Thirteen-year-old Casie Cathrea proved that qualifying for the CVS/pharmacy LPGA Challenge in Blackhawk was no fluke. The local teen sunk a hole-in-one at the 12th hole of her opening round today in her LPGA debut.
Contra Costa Times profiled Cathrea in today's paper, and I learned the news of her ace from an update to the Times website.
Cathrea is the second youngest player to qualify for an LPGA tournament. Michelle Wie was the first, at 12.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
This is why I love sports
I began to choke up reading this article that came up as Yahoo's top story this afternoon. It's about an Arkansas high school football star's exemplary sportsmanship at the end of a game against a team mourning the recent death of one of its players.
Thamail Morgan returned the kick-off for what would have been an 80-yard touchdown, but when he was only a couple yards from the end zone, he stopped, backed up to the five-yard line, and took a knee. There were just seconds left in the game and Morgan's team, the Greyhounds, had already ensured victory with the lead, 34-16.
By itself, this is a mature and in Morgan's own words "classy" gesture, but it becomes even more significant because it came from a player who had made bad choices in the past. Morgan transferred to his current high school, Cave City, because he would have been ineligible to play his senior season at Newport because of a rule violation that was not disclosed in this article. Morgan's mistake was serious enough that Division-1 colleges interested in recruiting him stopped calling. Perhaps they should give him another chance.
This story reminds me why I love sports, and sports journalism. You don't even need to be a sports enthusiast for this story to get you in the gut. Morgan's gesture toward the Yellville-Summit team shows how athletics really can bring out the best in us - how pure competition can be when it doesn't involve fame and fortune. Unfortunately sports sometimes bring out the worst, as Serena Williams recently demonstrated during her outburst at the U.S. Open. But at that same tournament, we were inspired by teenager Melanie Oudin. The pros, who seem to have forgotten the fundamentals of sportsmanship, should look to Oudin and Morgan for examples of how to conduct themselves.
Thamail Morgan returned the kick-off for what would have been an 80-yard touchdown, but when he was only a couple yards from the end zone, he stopped, backed up to the five-yard line, and took a knee. There were just seconds left in the game and Morgan's team, the Greyhounds, had already ensured victory with the lead, 34-16.
By itself, this is a mature and in Morgan's own words "classy" gesture, but it becomes even more significant because it came from a player who had made bad choices in the past. Morgan transferred to his current high school, Cave City, because he would have been ineligible to play his senior season at Newport because of a rule violation that was not disclosed in this article. Morgan's mistake was serious enough that Division-1 colleges interested in recruiting him stopped calling. Perhaps they should give him another chance.
This story reminds me why I love sports, and sports journalism. You don't even need to be a sports enthusiast for this story to get you in the gut. Morgan's gesture toward the Yellville-Summit team shows how athletics really can bring out the best in us - how pure competition can be when it doesn't involve fame and fortune. Unfortunately sports sometimes bring out the worst, as Serena Williams recently demonstrated during her outburst at the U.S. Open. But at that same tournament, we were inspired by teenager Melanie Oudin. The pros, who seem to have forgotten the fundamentals of sportsmanship, should look to Oudin and Morgan for examples of how to conduct themselves.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Highs and Lows of the Women's Game at U.S. Open
There is no excuse for Serena Williams’ behavior tonight that ended her run at the U.S. Open. But tensions were already high since her semifinal against Kim Clijsters had been delayed by more than a day due to rain. A foot fault called during the second set cost Williams the match after she berated the lines judge and was penalized one point – which turned out to be the match point that sent Clijsters into the finals.
Being a role model must be hard. I am often quick to criticize Tiger Woods when he fails to display impeccable sportsmanship, but hey, golf is one frustrating sport. I’m not sure I’ve ever gotten through a round without having a major temper tantrum. I expect professional athletes to handle themselves better, though. I understand that Williams (and Woods) is human, and if enough things conspire against her, she, too, is prone to boil over. The match’s delay must have filled her with anxiety that was difficult to control once it wasn’t going her way. The lines judge claims Williams threatened her and reporters say their verbal exchange was peppered with profanity from Williams. Sure, this is a major, and tennis is Serena’s life, but she has been around far too long to abandon discipline in this way. She simply crossed the line.
