La Jolla’s female teams join March Madness

Perhaps the opinion page of La Jolla Light would seem an odd place to acknowledge the recent victories of the La Jolla High School Girls Varsity Lacrosse team and the UCSD women’s basketball team. However, in this time of March Madness, now is as good a time as any to congratulate these female athletes for their success at the high school and college level, both statewide and nationwide.

Last weekend, La Jolla High’s Girls Varsity Lacrosse team won the Surf, Sun & Stix tournament, held at Westview High School. After winning their first four games, the Lady Vikings beat Northern California’s number one-ranked team, Miramonte High School, in the final by the score of 6 to 3. According to laxpower.com, a national computerized ranking for lacrosse teams, LJHS’s girls lacrosse team currently ranks third in California and fourth in the western United States. Congratulations to coach Dana Cappello and the team for their victory!

Meanwhile, UCSD’s women’s basketball team has quietly become a powerhouse since Janell Jones took over as coach two seasons ago. This season, the Lady Tritons won their first-ever league title, as well as their first NCAA D-II West Regional Championships. Last Thursday, in the national semifinals, UCSD lost to Southern Connecticut State, ranked 7th nationwide, ending their season. However, the Tritons’ 25 wins this season beats their previous single-season victory record of 23 wins.

Clearly, women’s and girl’s athletics have come a long way. In all sports, particularly those once considered the sole domain of men and boys, local women and girls are matching the accomplishments of their male peers. Local standouts like La Jolla Country Day’s Candace Wiggins, now a star on Stanford University’s basketball team, and Britney Russell, a former La Jolla High water polo star who is now playing professionally in Australia, are but a few examples of the exceptional female athletes that have developed their skills in La Jolla’s sports programs.

We are pleased that all the female sports programs throughout La Jolla are continuing to provide opportunities for La Jolla’s girls and women to compete at such a high level. We salute the coaches and players of La Jolla High’s girls varsity lacrosse team and the women of UCSD’s basketball team for their success.