August 2, 2012 Page 5 Adam Pro Sports Joe’s Sports The Day that Sports Ruled the World Hawthorne Falls Short in League Final By Adam Serrao casing his talent in the 4x200 meter freestyle By Joe Snyder The Hawthorne-based South Bay Swimming Last Friday evening the 2012 Olympic relay where the latter took home his first Hawthorne High’s baseball team attempted team had several top age-group finishes in the Games Opening Ceremony took place in gold medal and broke his first world record to rally from a five-run deficit, but fell on Seal Beach Rough Water One- and Three-Mile London, England, marking the beginning as the Americans went on to finish in first the short end of a 7-6 score in the cham- Swims on June 30. Kathy Gore won her age of more than two weeks straight of athletic with a time of 6:58:56. Fast forward to the pionship finals of the South Bay Summer group in the one-mile. Jay Hoeschler and competition. Any sports fan’s dream, the 2012 Olympics and now Lochte seems to Baseball League to Bishop Montgomery Dave Jonta each had second place finishes Olympics symbolizes a time when all of be locked in and no longer ready to take a from Torrance last Thursday at Hawthorne. for their age. Third place finishers included the world’s greatest athletes come together backseat to Phelps. “I think overall, I’m just Down 7-2 entering the bottom of the sixth Bill McLeven, Chris Bell, Steve Hyde and and compete on the highest level and on a lot older, smarter, and a better athlete than inning, the Cougars rallied for four runs to Kevin Nemeth. the brightest stage for global supremacy I was going into Beijing,” the 27-year-old cut their deficit to one run. A two-run double In the three-mile, Faiad Burke and Gaylord in their respective sports. Titled “Isles of related. “I changed my diet and I started do- by Moises Chavez highlighted the inning. Schilling were second and third respectively. Wonder,” the ceremony not only left sports ing heavier weightlifting.” The weightlifting Steve Leyva also drove in a run with a base Dave Neilan finished seventh. fans wondering what they would see in the may help with all of the gold medals that hit. Relief pitcher Andrew Banuelos got the The group is looking forward to Sunday’s athletic competitions to come, but also gave Lochte plans to drape around his neck. The Knights out in order in the top of the seventh. popular International Surf Festival Hermosa the athletes from more than 200 nations an young swimmer started his Olympics off the In the bottom of the inning with one out, Beach to Manhattan Beach Pier Two-Mile inspirational jumpstart to what may be one right way by grabbing his first gold medal Steve Leyva, who went three-for-four with Swim, which begins at 9 a.m. on the south of the most interesting and hotly contested on day one of the competition, finishing first one run batted in, doubled. Mark Lafoon and side of Hermosa Pier. It finishes on the north Olympic Games in quite some time. to Phelps’ fourth in the 400 IM. Banuelos, however, both struck out ending side of Manhattan Pier. The Opening Ceremony to the Olympics Coming out of the water and stepping foot the threat. Westbrook Contributes in Opener made history not because of the estimated audi- on sand, another great story for America in the “We made five errors and that cost us,” Ex-Leuzinger High and Hawthorne resident ence of over one billion viewers worldwide, 2012 Olympics lies in the attempted heroics Hawthorne head coach Jeff Hines said. “It’s Russell Westbrook scored nine points in the but because it was London’s unprecedented of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh. The nice that we came back and made a game United States’ 98-71 rout of France in the third time hosting the competitions. London two won beach volleyball gold in Athens in out of it. We wanted to get competitive. It’s first game of the XXX Olympiad Sunday in is now the only city in the world to have 2004 and again in Beijing in 2008 and are a working process.” London. Westbrook was the fourth leading hosted the Olympics Games three times. now attempting to capture their unprecedented The Cougars started out with two runs in scorer for the team. Westbrook’s U.S. and The year 1908 was the first time that Lon- third straight Olympic gold medal beneath the bottom of the second behind a run-scoring Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Kevin don became the focal point of the world for the nets and on the sands of the beaches of double by Chris Robles and an RBI single Durant led the Americans with 22 points athletic competition, but originally it was London. It won’t be easy, however. Since from Max Riley, but Bishop Montgomery and nine rebounds. Kevin Love and L.A. not planned in such a way. The eruption of