The final season

Norma Flores, Sports Editor

June 15, 2012

After CIF titles were won by the girls volleyball team during the Fall and the girls soccer team during the Winter, there were high expectations to what the Spring season held for the Downey Vikings.

The season consists of boys volleyball, swim, track and field, baseball, softball, and tennis. Although they had their ups and downs, in the end there was much to be proud of.

The boys volleyball team, began with pre-season when they played teams out of their league in order to gain experience as a team. The team failed to defeat the Bears in the widely expected game vs. Warren, but did not make it the end of their season. Placing 2^nd in league, they earned the opportunity to go to the first round of CIF. Unfortunately, their dream was cut short when they were unable to compete at the high level of the opposing team.

Both girls and boys swim had a successful seasons; the boys 10-3, and the girls 11-1. They too had a team consisting of 10 boys and 10 girls competing at the CIF Championships.

“I thought this year was a step up”, Peter Roldan, 12, said. “We beat Warren, and became San Gabriel Valley League Champions in swim; what more could we want?”

As the season progressed, so did the baseball team. Their record improved throughout the season, resulting in becoming the San Gabriel Valley League Champions. After league, the team continued to CIF, where they were defeated in the second round.

“We were not expecting to get this far,” Coach Gonzalez, said, “this season exceeded expectations and we hope to get farther next year,” Gonzalez said.

Track and field too had its accomplishment, being a division 1 team, competition is tougher. The team had a combined total of 8 athletes representing the vikes at the CIF championships. The highlight of the season, however, came with senior Andrew Gonzalez when he won the CIF Championship title in pole vaulting.

“As a senior, I wanted to come out strong and be remembered as one of the best in what I do”, said Andrew Gonzalez “and that’s exactly what I did,”

The pole vaulting champ not only won CIF, but made it to the Masters Meet, where, although he did not place there.

The season was full of accomplishments for the teams, and the Vikings were able to finish a strong year in sports. Next year only holds higher expectations for the many young teams on campus.

About the Contributor

Norma Flores, Sports Editor

Norma Flores, 12, is a writer and photographer for The Downey Legend for the second year in a row. She wants to portray Downey High through images that kindle others to want to be involved with their campus. “I’ve always had an interest in writing and photography,” Flores said. “I would like to show others what I’m capable of.” A goal Flores has in mind is to be an FBI agent, criminal profiler, or a part of the Behavioral Analysis Unit because she is interested on how an individual’s mind is persuaded to commit a certain type of crime. Her main interest is swimming, but she also enjoys reading books and writing whatever comes to her mind. Flores’s hobbies are working out and running because she feels free when doing so. One of her dreams is to become an Olympic swimmer. “I want to make my life worth it and would like to impact on other’s lives too, because the world has a lot to offer to us,” she said. “We shouldn’t conform because we each have some sort of role to play, and we should push ourselves over our own comfort zones and be daring.” Although Flores may have a lot to show to her peers regarding her capabilities, she may also inspire those who do not know her through the dedication expressed by her own skills.