Fri.-Sat., May 19-20, 2023
A couple of good days of competition for our family started with amazing news from Pasadena . . .
After six full, action packed days
of playing Dominoes against my Mother,
I FINALLY BEAT HER!
We played 46 games on Friday. I actually won 26 of those games and also outpointed her 359-281!
Of course, she of the crafty, veteran Dominoes strategies is still way ahead overall, 93-82 in games and 1,521-1,179 in points.
What will Week #3 of the Tournament bring?
Stay tuned . . .
We had great news from Las Vegas on Saturday where grandson Kevin's team, coached by his father Andrew, was playing in his AYSO Soccer League's Championship Game vs. an undefeated opponent.
UPSET!
The final score was 5-4 and I know that Kevin, third from the right in front of Coach Andrew, and his mates played a great game in capturing the league crown against a tough opponent.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Another day at the Camarillo H.S.
Track & Field Complex
The Camarillo Rotary Club has sponsored the Hap Rapp Memorial Track Meet since the meet's beginning in 1960. This would be the 62nd annual meet that has only been interrupted during the 2020 and 2021 Covid pandemic years.
Hap Rapp was a Rotarian who devoted his time and talents to this event for many years.
Our son Michael ran in this meet during the Spring of his Eighth Grade year.
The crowd just kept building
Both Boy and Girl athletes from grades 4-8 representing 15 elementary and middle schools that serve the community of Camarillo were here to compete in a total of three events each from the following list of nine events:
50 Meters Dash (4th-6th Grade only)
100 Meters Dash
400 Meters Run
800 Meters Run
1600 Meters Run (6th-8th Grade only)
4 x 100 Meters Relay
High Jump
Long Jump
Shot Put (7th & 8th Grade only)
All of the events are broken down so that athletes are only competing against other athletes from their own grade.
Last Spring, as a Fourth Grader, Jacob represented the Tierra Linda Elementary School Hawks by entering the Long Jump and sprinted in the 100 Meters Dash as well as running a leg of his school's
4 x 100 Meters Relay team.
This was his first ever foray into the world of track and field after just a few rudimentary practices after school. I clearly remember how disappointed he was that he did not win any of the ribbons awarded to all of the First to Fifth Place finishers.
Hopefully, this Spring's first season of Camarillo Cosmos Track and Field experience would serve him well as he competed against other Fifth Grade Boys.
As with all of today's athletes, he is only allowed a maximum of three events. He opted for the Long Jump, the 50 Meters Dash and the 800 Meters Run.
He started the day in his favorite
event, the Long Jump
Behind him you can see part of the mob of 38 Fifth Grade Boys competing in this event.
Here he come chugging
down the runway
A good takeoff
Airborne
Oops, he did NOT stick this landing
I could not hear his mark but it seemed to be a good one to me.
As his group was Long Jumping, the Middle School 800 Meters races were in full swing.
Wait, what is the Monte Vista Middle
School Toro wearing?
I'll take a closer look on his second lap across my view of the Long Jump pit.
Of course, I should have known,
ALL Super Heroes wear capes!
If they give an award for best dressed, this young man has my vote!
Here we go again
Good Hang Time!
A much better looking jump
He stuck the landing
His third and final jump looked good to me as well, but would it be enough to earn his first Hap Rapp Meet ribbon?
WOW!
He did indeed win a ribbon, but not just any ribbon, he earned the First Place ribbon in out-jumping all 37 of the other Fifth Grade Boys in the event!
His winning mark was 13 feet-8 inches, an improvement of 1 foot-5 inches over his previous Personal Best in this event. The Second Place winner's best mark was 12 feet-11 inches.
Jacob's Long Jump mark today would have won the Sixth Grade competition, taken second in the Seventh Grade event and and third in the day's Eighth Grade jumps.
So overall, of the exactly 100 athletes who competed in the five Hap Rapp Meet Boys Long Jump events on Saturday, he had the fourth best mark of the meet regardless of grade.
DOUBLE WOW!!
Showing off his Blue Ribbon
to his Tierra Linda Teammates
in the stands to his right
In what must have been an amazing moment for him, all of the Hawks were chanting "Jacob! Jacob! Jacob!"
This look on his face alone made
for a GREAT day
Laurie captured the Award Ceremony
on her cell phone
Jacob's classmates chasing him
as he exited the track with his
Blue Ribbon
A source of pride to be sure
On to the 50 Meters Dash in
Heat #4 of four Heats
There were 32 Fifth Graders entered in the event. The top nine times in the four Heats would qualify for the Finals.
Competing
Getting a lead on his closest two sprinters
Leaning at the tape
Jacob came in fourth in his Heat with a time of 8.70 seconds.
Would it be fast enough to get him into the Finals?
