Athlete of the Issue: Mirador 5/28/10 sports 19 Raul Jacobson by Lauren Dahlberg-Seeth After months of high-intensity training, the season’s work finally paid off for athletes at Oakland Strokes Rowing Club. At the Southwest Regional Championships on May 8 and 9, all of the eights (boats including eight rowers and one coxswain) in Oakland Strokes’ varsity division placed in the top three of their category. But for certain members of the team, the work is still not done; the Women’s Varsity 8+, Men’s Varsity 8+, and Women’s Lightweight 8+ will continue training to compete at the Junior Rowing National Championships in Cincinnati, OH this June. At Nationals, Miramonte students Becky Bauer ‘12, Dana Walsh ‘10, Nikki Dahlberg-Seeth ‘10, Elizabeth Lenczowski ‘10, and Molly Fehr ‘10 will represent Oakland Strokes in the women’s Varsity 8+ along with four other boat mates from other schools in the Bay Area. At Regional’s, they finished four seconds in front of Marin Rowing Association, earning a gold medal and a spot at Nationals. “We’ve been working really hard all season, and it finally paid off at Regional’s,” said Bauer, “Everyone’s really excited for the opportunity to compete against some of the best teams in the nation.” Joining the Varsity 8+ in Cincinnati is Oakland Strokes’ Women’s Lightweight 8+; a boat in which athletes cannot exceed the weight limit of 130 lbs. Miramonte students Michelle Lee ‘12, Anne Hofinga ‘10, Lenczowski, Bauer, and Fehr raced the Lightweight 8+ with four other rowers from Oakland Strokes. This boat finished first at Regional’s, two seconds in front of Los Gatos Rowing Club, and secured their spot in Cincinnati as well. “Regional’s was a really great race,” said Lee. “All of us came off the water so happy that we were crying. Now we’re all really excited to compete at a national level and see how things work out.” The Women’s JV8+ and 3V8+ boats also placed first in their categories, leaving Oakland Strokes with gold medals in every Women’s 8+ event. Dahlberg-Seeth and Walsh also medaled in the Woman’s 2 (a boat with two rowers and no coxswain), finishing in second place behind Capital Crew. “The women’s team did remarkably well,” said Oakland Strokes head coach Derek Byrnes. “This was the first time I’ve ever seen a women’s Varsity team win every 8+ event. I think it was an example of all the hard work they put in throughout the year. ” From the men’s team, Miramonte students Alec Steele ‘11, Ian Drake ‘11, Cameron Drake ‘12, and Rocky Davis ‘11 will compete at Nationals with five other teammates in the men’s Varsity 8+. At Regional’s, this 8+ came in third place behind Marin Rowing Association and Los Gatos Rowing Club, taking the final spot at Nationals away from Newport Aquatic Center, who they beat by two seconds. “We were really happy with our performance at Regional’s,” said Ian Drake. “We’ve been training really hard since then, and I think we can do even better at Nationals.” Yet another Oakland Strokes boat to qualify for Nationals was the Men’s Lightweight 8+, a boat in which rowers cannot exceed the weight limit of 155 lbs. Miramonte students Alex Tehrani ‘11, Davis, and Steele raced this 8+ with six other lightweights from the team. This boat crossed the finish line in fourth place, but due to the disqualification of Newport Aquatic Center, was awarded with third place and a spot at Cincinnati. Although they qualified for Nationals, the Men’s Lightweight 8+ has decided that they will not be competing. “There was too much money involved,” said Trevor Langum ‘11, who rowed in the Men’s Novice 8+ and was placed in the Men’s Lightweight 8+ after Regional’s. “Not enough families could support their kids going, and also a lot of people were overweight.” The Men’s JV8+ and 3V8+ boats also medaled, finishing in second place and third place in their respective categories. Miramonte students Jack Maxon ‘12, Gabe Larwood ‘11, Mathison Young ‘13, Cameron Drake ‘12, and Langum raced the Men’s Novice 8+ and placed first, finishing less that one second before Newport Aquatic Center. “I’m really excited to see the whole team race at Nationals,” said Byrnes. “It’s great that we’re able to come together and race the best of the best; that doesn’t happen in other sports.” The Junior Rowing National Championships will be held in Cincinnati, OH on June 11-13, 2010. by Grant Huhn A hard-throwing intimidator on the mound, Raul Jacobson ‘10 has played a major role in the Matadors’ success this season. Jacobson was born to be a pitcher, and he has had a dominating presence on the mound since his little league days. Before moving to Orinda in sixth grade, Jacobson began his pitching career in the fourth grade San Francisco little