Serena marked the tournament low for the American ladies, but sunny 17-year-old Melanie Oudin demonstrated the highs. She seemed unstoppable beating three experienced Russians until she reached the quarterfinals and fell to Caroline Wozniacki, who will face Clijsters in the finals. This is a classic Cinderella story that inspires young girls to believe they can achieve anything, and has captured the attention of many who don’t usually follow tennis. Melanie’s success has been surprising not just because of her age, but because of her body type. At 5’6” she is significantly shorter than most of her competitors, and some say she lacks power. But she makes up for it with her stamina, speed, and confidence. I am one of those that rarely watches tennis, but Oudin caught my attention when she beat No. 1 Jelena Jankovic at Wimbledon earlier this summer. Her performance at Arthur Ashe proved that Wimbledon was no fluke, and with Venus Williams’ early exit and her sister’s shameful loss of control, Oudin established herself as the American darling of this tournament.
Being a role model must be hard. I am often quick to criticize Tiger Woods when he fails to display impeccable sportsmanship, but hey, golf is one frustrating sport. I’m not sure I’ve ever gotten through a round without having a major temper tantrum. I expect professional athletes to handle themselves better, though. I understand that Williams (and Woods) is human, and if enough things conspire against her, she, too, is prone to boil over. The match’s delay must have filled her with anxiety that was difficult to control once it wasn’t going her way. The lines judge claims Williams threatened her and reporters say their verbal exchange was peppered with profanity from Williams. Sure, this is a major, and tennis is Serena’s life, but she has been around far too long to abandon discipline in this way. She simply crossed the line.
Serena marked the tournament low for the American ladies, but sunny 17-year-old Melanie Oudin demonstrated the highs. She seemed unstoppable beating three experienced Russians until she reached the quarterfinals and fell to Caroline Wozniacki, who will face Clijsters in the finals. This is a classic Cinderella story that inspires young girls to believe they can achieve anything, and has captured the attention of many who don’t usually follow tennis. Melanie’s success has been surprising not just because of her age, but because of her body type. At 5’6” she is significantly shorter than most of her competitors, and some say she lacks power. But she makes up for it with her stamina, speed, and confidence. I am one of those that rarely watches tennis, but Oudin caught my attention when she beat No. 1 Jelena Jankovic at Wimbledon earlier this summer. Her performance at Arthur Ashe proved that Wimbledon was no fluke, and with Venus Williams’ early exit and her sister’s shameful loss of control, Oudin established herself as the American darling of this tournament.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Obama to release White House visitor logs - but not effective until after Sept. 15
From NPR News, Obama decides to release White House visitor logs.
A month or two back I wrote about all the celebrities who have been dropping by the White House, and the Obama administration's efforts to keep the visits hush-hush. The administration has at last agreed to reveal to the public who will be stopping by 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Note "will be" because the White House will only release its visitor records beginning Sept. 15. Information about visits that occurred between Jan. 20 and Sept. 15 will be available only by special request, and its release will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
I find it disappointing that the White House is still keeping visitors from his first eight months under wraps, but I do admire the effort of the administration to be more transparent. The Obama administration will indeed be the first to reveal this information at all.
A month or two back I wrote about all the celebrities who have been dropping by the White House, and the Obama administration's efforts to keep the visits hush-hush. The administration has at last agreed to reveal to the public who will be stopping by 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Note "will be" because the White House will only release its visitor records beginning Sept. 15. Information about visits that occurred between Jan. 20 and Sept. 15 will be available only by special request, and its release will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
I find it disappointing that the White House is still keeping visitors from his first eight months under wraps, but I do admire the effort of the administration to be more transparent. The Obama administration will indeed be the first to reveal this information at all.
Friday, August 28, 2009
The Mannahatta Project - New York City: 1609
Today, Times Square is a forest of flashing neon superscreens on the facades of high-rise buildings frequented by tourists and theatergoers. But 400 years ago, this Manhattan area supported a diverse population of plant and animal life.
I was attracted to the cover story, “Before New York”, of the latest National Geographic magazine which features a split photograph: the modern day cityscape on one side and the 1609 rendering of the same region to its left. I spent a month living on the Upper West Side earlier this summer and even more recently I finished reading The Last of the Mohicans, a wilderness survival tale about the clash between tribal communities and European colonists that takes place in (upstate) New York in 1757.
