Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008 | midnight
Southeast Career and Technical Academy cross country coach Tony Kyriacou feels his boys team is the best he has coached in eight years at the school.
Kyriacou is so confident his boys will capture the state championship that he has vowed to retire if they fail.
"What I expect from my kids is constant improvement and I have to hold myself to the same level," he said. "Our program has come a long way in the last eight years. I have made the trip to state every year with individual qualifiers but never as a team."
Tech started the season strong as its boys and girls team won the initial dual meet Sept. 3 at Silverado, a school known for its long-distance runners.
Leading the boys was the tandem of Eduardo Cordova and Jose Escamilla, who completed the 2.37 mile course first and third in 13 minutes, 38 seconds and 13:43, respectively.
The girls were led by No. 1 and 2 finishers Claudia Perez and Ana Mata, who completed the course in 16:34 and 16:43, respectively
The boys took second out of 13 teams at the Foothill Invitational Sept. 6. Foothill won the boys race, while Coronado won the girls race.
"When we race our top five boys are only separated by about 30 seconds," Kyriacou said. "That's very important to having a consistent team."
Green Valley volleyball off to 2-0 start
Green Valley High's girls volleyball team battled last year in arguably the area's toughest division, finishing with a 10-4 record in the Southeast before falling in the Sunrise Regional semifinals.
With seven returners, experience could be the key to a strong season, coach Erin Hill said, as the Gators are off to a solid start with wins over Las Vegas High and Sierra Vista.
"Everything is going well for us so far," Hill said. "We have a big team with 15 girls and they're playing good volleyball. They're very focused on being league champs. The majority of the team — the core —has been together for three years and we have five sophomores who will be stepping in to help."
The Gators started the season with a bang taking third in the Las Vegas Invitational with a 6-3 record. They kept the momentum going by sweeping the Wildcats and Mountain Lions in three straight games on Sept. 3 and 4, respectively.
Hill said she is expecting big things from seniors Megan Schiess, Sydney Brozovich and Kirsten Whitehead who will provide solid leadership as the Gators prepare for league play on Sept. 15.
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