Zoey and Ella Mao Look to Continue Polytechnic Volleyball Success

This article was originally published in the Pasadena Independent.

Polytechnic’s girl’s volleyball team is led by a pair of star players who have built their chemistry on the court for more than seven years. Identical twin sisters Ella and Zoey Mao enter their senior year with high expectations for the team and for themselves.

The sisters, originally from Los Angeles, began playing volleyball in fourth grade and never looked back. Zoey said they tried a few other sports before, including soccer and swimming, but they both fell in love with volleyball. They started playing club volleyball one year later with the San Gabriel Valley Elite Volleyball Club, where they still play in Poly’s offseason.

Both sisters are committed to play at the University of Chicago next year. They accepted offers from the school earlier this year, although that wasn’t always the plan.

“I definitely didn’t want to go to the same college at first,” Zoey said. “I wanted to branch out, be more independent, but I’m excited now. I’m sure we’re going to have a great four years together.”

Zoey said the swinging factor was that both of their parents went to the University of Chicago, so they already had strong attachments to the school.

Both Ella and Zoey said they are very excited for the new season to begin. Poly’s team made it to the CIF-SS Division 4 finals last year, where they lost to Garces Memorial.

“We only lost two seniors, so the team is pretty much the same,” Ella said. “But we also moved up a division, so I know it’s going to be tougher. I want to win our division and win the Prep League.”

Although these are high expectations, Ella and Zoey are the two players most equipped to take the team deep into the CIF postseason again. Both have been stars on Poly’s varsity team since their freshman year. Both have played club volleyball for the better part of a decade. 

“We don’t really know anything different,” Ella said. “We’ve played together for so long and we’ll continue this year and for another four years after.”

APU Summer Sports Camps Build Community

This article was originally published on APU.edu.

Azusa Pacific University’s campus is quiet over the summer—for all of three weeks. Then, at the beginning of each June, hundreds of excited kids and talented high school athletes flood campus to participate in six summer sports camps—baseball, basketball, football, softball, soccer, and volleyball.

APU football head coach Victor Santa Cruz leads an annual camp where more than 375 high school athletes attend each sold out session. “We draw athletes from all around California, Colorado, Texas, and even Hawaii. Parents will put their kids on a plane to travel here because they don’t want to miss our camp,” he said. “We limit the camp size to ensure the best experience possible. We provide personal attention to each student athlete.”

Santa Cruz said he recruits many of these high-caliber players. “Camp gives us a good opportunity to find students with strong character, academic skills, and athleticism. We’re looking for visionary young people who want to do something bigger with their lives,” he said. “We share who we are spiritually and academically. These athletes are really hungry for that. We often hear, ‘You guys are different. How can I be a part of this place?’”

APU’s other sports camps focus on a younger crowd (grades K-8). Cougar baseball head coach Paul Svagdis has led a summer camp for 10 years. The program has grown from about 25 kids in 2009 to 100 children per session today. An average day at camp is jam packed, beginning at 8 a.m. with warm ups, throwing, and stretching. Campers then split into two groups to practice offense on the Cougar Baseball Field with stations, including base-running and hitting, and defensive fundamentals at the Dillon Recreational Complex. After an hour, the groups switch, then they take a lunch break before afternoon games. “We play games on different parts of the field. They always want to play in center field because they can hit home runs there,” Svagdis said. “While home runs are great, we reward kids for demonstrating good character and sportsmanship. That’s where the big bucket of candy comes in.”

A Glendora resident, Svagdis said he often sees kids across town wearing their Cougar baseball gear from summer camp. “I’ll be in a grocery store and a little guy will come up to me and say, ‘Hi Coach Paul, do you remember me?’ They’ll tell me how excited they are for camp next year and how they asked for a week of baseball camp for Christmas,” he said. “Their parents will even tell me how they did extra chores all year so they could attend a second week of camp.”

Svagdis said APU’s camp is truly special because of the student athlete volunteers. “APU students are first class,” he said. “Just a couple weeks ago, I had four players travel to a little league game to support one of the kids who came through our camp. That’s not uncommon with our players. We build relationships within the community and it opens up opportunities for people to connect with the university.”