The article introduces the Mannahatta Project, an effort to uncover Manhattan’s original landscape and ecology, which was envisioned by Eric Sanderson of the Wildlife Conservation Society. Ten years later, an interactive map is up and running on the project’s website. Users can type in their addresses or NYC landmarks to learn the details of the region's ecology in 1609.
This map reveals that the site of Times Square once contained a red maple swamp, and I learned that the area surrounding the Manhattan School of Music residence hall where I stayed this summer provided multiple kinds of berries and may have been a lucrative hunting location for the Lenape people.
Today Central Park may be the only place in Manhattan where it is possible to escape from the concrete and bustle of the city. Thank goodness for that.
I was attracted to the cover story, “Before New York”, of the latest National Geographic magazine which features a split photograph: the modern day cityscape on one side and the 1609 rendering of the same region to its left. I spent a month living on the Upper West Side earlier this summer and even more recently I finished reading The Last of the Mohicans, a wilderness survival tale about the clash between tribal communities and European colonists that takes place in (upstate) New York in 1757.
The article introduces the Mannahatta Project, an effort to uncover Manhattan’s original landscape and ecology, which was envisioned by Eric Sanderson of the Wildlife Conservation Society. Ten years later, an interactive map is up and running on the project’s website. Users can type in their addresses or NYC landmarks to learn the details of the region's ecology in 1609.
This map reveals that the site of Times Square once contained a red maple swamp, and I learned that the area surrounding the Manhattan School of Music residence hall where I stayed this summer provided multiple kinds of berries and may have been a lucrative hunting location for the Lenape people.
Today Central Park may be the only place in Manhattan where it is possible to escape from the concrete and bustle of the city. Thank goodness for that.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
*Records achieved wearing performance enhancing bodysuits*
Suit breaks the man from The San Diego Union-Tribune on July 29, 2009
Posted using ShareThis
This will be old news by the time this is posted (I am vacationing in SD, and have had terrible luck with the Wi-Fi at coffee shops over the past two days), but I wanted to weigh in on how swim apparel is currently scandalizing the integrity of the sport. Since reading this article this morning about Michael Phelps’ loss to German swimmer Paul Biedermann in the 200m free at the world swimming championships in Rome, I heard on the radio that Phelps has won and set a new world record in the 200 fly (Update 8/2/09: Phelps finished with five golds, one silver, and two individual world records). What I did not learn was if he had exchanged his Speedo LZR Racer for the Arena X-Glide, which Biedermann wore during his world-record breaking performance and which he acknowledges aided him in his effort. (I learned that of course he did not, but Dara Torres did!)
Phelps’ own suit, the LZR Racer, will be illegal in competition by next May, along with all other high-tech bodysuits. But this ban comes too late. High-performance suits were worn in last summer’s Beijing Olympics, and now this week’s world championships. Dozens of world records have fallen and will continue to fall between now and May 2010. We’ve heard the debate about whether MLB records achieved by steroid users should be identified as such. It makes perfect sense that swimming records earned by wearing state-of-the-art suits should also be asterisked. It will be interesting to see how long it takes for swimmers wearing pre-2008 swimwear to break the records set this week.
But should these suits really be banned? Unlike steroids users, users of high-tech swimsuits are not trying to conceal their performance enhancing equipment. It is worth pointing out that improvements in technology have been accepted in many other sports. Not all golf clubs or baseball bats are made equal. There’s no question that world records have fallen in track and field over the years due in part (mostly?) to improved footwear. And I doubt those have been designated with asterisks in the record books.
The best equipment comes at a greater cost. Sponsorships also interfere with some elite athletes’ choice of competitive gear. Last summer in Beijing athletes jeopardized their endorsement contracts by wearing the new and fast Speedo LZR despite which product they were supposed to be wearing. How embarrassing! And even more so now, since Phelps is the one whining even though this is the very suit he still wears. But if sponsorships were no issue, and the top-of-the-line swimsuit was available to all competitors, then how is this actually unfair?
