VOLLEYBALL
The Celts’ volleyball team (27-9, 9-3) continued its winning tradition, making the playoffs for the ninth time in 10 years. The continued success was even more impressive considering the team lost six seniors including two D-1 athletes in Brandon Lebrock and Daniel Stork. The team started the season 12-6 and really clicked in its final 18 games with a 15-3 record behind the leadership of seniors Quinn Costello and Ryan Vanvakaris.
Crespi ascended as high as No. 20 in the nation (by high school sports magazine ESPN RISE) in Week 2 after beating two teams ranked in the top 25 in the nation (No. 7 Newport Harbor and No. 21 Poway). In the Celts’ 2-1 upset victory over Newport Harbor, Vanvakaris had eight kills and three blocks, Costello had six kills and four digs and John Rumer had 19 assists.
Another impressive win came in a nail-biting five-set victory against Harvard-Westlake. The Celts rose to the occasion and lit up the stat sheets with Costello spiking 25 kills, Brandon Enbody making 20 digs and Rumer setting up 63 assists to seemingly anyone in the Crespi brown and white.
The Celts defeated Ventura 3-2 in the first round of the playoffs. Danny Burns had 20 kills, Costello added 18, Enbody made 12 digs, David Eaton-Kittrell had six blocks and Rumer had 59 assists.
The season ended to the eventual CIF-SS champion Mater Dei in the quarterfinals, 3-0; however the future looks bright with juniors Burns and Rumer and sophomores Eaton-Kittrell, Enbody and Ashton King.
BASEBALL
The Celts’ baseball team (11-16, 3-9) surged out to an early 4-0 start, outscoring opponents 30-12. The next eight games tested the Celts as they struggled to win only one game. The Celts regained momentum during the next nine games with a 5-4 mark, but again faltered to end the season 1-5.
Senior Scott Heineman led the team with a school record of 29 steals, 26 runs scored, 24 hits, 19 RBIs, four homers and a ridiculous .494 on base percentage. Heineman’s not only talented at the dish, but also on the mound, where he struck out 22 hitters in just 27 innings. He received a D-1 scholarship to the University of Oregon.
Senior Jack Colick, who finished with 12 RBIs, will play college ball at Cal State East Bay. Senior Madison Dang will join him there next fall.
Juniors Nick Morton, Daniel Avalos and Andre Angel-Bello, sophomore Andy Frakes and freshman Jacob Villela will lead the team next year.
Villela impressed in his rookie campaign, ranking second in team hits (21) and runs scored (15). Avalos contributed 14 RBIs, while Angel-Bello added 10. Morton boasted a microscopic 2.00 ERA in 56 innings pitched and Frakes also provided clutch pitching with a 2.86 ERA and three saves.
TRACK
The Celts’ track team finished third in the Mission League with wins against Harvard-Westlake, Chaminade, Alemany and St. Francis. Senior Shane MacMiller, junior Jude Olear and freshman Amir Patterson were key performers.
MacMiller won the 1,600-meter (4:19.59) and finished third in the 800 (1:55.82) at the league finals. He also won the 800 in 1:56:03 and 3,200 with 9:37:53 at the Russell Cup. He placed ninth in the 800 (2:03.20) and seventh in the 1,600 (4:28.80) at the CIF Championships.
Patterson, who won the Junior Olympics in shot put last year, set a personal record of 55-6, placing first at the Tri County Small School Invitational. He also won the Russell Cup with a distance of 50-11, finished fifth in the league finals (50-5) and eighth at the CIF championships (50-6). At the league finals, he earned another personal record in the discus (132-9.50), finishing fifth.
Olear won the triple jump at the Tri County Small School Invitational with a distance of 41-06.75, came in second with 42-09.50 at the Russell Cup and earned a personal record distance of 43-05.75 at the Mission League finals, finishing second.
Other top finishes at the league finals included M. Anjani Shanks’ second place in the long jump (20-10.50), Marcus Cummings’ fourth place in the 400 (51.78) and Michael Milligan’s fourth place in the high jump (5-11.00).
SWIMMING
The Aqua Celts were led by junior Armen Darbinyan. Other key athletes included seniors Michael Tsay and Brennan Simpkins, juniors Nick Haney and Patrick Harrigan and freshman Blair Simpkins, all of whom qualified for the CIF Championships, where the team finished 13th out of 70 Division 1 schools.
Darbinyan won both the 200 freestyle and the 100 backstroke, where he set a new varsity record (52.23) at the Mission League finals. At the CIF Championships, he finished fifth in the 100 backstroke (51.56) and sixth in the 200 freestyle (1:41.06).
The 200 medley relay featuring Darbinyan, Tsay, Hannigan and Brennan Simpkins placed seventh (1:37.50), while the 400 freestyle relay consisting of Darbinyan, Tsay, Haney and Blair Simpkins placed 14th (3:14.81) at the CIF Championships.
LACROSSE
The Celts challenged themselves with a tough schedule and finished third in Mission League play (4-4). The team qualified for the playoffs, where they lost 14-8 to Redondo Union in the Division 2 quarterfinals. Colin Kiat, Dom Abat, Kyle Milack, Duke Bautista and Chris Loman were the senior captains.