APU women’s soccer head coach Brooke Lincoln seconded this. “It’s pretty special to see these kids interacting with my college players. It gives our players an opportunity to give back. It wasn’t that long ago that they were one of those little campers. Now, it’s come full circle for them,” she said. “Some of them want to coach in the future, so this is an opportunity for them to get their feet wet. For other players, it gives them a different perspective on the game, not just as a player, but as a teacher. They can be a bright light, an encouragement, an inspiration, and a role model for these children.”

Lincoln said the best part of summer camp came months after camp ended last year. “We had a lot of these kids come to our games,” she said. “We invest in them for a week or two, help them develop their skills, and they come out to support us at our home games. They’ll never know how much that means to us.”

To learn more about APU summer sports camps, click here.

Mario Minor Wants to Bring Success to MHS Football

This article was originally published in the Monrovia Weekly.

Mario Minor is not a typical cornerback.

The 6-foot-1 defensive back/wide receiver from Monrovia High School doesn’t like to boast about his speed or skills. He likes to let his play do the talking. “I feel like I’m a pretty humble person,” Minor said. “I just want to succeed but I don’t want to brag about it like that.”

Minor transferred from Etiwanda High School in Rancho Cucamonga last year. After playing his freshman and sophomore years at Etiwanda, he helped Monrovia to a strong season where they made it to the first round of the CIF-SS Division Nine tournament. Minor said the transition went well.

“I made a lot of good friends. Everybody here is really welcoming. Nobody acted weird or anything,” Minor said. “They welcomed me in with open arms and were willing to be my friend.”

Minor said he enjoyed the season last year. “It was good. We started off good, but I saw our offense grow a lot. We started to get the plays better and click more and run faster,” he said. “The whole season was a good memory.”

However, Minor said the season ended disappointingly. He wants the team to go deeper in the playoffs this year.

“We’ve got a really good team this year. I know it. Our coaches know it,” Minor said. “Our goal this year is to win a championship, win CIF. The way it’s looking right now, it’s within arm’s reach. That’s the main goal, going undefeated and getting a ring.”

Minor also has personal goals on the field. He wants to notch 10 receiving touchdowns, 1,000 yards receiving, and at least six interceptions. These numbers represent big jumps from last year, but he has been putting in the work in the offseason to make them attainable, practicing with quarterback Nick Hernandez.

“We practice a lot together,” Minor said. “I call him Aaron Rodgers. We have a good chemistry. He puts the football where its supposed to be.” 

For his own pro comparison, Minor said he was similar to Jalen Ramsey as a defensive back and Jarvis Landry as a receiver.

Although he hasn’t received any official offers from colleges yet, Minor has been in contact with a couple schools. He is confident he will play for a college team next year.

In college, Minor said he wants to study business because he aspires to open his own business one day. “If football doesn’t work out, if I don’t make it to the NFL, I want to start my own training business, a training facility,” he said. “I want to train kids for football.”

For now, Minor said he is excited for the season to begin. Monrovia’s first game is on Aug. 16 at Northview.

APU Alumnus Jorge Alvarez Named Bezos Scholar

This article was originally published on APU.edu.

Azusa Pacific University alumnus Jorge Alvarez ’03, M.A.Ed. ’08, M.A. ’12, was recently named a Bezos Scholar. Alvarez, an assistant principal at Colton High School (CHS) in Colton, Calif., was honored alongside CHS junior Ernest Cisneros for their work with the school’s TED Ed. club, including arranging the school’s first TEDx Conference on the topic of mental health earlier this year. As part of the Bezos scholar program, the pair will travel to Colorado later this month to attend the Aspen Ideas Festival, where they will learn more about how they can create change in their community.

“I was in disbelief when I found out,” Alvarez said. “They only pick 12 students and 12 educators from around the nation. We’re not from a big school or a big city, so I didn’t really think we had a chance. I think it will start to feel real when we get to Aspen.”

In Aspen, the two will hear from some of the world’s top creative minds, comprised of a diverse group of educators, innovators, and leaders. “I’m excited to see what ideas we can bring back to our community,” Alvarez said.

As part of the Bezos Scholars Program, Alvarez and Cisneros will create a Local Ideas Festival in the form of a wellness fair to be held next March. The fair will feature regional agencies that provide medical and mental health resources, parent and student workshops, entertainment, and food. CHS plans to host students from across the county as well as local government officials.

