The Sacramento Bee from Sacramento, California • 188

By Vic Contreras Neighbors sports writer On a cold gray New England morning last month Christine Iwahashi found herself in a sea of the best marathon runners Competing in the 91st running of the Boston Marathon against great runners like Toshinhiko Seko Rob dc Castella and Rosa Mota Iwahashi might have been just another face in a crowd of 6313 But in the next few hours Iwahashi would prove that the case Running her third Boston Marathon Iwahashi placed 15th overall among women with a time of 2:4942 She was awarded $1100 for her effort While the money will help her pursue her dreams of an Olympic gold medal in 1988 prize money the reason she ran in the most prestigious of all marathons was pretty exciting to be in the she said Iwahashi who said she pretty good throughout most of the cut the 26-milc 365-yard trek into three parts For first 6 miles she ran a warm-up She said she just wanted to get her body pumping for the middle miles From the 6- to-20 mile mark Iwahashi ran the course very hard as if she were in training At the 20-mile mark came the famed Heartbreak Hill From that point on she said tried to hold The race was her best time and her best place in her three Boston Marathons In 1984 Iwahashi ran close to three hours 25 minutes Last year her time was 2:58 Iwahashi has been running for years with the Buffalo Chips running club and with George Parrot Although she started running for the fun of it she slowly became more competitive She now has her eyes set on the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul Korea At the California International Marathon last December Iwahashi qualified for the Olympic Trials with a time of 2:4912 It was also her personal best record is going well for me right Iwahashi said looking forward to the trials I just have to keep going out there and run my The trials will be run a year from this month But in preparation for the 1988 Olympic Trials Iwahashi may be forced to miss next Boston Marathon a sacrifice she says have to live with now the Olympic Trials is what I care she said I do from now until then is geared for that one race It will be the toughest of my Mike Mike and Mike show is a smash This season Sierra has once again been very consistent in his pitching his fastball and curve that have been most successful DeLaney another junior talk unless asked a direct question With his boyish face he look like an intimidating force on the mound but when he wants DeLaney can flat out blow batters away Against Rio Americano earlier in the season DeLaney had a perfect game going into the seventh inning before giving up a hit was really on that Katsulis said lot of people know all about Freitas and Sierra but I think they know how good DeLaney is I hope they get to know until after the season is over After his near-perfect game DeLaney came down with the flu which kept him out of practice for nearly two weeks And even when he returned it was a month before he started a game I pitch I just try to keep my concentration on each batter at a DeLaney said still young and I have a lot to leant I try to do my best every time out there has a lot of abilities both as a second baseman and a Katsulis said know which way going to go in the fu ture but either way 11 be Sierra is somewhere between Freitas and DeLaney He say much but when he starts talking about his pitches and his arm he can go on for a while But after the pain Sierra went through a year ago he has a right to talk As a Sophomore last year Sierra made a name for himself at the Land Park Easier Tournament In the championship game against Grant he threw a two-hitter against the hot-hitting Pacers to help the Vikings win the tournament championship But only weeks later Sierra suffered a herniated disc in his lower back The injury was similar to the one suffered by San Francisco 49cr quarterback Joe Montana last season really thought that was going to be my Sierra said I guess it After the injury I was just worried about getting back on the mound for this just have to go out and do our best in every game we Freitas said hits will come we (pitchers) just have to be All three are right-handed pitchers and have one year of varsity experience before this season But as far as comparisons go about it Freitas is the most vocal of the trio and that may be because a senior and one of the leaders But most likely because Freitas is so confident about his abilities and his future take baseball very Freitas said want to continue to play baseball for as long as I can Next year going to go to Sacramento City College and take it from Freitas missed most of the prcscason games because of a shoulder injury Trainers at Sac City told him he warming up and stretching enough and the shoulder was moving in towards the arm But after rehabilitation Freitas is 3-1 on the season MMMQM' T'NS By Vic Contreras Neighbors sports writer When Valley High School baseball coach Dave Katsulis tells to warm up in the bullpen during a game likely to see a few questioning faces Docs he want hard-throwing Mike Freitas one of the few seniors on the team? Does he want Mike Sierra who came off a serious back injury last season to be among the league leaders this year? Or docs he want Mike DeLaney the quiet shy kid who lets his pitching do the talking? In the end it really matter which Mike gets the nod Because on the Valley pitching staff one Mike is as good as the other Around the Delta League the trio has been known as the Mike and Mike feel that the best starting rotation in the said Freitas as the other two nod have the consistency that other teams do not have Other teams might have one or two guys But we have The starling rotation has been a key in helping the Vikings to a Delta League-leading 8-3 record What has made the feat remarkable is that they have done well despite injuries and illness a tough bunch of Katsulis said been hurt sick and yet they keep coming back Along with our defense the heart of this The pitching has had to be tough this season because the bats have been slow coming around There have been games lost that could have been won if the Vikings had a few more hits Understandably it can be frustrating for for a pitching rotation that has done so well what can you Sierra said yell at the guys and encourage them but been struggling But when they do hit nobody that can beat Freitas who plays second base when not pitching 'shares sides of the frustration among who has' struggled at' template it rirocA! 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