TENNIS STAR FOLLOWS IN MOTHER'S FOOTSTEPS

BY TOMMY HOLMES
Staff Writer

Annika Viragh has given the Rams a legitimate shot at the state championship, displaying leadership gained from mother Helle. LESLIE HICKS / GUARDSMAN

It’s not by accident that children aspire to follow in their parent’s footsteps, some overshadowing them and some being overshadowed.

Annika Viragh, City College’s current top tennis player, is one such offspring with big shoes to fill.

Her mother, Helle Viragh, was the youngest female Danish tennis champion at age 15. Helle won the National Indoor Mixed Doubles before moving to California in 1978, where she won the United States Clay Court Doubles Championships with partner Helen Anliot.

She is currently the head professional at Scott Valley Swimming and Tennis Club in Mill Valley and has authored a book, “Dynamite Doubles: Play Winning Tennis Today.”

The younger Viragh is not without her own success, though she’s taken a much different path than her mother’s.

Growing up in Marin, Annika, 24, attended Redwood High School, where she played varsity tennis. But she soon grew apathetic toward the sport.

“My mom was teaching me from a young age, and I just got really burned out,” Viragh said.

But a chance landing on the City College tennis team changed that, at least temporarily.

“Playing for City College was a fluke,” she said. “I was taking an intermediate tennis class at Skyline and the coach thought I should try out for the team at City College.”

She is now ranked number one in singles and, with her teammate Jackie Wong, in doubles for the Rams.

Like most student athletes, juggling academics with team commitments proves to be tiresome.

“I am taking 22 credits this semester, so I’m really busy,” Viragh said.

With an elite tennis background comes a rich understanding of the game, and Viragh exemplifies her knowledge to her teammates.

“She contributes so much to the team,” Wong said. “Annika takes out a lot of her own time for others.”

The tennis world is fiercely competitive. Only a small percentage of aspiring professionals become world-class players. The remainders either move on, or turn to coaching.

Neither prospect is appealing for Viragh despite being the team’s best player.

“I’m too old to turn pro and I don’t want to teach,” she said.

For now, Viragh concentrates on academics. She has been accepted by the University of San Francisco and will try to join the tennis team as a walk-on.

Viragh may not want to teach, and she may not share the same passion for the sport as her mother, but it’s clear that her impact at City College has been positive.

“Annika’s pretty much the glue that holds us together. Without her, our team would be a mess,” Wong said.

With Viragh, the Rams are a perfect 10-0, giving Wong’s assessment added credibility.

e-mail: tholmes@theguardsman.com

BASEBALL TEAM'S STRUGGLES CONTINUE AS SEASON NEARS END

BY BRIAN PEKRUL
Contributing Writer

With the 2006 Rams baseball season drawing to a close, head coach John Vanoncini can only look to next season for improvement from his young team, which holds an 8-27 overall record.

“It’s been a hard season,” Vanoncini said. “We’ve lost a lot of close games in the eighth and ninth innings. It’s been different every game. Sometimes it’s a crucial walk, sometimes we just can’t get the big hit with runners in scoring position.”

The Rams have lost 10 games this season in which they either led, or were tied going into the ninth inning. Many of the close losses can be attributed to a lack of depth and experience in the pitching staff. Despite the late collapses, the Rams have had many bright spots, including freshman pitcher Joey Munn, who leads the Rams with three victories.

“We’re still young, and we’re going to be better next year,” Munn said. “We just need more time to play together.”

Munn said the young Rams team is on the brink of major improvement. In 2007, the Rams will have almost their entire roster returning and hopefully will benefit from the experience down the stretch in close games.

Breakout players, like outfielders Travis Gonzaga and Zac Lee, will be returning for the Rams and should provide sophomore leadership. Gonzaga hits .340 for the season and tied Lee with three homeruns to lead the Rams.

Sophomore Anthony Portillo will be one of the few key players not returning next season. He has been one of the Rams most productive hitters, leads the team with 16 doubles.

For all the frustration the Rams have gone through this season, players and coaches remain upbeat about the future of the team. “We’re a really good group of guys,” Lee said. “We’ve never given up, even with all the tough losses.”