league. Well aware of his ability to throw the baseball hard, the transition to OBA baseball was a breeze for Jacobson. “I remember being overwhelmed with intimidation the first time I batted against Raul,” said Isaac Maltzer ‘10. “He was big and threw harder than anyone else, and the at-bat did not go over well for me.” Jacobson became very serious and dedicated to pitching during the seventh and eighth grade when he took lessons from Jeff Pick, a pitching coach for OBA baseball. “He really helped me develop my changeup, which is one of my best pitches and vital to my success,” said Jacobson. A f t e r dominating opponents on the JV team, Jacobson earned a spot on the varsity roster halfway through his sophomore year. Surprisingly, this is the first season that Jacobson has been able to be a starting pitcher. Andrew Kjar ‘09 and John Vaccarro ‘09 started last season, and they both went deep into games and had a lot of success. “It was hard because I knew that I was capable of being a starting pitcher last season, but you have to give a lot of credit to Kjar and John (Vaccarro),” said Jacobson. In 71 innings pitched this season, Jacobson has a 2.17 Earned Run Average, 72 strikeouts, and only 16 walks given up. Opponents are hitting an abysmal .227 average against him. This includes a perfect game against McKinleyville, in which Jacobson retired all 18 batters faced, striking out 14. The reason that Jacobson has had so much success is because he is able to keep hitters guessing with his hard fastball and off-speed pitches. His fastball is in the high 80 MPH range, topping out at 88 MPH. He also throws a slider and a changeup, which complement the fastball very well. “The fact that he throws pretty hard and is able to mix in some good off-speed pitches makes him really effective and really fun to catch,” said Kevin Paulsen ‘10, who is Miramonte’s catcher and has been catching Jacobson since sixth grade. In the summer, Jacobson is a pitcher for the Danville Hoots, which is one of the top amateur teams in the nation. The Hoots travel to various places in the country and face other top teams in the nation. San Francisco Giants right fielder Nate Schierholtz is a former member of the Hoots, which gives a pretty good idea of how talented the team is. “The Hoots has been very important to my development in the offseason,” said Jacobson. Jacobson’s hard work and talent as a pitcher has paid off, as he recently received a scholarship from UC Davis. “I probably wouldn’t want to go there if I wasn’t playing baseball,” said Jacobson. “But I’m definitely thankful that I have an opportunity to pitch for a D1 team, and hopefully I can improve as a pitcher.” As far as the rest of the season goes, the Mats have lost five of their last six, but still received the first seed in NCS. Jacobson is poised to repeat as NCS champions this season. “We have a young, talented team this year,” said Jacobson. “Despite some of our offensive troubles in league, I think we will get it together and be a very tough team in NCS.” Fun Facts About Raul Jacobson Height: 6’0’’ Weight: 210 lbs. Fastball: 88 MPH Food: Kinder’s BBQ Movie: The Hangover Class: Boyko Athlete: Tim Lincecum Team: Giants Musical Artist: The Expendables Glove: Rawlings Farthest traveled for baseball: Salt Lake City, Utah Hard Work Pays Off For Oakland Strokes Top: Jacobson’s success comes from his lean body and re- fined mechanics. Left: Jacobson winds up to throw one of his intimidating fastballs. Photo: Miramonte Baseball Website Photo: P. Maltzer The women members of Oakland Strokes work hard to gain an edge on their opponent. Photo: j. Steele
P. 19 Sports
Mar 10, 2016
Mirador 5/28/10 sports 19 The women members of Oakland Strokes work hard to gain an edge on their opponent. by Grant Huhn by Lauren Dahlberg-Seeth Top: Jacobson’s success comes from his lean body and re- fined mechanics. Left: Jacobson winds up to throw one of his intimidating fastballs. Photo: Miramonte Baseball Website Photo: P. Maltzer Photo: j. Steele
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Athlete of the Issue:Mirador 5/28/10 sports 19
Raul Jacobson
by Lauren Dahlberg-Seeth
After months of high-intensity training, the season’s work finally paid off for athletes at Oakland Strokes Rowing Club. At the Southwest Regional Championships on May 8 and 9, all of the eights (boats including eight rowers and one coxswain) in Oakland Strokes’ varsity division placed in the top three of their category. But for certain members of the team, the work is still not done; the Women’s Varsity 8+, Men’s Varsity 8+, and Women’s Lightweight 8+ will continue training to compete at the Junior Rowing National Championships in Cincinnati, OH this June.