Without fancy aquatic wear the records will continue to fall. When the results of competitive swimming were first recorded, athletes had day jobs. Now that the professional athlete is a full-time occupation, men and women devote their lives almost entirely to their chosen sport. They train harder than ever and maintain a healthy diet. But it is undeniable that the effect of these swimsuits casts a shadow over the purity of a sport that once was dominated by the strongest and hardest-working athlete and not by the athlete aided by the best technology.
Posted using ShareThis
This will be old news by the time this is posted (I am vacationing in SD, and have had terrible luck with the Wi-Fi at coffee shops over the past two days), but I wanted to weigh in on how swim apparel is currently scandalizing the integrity of the sport. Since reading this article this morning about Michael Phelps’ loss to German swimmer Paul Biedermann in the 200m free at the world swimming championships in Rome, I heard on the radio that Phelps has won and set a new world record in the 200 fly (Update 8/2/09: Phelps finished with five golds, one silver, and two individual world records). What I did not learn was if he had exchanged his Speedo LZR Racer for the Arena X-Glide, which Biedermann wore during his world-record breaking performance and which he acknowledges aided him in his effort. (I learned that of course he did not, but Dara Torres did!)
Phelps’ own suit, the LZR Racer, will be illegal in competition by next May, along with all other high-tech bodysuits. But this ban comes too late. High-performance suits were worn in last summer’s Beijing Olympics, and now this week’s world championships. Dozens of world records have fallen and will continue to fall between now and May 2010. We’ve heard the debate about whether MLB records achieved by steroid users should be identified as such. It makes perfect sense that swimming records earned by wearing state-of-the-art suits should also be asterisked. It will be interesting to see how long it takes for swimmers wearing pre-2008 swimwear to break the records set this week.
But should these suits really be banned? Unlike steroids users, users of high-tech swimsuits are not trying to conceal their performance enhancing equipment. It is worth pointing out that improvements in technology have been accepted in many other sports. Not all golf clubs or baseball bats are made equal. There’s no question that world records have fallen in track and field over the years due in part (mostly?) to improved footwear. And I doubt those have been designated with asterisks in the record books.
The best equipment comes at a greater cost. Sponsorships also interfere with some elite athletes’ choice of competitive gear. Last summer in Beijing athletes jeopardized their endorsement contracts by wearing the new and fast Speedo LZR despite which product they were supposed to be wearing. How embarrassing! And even more so now, since Phelps is the one whining even though this is the very suit he still wears. But if sponsorships were no issue, and the top-of-the-line swimsuit was available to all competitors, then how is this actually unfair?
Without fancy aquatic wear the records will continue to fall. When the results of competitive swimming were first recorded, athletes had day jobs. Now that the professional athlete is a full-time occupation, men and women devote their lives almost entirely to their chosen sport. They train harder than ever and maintain a healthy diet. But it is undeniable that the effect of these swimsuits casts a shadow over the purity of a sport that once was dominated by the strongest and hardest-working athlete and not by the athlete aided by the best technology.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
"Figaro" a community attraction in Berkeley
The Berkeleyites were out in full force Sunday at John Hinkel Park to see Open Opera’s production of "Le nozze di Figaro". Men, women, children, and senior citizens alike scaled the hillside, braving poison oak exposure and landslides, to secure the best remaining view of the stage (a small plot of asphalt at level with the first row of seating) as the amphitheatre’s great stone seats had filled long before the opera was to begin.
Unfortunately, the amusing antics of the crowd dominated my attention. This was fine, though, since I’ve already seen this Mozart opera multiple times. But oh boy, do I wish I had my camera with me! My mom, our friends, and I claimed our makeshift spot on a side staircase, behind a woman showing off her yoga Zen balance. She stood for the 30 minutes before the show and well into the first act with her leg propped on the banister as if it was a ballet studio barre. Light hairs sprouted from her tan bony shin. My mom, seated, viewed the first act peering through the patient yogi’s legs. Leaves and dirt showered my friend Jess and me from above, as the spectators on the hillside scooted up in order to see over our seatmate’s extended leg. But balancing on one leg while watching opera was not enough for her, so she reached for a sketchbook and ink and later her knitting needles and yarn to prove her superior multi-tasking ability.
