Three Merced County high school teams have snapped title droughts of 25 years or more
Merced High volleyball star Ellie Hamm noticed something different right away with this year’s team. It was something she hadn’t seen with past Bears teams during her four years of playing varsity.
“It’s just different walking out there because everybody wants it,” Hamm said. “That’s something I noticed right away. We love playing together.”
The Bears have turned the right combination of talent and team chemistry into a perfect 8-0 record after a three-game sweep of Atwater on Wednesday night.
The win ended a 37-year championship drought for the Merced girls volleyball program as the Bears clinched at least a share of the Central California Conference championship for the first time since 1984.
“It means a lot because it’s been so long,” said Hamm, who is headed to Cal to play volleyball next fall.
This spring we’ve seen some other long championship droughts come to an and. The Atwater girls track team and the Golden Valley boys golf team won their first titles in decades this spring. The Atwater boys basketball team is also in the driver’s seat to win their first CCC championship since 1978.
Merced Girls Volleyball
Former Stone Ridge Christian player Patricia Flanagan took over the Bears volleyball program four years ago. One of the first things she noticed walking in the the Merced High gym was the last time the Bears had won a championship.
“When my assistant (Ken Cooper) and I walked in the gym, on the first day of practice four years ago, we saw the date of the last title was 1984. Ever since we walked in that first day this has been the goal.”
Flanagan had the luxury of building the team around a future Division I college recruit in Hamm.
However, it wasn’t until other hitters developed around Hamm that the Bears excelled.
Leilani McKenzie, Abby Bakken, Kendall Parker and Aleena Jimenez have all been contributors on offense. Setters Vanessa Perez and Mylah Steverson have done a good job of distributing the ball.
“It’s been a big team effort,” Flanagan said. “Our setters have done a good job of moving the ball around. It’s not just been one hitter.”
Hamm said once they knew they were going to be able to play this spring, the team had big expectations.
“We kind of knew this year would be our chance, Hamm said. “It kind of sucks it’s not a full league schedule because we think we would still win in a regular full schedule.”
Hamm and her teammates are happy to leave their mark on the program.
“They are 100 percent aware of it,” Flanagan said. “Since we saw it we’ve been pointing it out to them since they were freshmen. This has been the goal. For them to do it their senior year, this will be something they always remember.”
Atwater Girls Track
The Falcons won the the final two CCC center meets, including the final one on Wednesday, to clinch their first CCC championship since 1996.
Atwater relied heavily on four seniors to help lead the Falcons to their first league championship in 25 years.
“We’ve had a lot of success in girls cross country and boys track over the years,” said Atwater coach Ken Rhoades. “We’ve been knocking on the door in girls track. Our seniors were just outstanding and we won our first title in 25 years.”
Seniors Jessica Agundis, Brianda Arteaga, Elisabeth Garner and Natalie Griffin all competed in multiple events for the Falcons.
Agundis scored 21 points for the team on Wednesday competing in the 400 meters, 300 hurdles, triple jump and long jump. She did all four events and then played in a volleyball match that night.
“We had one of our smallest teams in years,” Rhoades said. “The majority of our girls were doing track and at least one other sport at the same time. We had multiple girls who were playing three sports like Jessica.”
Rhoades said many of their athletes would fit in track practice when they could. They’d come out to work out for an hour and then go play a basketball game.
Arteaga contributed in the 100, 200 and long jump, Garner, who is headed to the University of the Pacific for cross county, competed in the 800, 1600 and 3200 and Griffin was one of the top throwers in the CCC in the shot put and discus.
Golden Valley Boys Golf
Golden Valley High School opened in 1994. Since the school opened the Cougars boys golf team has never won a CCC championship.
That changed on Monday when Golden Valley won the final CCC tournament of the spring to win its first conference championship.
“It means I don’t have to look up at that banner in the gym wall and see no years on it,” joked Rod Ivy, who finished his 16th year as Cougars coach.
Golden Valley came into the final tournament at Rancho Del Rey Golf Course in Atwater needing to edge out Buhach Colony for the CCC championship. The Cougars had won three CCC tournaments and the Thunder had won two. Monday’s tournament was worth double points.
Golden Valley won the tournament behind three players shooting rounds in the 70s. Junior Preston Castleton carded a 74, freshman Braden Castleton shot a 76 and junior Jayraj Kahlon turned in around of 77.
The Cougars have also received contributions from Dash Ferrera, Nathan Wheatcroft and Cam Ivy all season.
Golden Valley won despite three players being quarantined for COVID-19 protocols during the season and being forced to miss matches. Ivy also had some of his golfers playing multiple sports.
Ivy says the team celebrated by going to Round Table Pizza in Atwater after the final tournament.
“It really does mean a lot,” Ivy said. “I didn’t really see it coming. A lot of those years we had Turlock in the league and we didn’t have a chance. We had a lot of second places.”
One year Golden Valley lost by one stroke to Turlock in a nine-hole match.
“It’s good to get that monkey off our back,” Ivy said.
This story was originally published May 28, 2021 at 3:09 PM.