At Nationals, Miramonte students Becky Bauer ‘12, Dana Walsh ‘10, Nikki Dahlberg-Seeth ‘10, Elizabeth Lenczowski ‘10, and Molly Fehr ‘10 will represent Oakland Strokes in the women’s Varsity 8+ along with four other boat mates from other schools in the Bay Area. At Regional’s, they finished four seconds in front of Marin Rowing Association, earning a gold medal and a spot at Nationals.
“We’ve been working really hard all season, and it finally paid off at Regional’s,” said Bauer, “Everyone’s really excited for the opportunity to compete against some of the best teams in the nation.”
Joining the Varsity 8+ in Cincinnati is Oakland Strokes’ Women’s Lightweight
8+; a boat in which athletes cannot exceed the weight limit of 130 lbs. Miramonte students Michelle Lee ‘12, Anne Hofinga ‘10, Lenczowski, Bauer, and Fehr raced the Lightweight 8+ with four other rowers from Oakland Strokes. This boat finished first at Regional’s, two seconds in front of Los Gatos Rowing Club, and secured their spot in Cincinnati as well.
“Regional’s was a really great race,” said Lee. “All of us came off the water so
happy that we were crying. Now we’re all really excited to compete at a national level and see how things work out.”
The Women’s JV8+ and 3V8+ boats also placed first in their categories, leaving Oakland Strokes with gold medals in every Women’s 8+ event. Dahlberg-Seeth and Walsh also medaled in the Woman’s 2 (a boat with two rowers and no coxswain), finishing in second place behind Capital
Crew.“The women’s team did remarkably
well,” said Oakland Strokes head coach Derek Byrnes. “This was the first time I’ve ever seen a women’s Varsity team win every 8+ event. I think it was an example of all the hard work they put in throughout the year. ”
From the men’s team, Miramonte students Alec Steele ‘11, Ian Drake ‘11, Cameron Drake ‘12, and Rocky Davis
‘11 will compete at Nationals with five other teammates in the men’s Varsity 8+. At Regional’s, this 8+ came in third place behind Marin Rowing Association and Los Gatos Rowing Club, taking the final spot at Nationals away from Newport Aquatic Center, who they beat
by two seconds. “We were really happy with our
performance at Regional’s,” said Ian Drake. “We’ve been training really hard since then, and I think we can do even better at Nationals.”
Yet another Oakland Strokes boat to qualify for Nationals was the Men’s Lightweight 8+, a boat in which rowers cannot exceed the weight limit of 155
lbs. Miramonte students Alex Tehrani ‘11, Davis, and Steele raced this 8+ with six other lightweights from the team. This boat crossed the finish line in fourth place, but due to the disqualification of Newport Aquatic Center, was awarded with third place and a spot at Cincinnati. Although they qualified for Nationals, the Men’s Lightweight 8+ has decided that they will not be competing.
“There was too much money involved,” said Trevor Langum ‘11, who rowed in the Men’s Novice 8+ and was placed in the Men’s Lightweight 8+ after Regional’s. “Not enough families could support their kids going, and also a lot of people were overweight.”
The Men’s JV8+ and 3V8+ boats also medaled, finishing in second place and third place in their respective categories. Miramonte students Jack Maxon ‘12, Gabe Larwood ‘11, Mathison Young ‘13, Cameron Drake ‘12, and Langum raced the Men’s Novice 8+ and placed first, finishing less that one second before Newport Aquatic Center.