As the faculty advisor to the TED Ed. club, Alvarez organized the school’s first TEDx conference earlier this year featuring nine speakers. A strong advocate for mental health, Alvarez was selected as 1 of 33 TED Ed Innovative Educators from around the world in 2017. “Students are affected by mental health issues at a growing rate, yet communities in our area lack resources. Several students in the region committed suicide in the past year,” he said. “A stigma still exists around getting help for mental health issues and we want to combat that. It’s okay to get help.”

Alvarez said he wants students to have the space to decompress and the resources to support their mental well-being. To meet this need, CHS plans to open a wellness center in August. “This facility will give our students a place to deal with anxiety, depression, or other challenges they may face, and in turn, this will give them the best chance to succeed in the classroom.”

The Bezos Scholars Program was founded in 2005 by Jackie and Mike Bezos, parents of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, as part of the Bezos Family Foundation. Scholars are selected based on demonstrated leadership abilities, willingness to embrace challenges, and the desire to create positive change in their communities.

Sean Zheng Looks To Continue Polytechnic Water Polo Success

This article originally appeared in the Pasadena Independent.

Polytechnic junior Sean Zheng has high expectations for the water polo team this season. Although the team lost several seniors, he thinks they will have a good chance to get back to the CIF-SS Division Five playoffs.

Zheng will be a leader on the squad, after earning team MVP both his freshman and sophomore years. He aims to earn first-team all CIF again, after earning it freshman year, but only getting second-team last year. Zheng thinks this was because he switched positions during the season.

“I’m excited for this season. We did lose a lot of players but we kept a lot of key underclassmen so it will be interesting to see how they step up,” Zheng said. “We also have a new head coach. He’s pretty hard core and professional, so I’m interested to see what changes he’ll make.”

Although this is his third year on the high school team, Zheng has played water polo for nearly six years. He used to swim but grew tired of it.

“It wasn’t really interesting for me. It was just back and forth, back and forth. It didn’t seem like there was any thinking involved in it,” Zheng said. “Water polo incorporated my swimming skills but it’s not as one dimensional as swimming.”

When the high school season ends, Zheng plays club water polo.

“The competition level in high school is a lot different than in club water polo. It’s a lot more competitive in club,” he said. “On my club team, I’m an average player, maybe a little better than average. On my high school team, I’m one of the best players.”

Although he likes playing club more for the competition, Zheng said he loves the camaraderie on Poly’s team.

“There’s a lot of team spirit. It’s really like a family, like a brotherhood,” he said. “One time the whole team performed a Haka dance, which was really fun. It was kind of embarrassing, but the point was that we did it together, so it was embarrassing for all of us.”

After high school, Zheng said he wants to go to a top college. He said he’s on the fence about playing water polo in college.

“I want to focus more on academics,” Zheng said. “I’m not sure where I’m going to go yet. It might be somewhere really close to here or it might be an Ivy League. The location doesn’t matter to me as much as the school itself.”

This goal is very achievable for Zheng, who has a 3.93 weighted GPA. He isn’t sure what he wants to study in college yet. He said he’s in an online neuroscience course right now that he enjoys but he wants to explore other avenues as well.

Outside of water polo and school, Zheng likes to play video games, watch TV, and play with his cat. He also plays piano.

For now, Zheng is focused on improving the teams record from 15-10 last year and going deeper in the playoffs.

Nick Hernandez Looks To Lead MHS To CIF Championship

This article originally appeared in Monrovia Weekly.

Nick Hernandez had to wait three games last year before getting the chance to start as quarterback for Monrovia High School’s varsity football team, but once he started he never looked back. Hernandez took the team from a 0-3 record to 5-6 at the end of the year, losing in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 9 playoffs.

Along the way to the playoffs, Hernandez tossed for 24 touchdowns, 2,213 yards, and eight interceptions. He completed 68.1 percent of his passes with a 129.7 quarterback rating.

“After three weeks, they decided to give me a shot and it turned out pretty well,” Hernandez said. “That first touchdown pass on varsity is something I’ll never forget. It was special with the crowd and the band on Friday night under the lights.”

Hernandez, 17, looks to improve further this year and lead the team further in the playoffs.

“I think it’s everyone’s goal, but this year I think we can really win our division of CIF. We have great athletes,” he said. “This year feels like it’s going to be something special.”

