Turning on the AC: Girls’ sports continue to lead way
A postseason that began in late October has produced many results.
There have been surprise winners and losers, rare accomplishments and dominance from the usual suspects.
If there’s been an interesting theme throughout several great postseason runs, it’s been how our area girls continue to make history.
So far, area ladies have turned in more than their fair share of championships, highlights and accolades.
In girls’ tennis, Glendale High captured the program’s first title Nov. 10 by defeating Rancho Mirage, 10-8, in the CIF Southern Section Division IV title match at the Claremont Club.
The Nitros snapped the Rattlers’ 44-match unbeaten streak to claim the school’s first Southern Section girls’ title in any sport and the area’s first girls’ tennis crown since La Cañada in 1977.
Glendale’s effort was part of a wonderful fall for area tennis that included Crescenta Valley making the program’s first title appearance, a 10-8 loss to Redlands in the Division III final, and Burbank advancing to the quarterfinals of the Division II playoffs.
In individual tennis, Rio Hondo League singles champion Sophie McKenzie of La Cañada punched her ticket to Tuesday’s round of 32 at Whittier Narrows Tennis Center.
The junior and reigning All-Area Girls’ Tennis Player of the Year has advanced at least three rounds in three straight postseasons and is hoping to catch fire like she did her freshman season, when she and older sister Cassie McKenzie advanced to the doubles semifinals.
Though the girls’ volleyball postseason started for Glendale Adventist Academy on Halloween, the Cougars have played past Thanksgiving with a remarkable seven-match playoff winning streak.
Glendale Adventist defeated Santa Clarita Christian, 3-1, in the CIF Southern Section Division IX championship on Nov. 10 at Cerritos College. The crown was not only the first for the program, but first for the school.
Since then, Glendale Adventist’s first state playoff appearance has resulted in two victories that have the Cougars in Saturday’s regional finals at 7 p.m. versus San Diego Maranatha Christian.
A victory would send Glendale Adventist into the school and area’s first girls’ state championship match the following Friday at Santiago Canyon College.
While Glendale Adventist is the midst of its greatest season, there were also plenty of other shining moments that included La Cañada winning the Rio Hondo League title and advancing to the quarterfinals of the playoffs, both for the first time since 2012.
Even Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, which didn’t post its strongest of campaigns, finished the regular season with a 15-1 run to win 20 matches for a fifth straight season.
In cross-country, the girls led the way again with the lone team championship and one of two individual crowns.
Flintridge Prep won its fifth consecutive CIF Southern Section Division V title Saturday at the Riverside Cross Country Course.
The race wasn’t even close as the Rebels blasted St. Margaret’s, 55-101.
Flintridge Prep will head into Saturday’s CIF State Division V Championships at Fresno’s Woodward Park a heavy favorite to win a fourth straight state crown.
If there was a setback for the Rebels at Riverside, it happened when lead runner Sophie Gitlin was passed up with about with 500 meters to go and eventually finished second.
Gitlin, though, was surpassed by another area runner as La Crescenta resident and Village Christian freshman Mia Barnett won her school’s first individual cross-country championship.
Up a few levels in the most difficult division in America, Burroughs High enjoyed a historic effort from senior Emily Virtue.
The reigning two-time All-Area Girls’ Cross-Country Runner of the Year became her school’s first three-time CIF State qualifier after she earned fifth.
The result was remarkable given that Virtue has now finished in the top five in each of the last three Division I finals.
With the fall playoffs winding down in girls’ sports, the remaining participants deserve our attention, while the rest deserve our respect.
Forty-five years after the implementation of Title IX, the results this fall are clear: girls rule.
