each competing team along with travel allowances. All participants must be registered, full-time undergraduate students at a four-year college or university and members of a fishing club recognized by their college or university.