Encinal junior Shelby Nelson finished ninth in the men’s and women’s 3,200-meter race at the San Leandro Invitational track meet on March 17 at Burrell Field. 

Both men and women faced off in the 3,200-meter race at the event. Nelson finished with a time of 11:26.97. James Logan High of Union City sophomore Joseph Moran won the meet with a time of 10:35.11. The top eight finishers were all male. Nelson was the first woman to cross the finish line. Balboa High of San Francisco’s Hailey Bucholz was the second woman to cross the finish line with a time of 12:37.56. 

With winter break over, Alameda athletes are also back to their respective sports teams. Though there has been rainy weather as of late it has not stopped Alameda soccer teams from competing on the pitch.

All Alameda soccer teams have gotten off to slow starts, but they will look to turn things around in the second half of the season.

The second half of 2017 was also filled with athletic feats by Alamedans. Here are some of the athletic highlights from Alameda residents in the final half of the year.

July
Cielo Aguilar won the Mayor’s Fourth of July 5K Ralph Appezzato Charity Event. The 19-year-old finished with a time of 16:01. Mayor Trish Spencer completed the course in a time of 36:05.

There were plenty of athletic accomplishments by Alamedans in 2017. Here’s part one of a look back at the memorable sports moments in Alameda this past year. 
January 

The 44th Annual Elks Hoop Shoot City Finals were held on Friday, Jan. 6, in the Alameda Point Gym. Winners at the event included Gaby Cuellas (girls’ eight- to nine-year-old division) and Matthew Garcia (boys’ eight-to nine-year-old division). 

Three Encinal High student-athletes made their college choices known last month at a signing-day ceremony on the Encinal campus. Two of the three seniors play on the Encinal Jets baseball team, while the third plays on the softball team.

Christine Warren will attend Corban University in Salem Ore. Warren led the Jets to the North Coast Section Div. III softball tournament last season. As a Jet Warren was named to the West Alameda County Conference (WACC) second team in 2017. Warren primarily plays catcher.

The Encinal High football team suffered its first and last loss of the 2017 season. The Jets undefeated season ended after a 49-32 defeat to Cardinal Newman of Santa Rosa Friday, Nov. 17, on the road.

The Encinal High football team completed an undefeated regular season with a 57-7 thrashing of San Lorenzo Friday, Nov. 3, on the road.

The Rebels were no match for the Jets’ high-powered offense led by senior quarterback Theori Oliver. Oliver accounted for five of the Jets’ eight touchdowns in the contest. He threw for two scores and ran for three more. The Jets’ offense faced little resistance from the Rebels. 

This year’s Island Bowl had the makings of being a competitive ballgame. Both teams were on impressive hot stretches leading up to the contest. Encinal High was a perfect 8-0 and Alameda High was in the midst of a three-game win streak before the game last Friday on Thompson Field. But the Jets made sure any thought of a close ballgame in the 63rd Island Bowl never materialized on the way to its 44-6 victory.