SOFTBALL NOTEBOOK: PRIDE GOETH, DOES NOT FALL TEAM QUALIFIES FOR NATIONALS.Byline: Ramona Shelburne Ramona Shelburne is an American sports journalist currently writing for the Los Angeles Daily News. Shelburne was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She attended El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills, California where she was a class valedictorian. Staff Writer A week ago, players and coaches from the Santa Clarita Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, Pride were starting to make plans for the rest of the summer. After failing to qualify for 18-under Gold Nationals at a tournament in Clovis, the team was left, along with about 50 other teams, with one more chance to qualify at a tournament in Vancouver, Wash. ``The kids and the coaches were a little bit down,'' Pride coach Steve Calendo said. ``We weren't even sure if we were going to go to Vancouver. ``But one of the coaches on the team, Kevin Tantlinger, has a rare form of cancer and he gave everyone a pep talk that got us going again.'' Whatever Tantlinger - a former men's fast-pitch star who is the father of Highland High of Palmdale pitcher Lauren Tantlinger - said must've worked. The Pride qualified for an ASA Asa (ā`sə), in the Bible, king of Judah, son and successor of Abijah. He was a good king, zealous in his extirpation of idols. When Baasha of Israel took Ramah (a few miles N of Jerusalem), Asa bought the help of Benhadad of Damascus and national tournament for the first time in its five-year history. ``It's a big thing for our kids. We're very happy to be there because there's 40 other teams from California who didn't make it,'' Calendo said. It's an especially gratifying grat·i·fy tr.v. grat·i·fied, grat·i·fy·ing, grat·i·fies 1. To please or satisfy: His achievement gratified his father. See Synonyms at please. 2. accomplishment for the Pride because the team draws primarily from players in the Santa Clarita area, unlike many travel softball teams that draw even from out of state. Locals on the Pride include: Ashley Herrera (Valencia), Erica Duhart (Hart), Danielle Duhart (Hart), Ashley Calendo (Hart), Emily Sudik (Hart), Megan Allen (Hart), Jessica Bailey (Hart), Erica Owen (Hart), Briana Bernardi (Hart), Brie O'Brien (Saugus) and Kirsten Lindgreen (Saugus). Recently graduated Hart center The Hart Recreation Center is the main athletic center at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. It was built in 1975 and is home to the Holy Cross Crusaders athletic teams. It is named for the Rev. Francis J. Hart, S.J. fielder Meaghan Flaherty has been added to the team for the national tournament in Salem, Ore., Aug. 4-10. ``Travel softball is a cut-throat kind of business, but we're not trying to do it in a cut-throat way,'' Calendo said. --More qualifiers: Valencia's Breanne Javier and Whitney Lowe's travel team, the Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, Diamonds, also qualified for the 18-under Gold National tournament last weekend. The Diamonds had to leave the prestigious Futures' Tournament at the Canada Cup in Surrey, British Columbia Surrey is a Canadian city in the province of British Columbia that lies within the Metro Vancouver district, and geographically at the centre of the larger region known as the Lower Mainland of BC. It is the province's second-largest city by population after the city of Vancouver. , early in order to make the qualifying tournament in Vancouver. --Ross getting ready: Foothill League co-MVP Christina Ross is being recruited by some of the top programs in the country, but she's not content to sit back on her accomplishments. Ross, who was 13-1 with a 0.27 ERA this year for Valencia, is taking classes at College of the Canyons College of the Canyons is one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the state. According to the National Junior College Research Association, College of the Canyons consistently ranks in the top 50 community colleges in the nation. this summer. Her weekly schedule includes a psychology class Monday through Thursday, weight training, English and track. Ross' travel team, the Athletics, qualified for Gold Nationals two weeks ago in Clovis. Ramona Shelburne, (818) 713-3617 ramona.shelburne(at)dailynews.com |
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