Sports

Richmond High fields all-girl tennis team

After operating for three years as a co-ed tennis team with boys and girls competing against all-boy teams, there were enough players this year to form an all-girl tennis squad at Richmond High School.

Richmond Grinders prepare for meet in Berkeley

Kiome Davis of Grant Elementary School wasn’t convinced she’d like track. She didn’t like training because it was too hard. On her third day of conditioning she said she heard her teammate use bad language. “I thought [the Richmond Grinders] was one of those bad teams that cusses a lot,” the nine-year-old said. She was panting from sprinting 200 meters in khaki pants and a white short-sleeve polo shirt. “[But] now that I got to know everybody—it’s good. We [train]…

Chevron and Oakland A’s promote science education at Stege Elementary School

Oakland A’s mascot Stomper and second baseman Eric Sogard  made a special appearance at Stege Elementary School Friday before their game against the Kansas City Royals. The floppy-eared mascot and spectacled major leaguer were in town to celebrate the academic fields of science, technology, engineering and math. This is the second year the Oakland A’s have partnered with Chevron to promote the oil refinery’s scholastic workbook the “Science of the Game.” Last year the dynamic duo visited Lincoln Elementary School…

Richmond basketball star goes global, aims for Big East success

Jamaree Strickland sees the world differently. Some may even say the Richmond native has his head in the clouds. If anyone would know it’d be his mom, Stacey Strickland, who recalls that even back in preschool, when her son stood behind his friends they just reached up to the top of his stomach. “I don’t remember ever being average height,” Jamaree Strickland said upon his recent return from playing basketball in France for the USA Elite Under-23 team. “In the…

Kennedy High School powerlifting enthusiast claims world records

A 17-year-old powerlifter overtook his 71-year-old mentor Saturday. And he did it with ease. It may have taken the Kennedy High School special education junior three years of teeth-grinding training to accomplish the feat, but it was well worth the wait. “Today I got depressed,” special education teacher Salvatore Morabito said with a big laugh recounting how student Ryan Palmieri pushed and pulled more weight than his own bones could handle, 25 pounds more, in fact. “My glory days are…

Oilers go out swinging, end season with summer plans

The Salesian Pride defeated the backyard rival Richmond Oilers 11-2 in the first round of the high school baseball playoffs Wednesday evening, ending the Oilers’ season. The Pride scored six runs in the first two innings off eight walks, seven stolen bases and one hit. After scoring one more run in the third, Salesian’s coaching staff stepped off the gas pedal and played several junior varsity players. After the game Oilers’ head coach Deryk Hudson told his lineup of 10th…

Baseball on a hot afternoon in North Richmond

It’s a hot afternoon at the Lucky A’s field in North Richmond, and the dozen or so kids who showed up for baseball practice today are sticking to a strip of shade next to the chain link fence. A couple boys are playing catch. Three others take up as a pitcher, a batter and a catcher. There’s a crack of the bat, and a ball flies into the sun. Kaaliyah Fluker, 11, the only girl on the team, watches, eyes…