Ganado, Pinon eliminated from state volleyball tourney
By Quentin Jodie
Navajo Times
PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz., Nov. 8, 2013
Unfortunately that script had the Ganado Hornets and the Pinon Lady Eagles as underdogs for this year’s Arizona Division IV state volleyball championships.
Both teams were eliminated on Thursday at Tim’s Toyota Center in Prescott Valley, Ariz.
The Hornets, who entered the tournament as the No. 15 seed, were simply no match for Veritas Prep as the Phoenix-based private school won 25-12, 25-9, 25-18.
“The match didn’t go our way but if you look at how we left the court we played much better in that third game,” Ganado coach Jerome Burns said. “We played a little bit more tougher and we adjusted our defense.”
In particular, the Hornets somewhat slowed down Veritas Prep Sarah Sponcil at the net.
“She’s their main gun,” Burns said. “I was hoping that we could get her tired.”
Sponcil would have none of that as she pounded out 27 kills.
For Ganado, they finished the match with 19 kills with freshman JaeLynn Curley and senior Rianna Kee combining for 11 winners, with Curley putting down six.
Pinon also had a tough time slowing down their opponent as Sedona Red Rock advanced with a 25-12, 25-14, 15-13 over the Eagles.
“It took us a lot longer to get adjusted,” Pinon coach Nellie McCurtain said. “But what I think what affected us was the younger players.”
McCurtain said it’ll be hard replacing Tsosie but with eight returning players she expects Pinon to be back in the playoffs next season.
Navajos already setting bar high at INFR
By Sunnie Clahchischiligi
Navajo Times
FRUITLAND, N.M.— After four rounds of the Indian National Finals Rodeo, some Navajo athletes are setting the bar high.
Navajo barrel racer Kassidy Dennison leads the average race in the barrel racing as the Tohatchi, N.M. cowgirl won
Dennison completed the clover-leaf pattern with a time of 15.01 seconds in the first go and turned in a time of 14.86 in the second.
In the team-roping event, Aaron Tsinigine and partner Victor Begay, are also establishing themselves as the team to beat going into the fifth round today.
The two roped their first-round draw in 4.69 seconds in the first round and turned in a 4.35 in the second.
Navajo bull riders Julius Begay and Justin Granger shared the leaderboards over the last two performances. Begay won the first go with a score of 86 points, while Granger took the second go with an 87-point ride.
In ladies breakaway roping, Sammy Jo Boyd won won the second round with a time of 1.92 seconds.
The fifth performance begins this evening at 6:30 p.m. at the South Point Arena and Equestrian Center in Las Vegas.