People-watching was an unexpected amusement at the opera. We had gone to see a high school friend, Julian Arsenault, play the role of Figaro. We hadn’t heard him sing in three years, and it was a pleasure to watch him claim the stage. His characterization of the Pirate King in "Pirates of Penzance" five years earlier persisted in his portrayal of the Count’s playful and sly servant. His performance was the highlight for me, but Adrien Roberts as the Countess stood out as possessing the strongest voice in the cast and as an elegant presence. However, singing in the open air does nobody’s voice justice. Director Olivia Stapp took advantage of the unique outdoor setting in the staging of a hilarious scene in which Figaro hid behind a live oak among the audience while Susanna, played by Aimee Puentes, lured her lover to the garden (“Deh vieni, non tardar”).
I know "Le nozze di Figaro" better than any other opera. I have seen the full-length production several times, I have sung at least five of its scenes, and I studied the opera extensively in Professor Davies’ class on Opera and Reason. But despite my familiarity with the music and the series of events, I never expect the tears that well up in my eyes when I watch and listen as the Countess immediately forgives the Count for his infidelity during the finale. The Countess’ soaring lyrical line here can only be described as poignant. She claims that she forgives him because she has a bigger heart than her husband, but I ache for her and all women because I want her to be stronger. We have spent a full three hours watching Count Almaviva devise a plan so he can sleep with Susanna before her marriage to Figaro. The Countess finally catches him, and we expect consequences and retribution. But all we get is a lousy (and too quickly accepted) apology. Even Mozart writes off this monumental moment by jumping into an allegro jubilant chorus performed by the entire cast in which all celebrate the union of Susanna and Figaro, and the reunion of the noble pair.
Unfortunately, the amusing antics of the crowd dominated my attention. This was fine, though, since I’ve already seen this Mozart opera multiple times. But oh boy, do I wish I had my camera with me! My mom, our friends, and I claimed our makeshift spot on a side staircase, behind a woman showing off her yoga Zen balance. She stood for the 30 minutes before the show and well into the first act with her leg propped on the banister as if it was a ballet studio barre. Light hairs sprouted from her tan bony shin. My mom, seated, viewed the first act peering through the patient yogi’s legs. Leaves and dirt showered my friend Jess and me from above, as the spectators on the hillside scooted up in order to see over our seatmate’s extended leg. But balancing on one leg while watching opera was not enough for her, so she reached for a sketchbook and ink and later her knitting needles and yarn to prove her superior multi-tasking ability.
People-watching was an unexpected amusement at the opera. We had gone to see a high school friend, Julian Arsenault, play the role of Figaro. We hadn’t heard him sing in three years, and it was a pleasure to watch him claim the stage. His characterization of the Pirate King in "Pirates of Penzance" five years earlier persisted in his portrayal of the Count’s playful and sly servant. His performance was the highlight for me, but Adrien Roberts as the Countess stood out as possessing the strongest voice in the cast and as an elegant presence. However, singing in the open air does nobody’s voice justice. Director Olivia Stapp took advantage of the unique outdoor setting in the staging of a hilarious scene in which Figaro hid behind a live oak among the audience while Susanna, played by Aimee Puentes, lured her lover to the garden (“Deh vieni, non tardar”).
I know "Le nozze di Figaro" better than any other opera. I have seen the full-length production several times, I have sung at least five of its scenes, and I studied the opera extensively in Professor Davies’ class on Opera and Reason. But despite my familiarity with the music and the series of events, I never expect the tears that well up in my eyes when I watch and listen as the Countess immediately forgives the Count for his infidelity during the finale. The Countess’ soaring lyrical line here can only be described as poignant. She claims that she forgives him because she has a bigger heart than her husband, but I ache for her and all women because I want her to be stronger. We have spent a full three hours watching Count Almaviva devise a plan so he can sleep with Susanna before her marriage to Figaro. The Countess finally catches him, and we expect consequences and retribution. But all we get is a lousy (and too quickly accepted) apology. Even Mozart writes off this monumental moment by jumping into an allegro jubilant chorus performed by the entire cast in which all celebrate the union of Susanna and Figaro, and the reunion of the noble pair.
Almost as distressing as the opera’s ending, is that the Open Opera cast members poured their entire beings into putting on the show but it was not fully appreciated by its unruly audience. Myself included, since I allowed myself to be distracted by my surroundings.
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