“I’m really excited to see the whole team race at Nationals,” said Byrnes. “It’s great that we’re able to come together and race the best of the best; that doesn’t happen in other sports.”
The Junior Rowing National Championships will be held in Cincinnati, OH on June 11-13, 2010.
by Grant Huhn
A hard-throwing intimidator on the mound, Raul Jacobson ‘10 has played a major role in the Matadors’ success this season. Jacobson was born to be a pitcher, and he has had a dominating presence on the mound since his little league days.
Before moving to Orinda in sixth grade, Jacobson began his pitching career in the fourth grade San Francisco little league. Well aware of his ability to throw the baseball hard, the transition to OBA baseball was a breeze for Jacobson.
“I remember being overwhelmed with intimidation the first time I batted against Raul,” said Isaac Maltzer ‘10. “He was big and threw harder than anyone else, and the at-bat did not go over well for me.”
Jacobson became very serious and dedicated to pitching during the seventh and eighth grade when he took lessons from Jeff Pick, a pitching coach for OBA baseball.
“He really helped me develop my changeup, which is one of my best pitches and vital to my success,” said Jacobson.
A f t e r d o m i n a t i n g opponents on the JV team, J a c o b s o n earned a spot on the varsity roster halfway through his sophomore year. Surpr i s ing ly, this is the first season that Jacobson has been able to be a starting pitcher. Andrew Kjar ‘09 and John Vaccarro ‘09 started last season, and they both went deep into games and had a lot of success.
“It was hard because I knew that I was capable of being a starting pitcher last season, but you have to give a lot of credit to Kjar and John (Vaccarro),” said Jacobson.
In 71 innings pitched this season, Jacobson has a 2.17
Earned Run Average, 72 strikeouts, and only 16 walks given up. Opponents are hitting an abysmal .227 average against him. This includes a perfect game against McKinleyville, in which Jacobson retired all 18 batters faced, striking out 14.
The reason that Jacobson has had so much success is because he is able to keep hitters guessing with his hard fastball and off-speed pitches. His fastball is in the high 80 MPH range, topping out at 88 MPH. He also throws a slider and a changeup, which complement the fastball very well.
“The fact that he throws pretty hard and is able to
mix in some good off-speed pitches makes him really effective and really fun to catch,” said Kevin Paulsen ‘10, who is Miramonte’s catcher and has been catching Jacobson since sixth grade.
In the summer, Jacobson is a pitcher for the Danville Hoots, which is one of the top amateur teams in the nation. The Hoots travel to various places in the country and
face other top teams in the nation. San Francisco Giants right fielder Nate Schierholtz is a former member of the Hoots, which gives a pretty good idea of how talented the team is.
“The Hoots has been very important to my development
in the offseason,” said Jacobson. Jacobson’s hard work and talent as a pitcher has paid
off, as he recently received a scholarship from UC Davis. “I probably
wouldn’t want to go there if I wasn’t playing baseball,” said Jacobson. “But I’m definitely thankful that I have an opportunity to pitch for a D1 team, and hopefully I can improve as a pitcher.”
As far as the rest of the season goes, the Mats have lost five of their last six, but still received the first seed in NCS. Jacobson is poised to repeat as NCS champions this season.
“We have a young, talented team this year,” said Jacobson. “Despite some of our
offensive troubles in league, I think we will get it together and be a very tough team in NCS.”
Fun Facts About Raul Jacobson
Height: 6’0’’Weight: 210 lbs.Fastball: 88 MPHFood: Kinder’s BBQMovie: The HangoverClass: Boyko Athlete: Tim LincecumTeam: GiantsMusical Artist: The ExpendablesGlove: RawlingsFarthest traveled for baseball: Salt Lake City, Utah
Hard Work Pays Off For Oakland Strokes
Top: Jacobson’s success comes from his lean body and re-fined mechanics. Left: Jacobson winds up to throw one of his intimidating fastballs.
Photo: Miramonte Baseball Website
Photo: P. Maltzer
The women members of Oakland Strokes work hard to gain an edge on their opponent.
Photo: j. Steele
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