America last saw the duo in ‘08, Walsh gave came back with five runs, taking advantage Laker star Kobe Bryant added 14 and 10 Mount Vesuvius in 1906 meant that Italy was birth to two children, May-Treanor tore her of two Hawthorne miscues. Christopher Goff points respectively. Westbrook, who also no longer prepared to comfortably host the Achilles, the two separated as a team but got drove in a run with a single for the Knights. starred at UCLA, played for 18:53 in the Games, as London politely stepped in to take back together and eventually made their way Bishop Montgomery added one run each in 40-minute contest. over. London was again chosen to host the back to the Olympics. A dozen years after the top of the fifth and sixth. The U.S. won the gold medal over Spain 1944 Games, which were postponed because first teaming up, a third gold medal will make Swimmers Have Good Showing in Seal four years ago in Beijing, China. The Ameri- of World War II and later became the 1948 May-Treanor and Walsh the greatest female Beach cans are the favorites again. • Olympics. This was a notable year for Lon- volleyball players to ever live. don because 1948 was the first time that the Those are only two storylines of what will Olympic Games were able to be broadcast be an amazing Olympic Games. Yet to even be on home television. Now it is 2012 and the talked about is the men’s Olympic basketball Games are back in London, but the only dif- team featuring Kobe Bryant, LeBron James ference is that this year they have come to and Kevin Durant all on one team competing the city effortlessly and efficiently. Certainly for one common goal. As good as that team by the time the Games are over, London will is supposed to be in the Olympics, the U.S.A. have done its part to make headlines once women’s basketball team is supposed to be again and continue the showcase of its rich even better. The 17-year-old Jordyn Wieber sporting history on a global level. will attempt to bring home gold for the U.S. The reason why these Olympic Games women’s gymnastics team and who can for- will be great is not because they are in get about track and field? Justin Gatlin and London and also thankfully not because they company will be out to prove that they are are meant to take the world’s mind off of faster on the Olympic stage than Jamaica. a natural disaster (Vesuvius) or a historical Even if Gatlin loses, Usain Bolt never ceases tragedy (WWII). These Olympic Games will to wow and amaze with his cheetah-like be great simply because of all of the great speed, propelling himself down the track in athletes competing in them. Fortunately for such a seemingly effortless manner. Keep us, most of them come from our very own an eye on Bolt’s teammate Johan Blake this United States of America, so we can experi- year, however, as he figures to make some ence the glory that our athletes are feeling noise before all is said and done. across seas right here on our very own soil. No matter what storyline is prevalent at the Hawthorne’s Andrew Banuelos swings at a pitch during last Thursday’s South Bay Summer Baseball League Division II championship That being said, let’s take a look at the major moment and no matter which nation takes game against Bishop Montgomery. The Knights held off the Cougars 7-6. Photo by Joe Snyder. storylines of this year’s Games. home the most gold medals, the Olympics Perhaps creating the most buzz as the top are back and every sports fan can now rest storyline of London’s Olympic Games is the easy knowing that they will have unlimited friendly battle between America’s golden coverage of athletic competition for the next boy Michael Phelps and the up-and-comer two weeks. From basketball and swimming • Diabetes Care Ryan Lochte. In 2008’s Olympic Games in to judo and table tennis, the world’s greatest Beijing, Phelps was America’s shining star, athletes have all assembled to extend their bringing home a record eight gold medals talents further than they have ever been •Women’s Health back to the U.S.A with him. At the time, extended before and go after the golden however, Phelps’ teammate Lochte didn’t prize. All we as fans have to do is sit back, • Prenatal Care look too shabby himself, specifically show- watch and enjoy. • Building Healthy Livesin medically • Pediatrics underserved communities throughout Los Angeles County for over 40 years • Dental Care “One shouldn’t be afraid to lose; this is sport. One day you win; an- •General AdultAppointments: other day you lose. Of course, everyone wants to be the best. This is normal. This is what sport is about. This is why I love it.” (310) 802-6170 Medicine- Oksana Baiul, Olympic Gold Medalist www.sbfhc.org • And more
Lawndale 8.2.12
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