YES it was as the ninth and
final qualifier
Burning up the track
Flying through the finish line
He finished 7th in the race with an improved time of 8.57 seconds.
Seventh out of 32 Fifth Grade sprinters is a good showing in my opinion. He was also the #1 Tierra Linda Hawk in this event.
Kids being kids as a friendly game
of tag broke out between athletes
from several schools
An award is given out to
the Most Spirited School
The Tierra Linda Hawks had my vote for sure!
Michael volunteered to help in
the afternoon
He wore his red Volunteer (not a MAGA) cap over his yellow bucket hat.
How stylish . . .
The pack of 21 runners in the
Fifth Grade 800 Meters Run
Jacob with his signature red,
white and blue head band in the
middle of the pack
Two head banded Tierra Linda
Hawks starting their final lap
Straining down the Home Stretch
Keep battling!
Sixth out of 21 runners was
another good showing
He needed to finish in the top five to win another ribbon but his time of 2:52.48 bettered his previous Personal Record by 2.45 seconds.
Now, where was Mary in all of this exciting soccer and track action you ask?
At not one but TWO
birthday parties
Ever the social butterfly . . .
Nice unicorn tattoo
Why wasn't I invited to
this real tea party?
Let's see what's up in EuroBall . . .
The Italian Football League
played a full slate of games
Italian Football League
Week #11 Results
Panthers (6-1) 56 - Mastini (0-7) 12
Guelfi (7-1) 60 - Rhinos (4-3) 24
Dolphins (6-2) 48 - Stainless Steel Warriors (0-6) 15
Ducks (3-4) 38 - Frogs (3-4) 14
Bye: Skorpions (3-4)
Italian Football League
Standings
1. Firenze Guelfi 7-1 *
2. Parma Panthers 6-1 **
3. Ancona Dolphins 6-2 ***
4. Milano Rhinos 4-3
5t. Lazio Ducks 3-4
5t. Legnano Frogs 3-4
5t. Varese Skorpions 3-4
8. Emilia Stainless Steel Warriors 0-6
9. Verona Mastini 0-7
* Regular Season Finished
Wild Card Playoff Bye Secured
** Wild Card Playoff Bye Secured
*** Regular Season Finished
Wild Card Playoff Berth Secured
Things get interesting as the last weekend of the IFL regular season approaches. Only the top six clubs will enter the playoffs with the goal of playing for the championship in Italian Bowl XLII set for Toledo, Ohio on July 1st, and the fourth through sixth playoff spots are still up for grabs.
First of all the recently postponed Week #10 game between the Legnano Frogs (3-4) and the Emilia Stainless Steel Warriors (0-6) on Wednesday becomes a must win for the Frogs to keep their playoff hopes alive. The recent deadly flooding in northeast Italy was the cause of this games re-scheduling.
The Emilia squad (0-6) has the extremely tough task of now playing three games in a nine day period to end the year having lost to Ancona Dolphins (6-2) 48-15 on Saturday, playing the Legnano Frogs (3-4) on Friday and then playing the Verona Mastini (0-7) next Sunday in a possible Humanitarian Bowl game potentially featuring two teams with 0-7 records.
Of the three teams currently tied for Fifth place with matching 3-4 records, only two will make the playoffs.
On Sunday, the Varese Skorpions (3-4) have a key regular season ending game against the Milano Rhinos (4-3) who have lost three of their last four games.
The Lazio Ducks (3-4) have the toughest path to the post-season in having to still face the Parma Panthers (6-1) on Sunday.
The Legnano Frogs (3-4) seemingly have the easiest road to the playoffs with their make-up game on Wednesday against the Stainless Steel Warriors (0-6).
Italian Football League
Week #10 Re-Scheduled Game
Wednesday, May 24, 2023
Frogs (3-4) at Stainless Steel Warriors (0-6)
Italian Football League
Week #12 Scheduled Games
Sunday, May 28, 2023
Rhinos (4-3) at Skorpions (3-4)
Mastini (0-7) at Stainless Steel Warriors (0-6)
Ducks (3-4) at Panthers (6-1)
Byes: Guelfi (7-1), Dolphins (6-2) & Frogs (3-4)
The European League of Football's
17 teams in nine countries
are kicking-off their 2023
season on June 3rd-4th
On the eve of their third season of operation Europe's super league of American football, announced an 18th franchise award for the 2024 campaign.
Madrid will be the second ELF team in
Spain joining the Barcelona Dragons
Still in the wind is the fate of Istanbul Rams franchise that joined the ELF in 2022 but opted to drop out of the ELF after their initial season to re-group.
If they come back in 2024, will the ELF add yet another team to get the league to a more manageable, scheduling friendly 20 club circuit.
Finally . . .
GREAT advice if you ask me!
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