RAMS RECEIVER UNLV-BOUND

BY MILES HARWELL
Editor

Aaron Straiten has led the state in the 200-meter dash at 21.04. MELISSA MA / SPECIAL TO THE GUARDSMAN

Before the Rams’ 2005 Hawaiian Punch Bowl football game against undefeated Reedley College, wide receiver Aaron Straiten asked his teammates if they had heart.

His teammates answered his question by holding on for a 40-35 victory, but no player displayed as much heart as Straiten, who delivered a career-high 123-yard and three-touchdown performance.

“I thought to myself ‘I’m not going home. I came here to win,’” Straiten said. “People thought Reedley would come in and run through us. I wasn’t having it.”

“He always had the potential to do that,” Rams head coach George Rush said of Straiten’s performance in that game. “He has the determination to make those plays.”

Straiten’s performance caught the attention of University of Nevada, Las Vegas head coach Mike Sanford, who recruited Straiten out of Antioch high school to attend the University of Utah, when Sanford was the Utes’ offensive coordinator.

Sanford has developed stars like NFL Pro-Bowl receiver Keyshawn Johnson of the Carolina Panthers. He believes Straiten can be just as good.

“It’s kind of like a double-edged sword,” Straiten said. “It’s good to know I’m being compared to Keyshawn Johnson, but I know I can’t go in and have an OK season. I have to have a great season.”

At 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, Straiten uses his muscular frame to gain position for game-breaking catches, as he did for 611 all-purpose yards and six touchdowns in 2005.

Straiten grew up in the Sunnydale housing projects in San Francisco, but commuted to Antioch for school. After not qualifying for the University of Utah, Straiten attended Snow College in Ephraim, Utah.

Straiten associates the rugged living conditions in Ephraim with one word: Hell. “It was a small town with a lot of racism,” he said.

Straiten said he was given little opportunity to showcase his talents, as coaches designed plays that prevented him from putting up offensive numbers.

“Coaches knew other schools would try to recruit me if they saw me play,” he said. “They would start me, play me, but I wouldn’t get the ball.”

In the spring of 2005, Straiten transferred to City College and joined the track and field team, where he contributed to the team’s state championship run. Straiten continues to pursue track and field in the football off-season to keep in shape.

“I don’t lose work ethic,” he said. “I’m still in competitive mode.”

Straiten looks toward the 2006 football season with optimism.

“I have to play Aaron Straiten football and that will help me get through the season,” he said. “My expectations are to come to win the Mountain West Conference title.”

“There will be a lot of opportunities for him to showcase himself,” Rush said. “He has an excellent chance to go pro.”

e-mail: sports@theguardsman.com

SCOREBOARD

Baseball

The Rams lost to Skyline 9-5 and continued the late-game slides that have been the story of the season. The Rams had a 5-4 lead going into the final inning but were unable to put the game away, using three relief pitchers and giving up five ninth inning runs. Despite the disappointing loss, Rams starter Nick Colvin pitched a strong game allowing four runs in six innings. The Rams lost another tough game to San Mateo, falling 6-3 to the Bulldogs. Pitcher Joey Munn pitched strongly, allowing five runs in seven innings, as well as hitting a home run. The Rams’ losing streak continued, losing to De Anza 14-3. DeAnza put the game completely out of reach when they scored eight runs in the eighth inning. Joey Munn hit one home run, along with teammate Geoff Downing, who also had one home run. The Rams dropped to 8-27 for the season. — Brian Pekrul

Track and Field

The Rams dominated the Coast Conference championship, placing first place in five events. Aaron Straiten was stellar, capturing first place in the men’s 100-meter dash with a time of 10.71 seconds. Straiten also placed first in the 200-meter dash finishing with a 21.04 running time. Ten Rams placed within the top 20 of the Men’s 400-meter dash, with Desmond Morris finishing first at 48.86, followed by Ameer Tillman, who finished second with 49.16. Brian Thompson placed first in the Men’s 110-meter hurdles at 14.86. Jeremy Jones finished in first place in the men’s 400-meter hurdles at 55.17, followed by Brian Thompson at 56.44, as the Rams swept the event’s top four spots. Shawna Ellis placed second in the women’s long jump at 5.18 meters. Ellis also placed fifth in the women’s 100-meter dash at 12.66. The Men’s team placed first in the event with 268 overall points, while the Women’s team placed second behind Hartnell with 149 points. — Miles Harwell