To achieve this, Hernandez has worked on improving his speed and arm strength in the offseason. He aims to toss for more than 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns this season.

“I want to break records at Monrovia,” he said. “I just want to contribute to the team. I don’t want to let them down at all.”

Outside of football, Hernandez likes to play video games or other sports in his free time. He also plays shooting guard for Monrovia’s basketball team.

A Monrovia native, Hernandez said he wants to play football in college. Although he hasn’t received any official offers yet, he has been in communication with an NCAA Division One program and is hopeful he will get an offer there in the coming months. Hernandez plans on studying engineering in college.

For now, Hernandez is focused on getting ready for this season.

“I’m more of a competitor than people think. I want to win every game we play,” he said. “I’ll do anything for my team.”

APU Expands Physical Therapy Program, Opens New Facility

As spring semester at Azusa Pacific University came to a close and most students and faculty headed home for the summer, the Department of Physical Therapy geared up to move into their new 26,000-square-foot facility. Located in the back of Duke Hall, the space is more than four times the size of the former location in Mary Hill. “It was a busy time. Our summer classes started just a couple days after we moved in,” said Derrick Sueki, DPT, Ph.D., Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program director. “Everyone is energized by the new space. It still has that new car smell!”

The facility was made possible by a $3 million donation from alumni Steve and Susie Perry through their Sacred Harvest Foundation. The expansion allows the DPT program to grow their annual cohort size by more than 50 percent, increasing enrollment from 48 to 74 students. “We have three cohorts at a time, so this represents a big increase in students,” said Susan Shore, Ph.D., chair and professor in the Department of Physical Therapy. “Our program is extremely competitive. We average more than 900 applicants each year. People come from all over the country to study with us.”

Annette Karim, DPT, Ph.D., Postprofessional Studies program director, said the design and planning was purposeful. “We’ve planned for growth. We could have easily filled more spaces from the beginning, but we didn’t have the space for the quality of education we wanted to provide. Now we do,” she said. “Maintaining the 1 to 15 faculty to student ratio is also very important to us.”

The facility features spacious lecture rooms and labs, providing a host of technological upgrades that enhance classroom instruction. “We educate through a different model than most departments. We have to visualize how people walk, squat, bend, and perform other movements,” Sueki said. “The new classrooms are equipped with cameras in the ceiling. The cameras are interconnected with our desktop, allowing us to take pictures and videos of people moving. We can project these videos on screens and draw on them with smart boards.” Students work on two-sided flip tables that consist of a soft padded side for physical therapy and a hard side for note taking.“The tables offer convenience and functionality for our students,” said Karim.

APU is one of only two Council for Christian Colleges & Universities schools on the West Coast with a DPT program, and Shore said APU’s program is one of the best in the country. “The thing that separates us from other universities beyond the curriculum is the quality of the teaching, which I think is unequaled by any other school,” she said. Karim said the faculty truly connect with their students. “The DPT program requires three full years to complete. That’s quite a bit of time to live life, to go through the ups and downs,” she said. “People often choose APU for the quality of the faculty. You choose your mentors. I think God uses us in that way.”

Sueki said the connection between students and faculty played a role in the design of the building. “One of the primary components in the facility design was to provide spaces for students to interact with each other and with faculty, to go beyond just education, to be a part of each other’s lives,” he said.

Contributing to the DPT’s program expansion and new facility is the exponential growth of the field. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment rate for physical therapists is expected to increase by 36 percent through the year 2022. “We’re an aging population. They say 60 is the new 30. Because of this, we need more physical therapists to take care of people as they get older,” Karim said. In California, the annual mean wage for a physical therapist is approximately $96,000. Currently, APU’s DPT students experience a 97 percent graduation rate, and its DPT graduates benefit from a 100 percent overall pass rate on the National Physical Therapy Exam and 100 percent employment in their field.

“This facility allows us to expand our mission, our visions for our field, and the students we serve,” Sueki said.

Pasadena Spring Sports Recap

This article originally appeared in the Pasadena Independent.

Spring sports have officially come to a close in Pasadena with strong showings by Polytechnic School and John Muir High School.

Poly made it to the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section (CIF-SS) Division 5 baseball championship, but fell just short, dropping the final game against Xavier College Preparatory High School 0-3 on May 18. Prior to that, Poly had a dominant season, going 19-4 on the year with a +92 run differential.

Muir also had a solid baseball season, going 18-8 on the year before falling to Canyon Springs High School in the second round of the CIF-SS D4 championships. Muir played on and off throughout the season, notching three win streaks of four or more games, with a three game losing streak. They outscored their opponents by 87 runs on the season.

On the women’s side, Poly made it to the quarterfinals of the CIF-SS D6 softball championships before falling to Nordhoff High School. The team went 15-5 on the season with a nearly perfect league record of 9-1. They also put together a 12-game win streak spanning from the end of February until mid-April.

Muir’s varsity softball team struggled this year, piecing together a 5-17-1 season.

Pasadena High School saw similar struggles on the field. Their baseball team went 11-14 and softball went 6-14 on the season.

Off the field, Poly had strong performances from the varsity boys’ tennis and coed badminton team. The tennis squad was a flawless 19-0 on the season, before falling to Calabasas High School I. the CIF-SS D2 finals. They dominated teams all season including three shutouts.

The badminton team posted a 10-4 record but dropped their match against Westminster High School in the first round of the CIF-SS Open Division championships.

Both Poly and Muir’s boys’ volleyball teams struggled, posting 2-13 and 5-16-1 records on the season, respectively.

Poly sent both the girls and boys swimming teams to the CIF-SS finals, finishing 17th and 24th, respectively.

Check back soon for more coverage of Pasadena sports.

Arcadia Spring Sports Recap

This article originally appeared on Arcadia Weekly.

Arcadia High School had lots of strong action through their springs sports teams. Baseball, boys’ tennis, boys’ volleyball, softball and badminton each notched more than 20 wins during the season.

On the diamond, both the baseball and softball teams saw huge numbers from their players.

Baseball went 25-2 on the year, falling in the second round of the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section (CIF-SS) Division 2 Baseball Championships to El Segundo High School. The squad was nearly perfect at home, going 16-1. Arcadia also notched a +150 run differential throughout the season.

The softball team didn’t have as strong of a regular season, going 19-6. However, they made it one round further in the CIF-SS D4 championships, dropping their quarterfinals matchup against Culver City High School. The team had two eight-game win streaks and posted a +191 run differential on the year.

Even more impressive were the campaigns by the coed badminton and boys’ tennis teams.

The badminton squad was perfect during the season, dropping their only match during the CIF-SS Open Division Championships final against Diamond Bar high school. Prior to the final, the team dominated all season with 21 victories by a margin of 10 or more points.

Boys’ tennis was nearly flawless during the regular season, going 21-1, before dropping the CIF-SS Open Division Championships quarterfinal match against Mira Costa High School. The team notched an incredible 13 shutouts during the season.

Boys’ volleyball also posted a strong season, going 26-5. The squad dropped their CIF-SS D2 Championships match against Alemany High School. Although they didn’t make it as far in the postseason, the squad won six more contests during the regular season, helped by a dominant 11-1 home record.

Finally, in the pool, the boys’ and girls’ swimming and diving teams ended the season on a strong note with 13th and 12th place finishes in the CIF-SS D3 Championships, respectively.

Check back soon for more Arcadia sports news.

Monrovia Spring Sports Recap

This article originally appeared on Monrovia Weekly.

Monrovia High School launched a boys’ volleyball program for the 2019 spring season. However, the squad, along with several other spring sports teams, struggled this year.

The boys’ volleyball team ended their inaugural season with a 7-27-1 record. While the team failed to make the playoffs, they had several bright spots in their first year, including a three game win streak in March.

The baseball team posted a stronger season, although they also failed to make the playoffs, going 16-10 on the year. The Bulldogs posted a solid home record of 11-4 and had a +43 run differential during the season. The team was led by junior Sebastian Sanchez (.396 AVG), sophomore Dominic Teneriello (20 hits, eight doubles) and sophomore Nathan Thompson (21 RBIs, two home runs).

On the girls’ side of the field, the softball team posted a 7-17 record on the season. Although the team struggled, junior Alexis Barroso had a strong campaign, batting .448 with 23 RBIs and 26 hits including eight doubles, two triples and three home runs, all team highs.

Check back soon for more Monrovia sports news.