Lightning runners bolt

Rick Devereux

Mike Voge ran away with awards for Sage Hill School during the

2004-05 athletic year for the boys programs.

The senior was named the Academy League’s Most Valuable Runner in

cross country after setting the school record of 16 minutes, 43

seconds, over the three-mile course.

He was second in the league in the 3,200-meter race in track and

field and holds the school record of 10:31 in that race. He was

selected by the Academy League athletic directors as the league’s

Most Valuable Male Athlete.

Joining Voge as a main contributor to Lightning athletic success

was junior runner Zach Chandy, who helped the Lightning cross country

team place 10th at the Orange County championships and 12th at the

Mt. San Antonio College invitational.

Voge (16:43) and Chandy (17:10), placed first and third,

respectively, to lead Sage to a third-place team finish at the

Academy League cross country finals. Connor Rose finished 12th, David

Packard was 18th and Tim Lefler placed 26th.

Chandy captured Academy League titles in the 200, 400 and 800, was

crowned CIF Southern Section Division IV champion in the 200 and 400,

and finished seventh in the state in the 200 (21.51) and eighth in the 400 (48.50).

Chandy entered the state meet as the third seed after clocking a

lifetime-best 47.74 to claim the Division IV 400 title.

At the state championships in Sacramento, Chandy competed against

400-meter superstars David Gettis of Dorsey, a senior, and Long Beach

Poly sophomore Bryshon Nellum, the Southern Section Masters Meet

champion. Gettis went on to win his third straight state championship

in the event and clocked a nation-leading time 45.84. Nellum finished

second in 47.43.

Jimmy O’Hare won the league title in the shot put and was an

offensive and defensive lineman for Sage Hill football in the fall.

The Lightning made one of the most remarkable turnarounds in

Orange County football by following up a 1-8 campaign in 2003-04 with

a 7-4 season and the program’s first trip to the Division XIII

playoffs.

The Lightning were eliminated in the first round.

The football team garnered six first-team All-Academy League

representatives in juniors Keya Manshadi, Nick Sohl, Bryan Kornswiet

and Morgan Brief, along with sophomores Don Ayres and Braden Ross.

Manshadi led the Lightning with four interceptions while playing

his cornerback position, which he returned for 161 yards, including

two touchdowns.

He led the team with 936 yards and 14 touchdowns rushing, while

producing 342 yards and three touchdowns receiving.

His 20 touchdowns last fall led all of Newport-Mesa.

Tom Monarch was also selected the Coach of the Year and has been

with the program since its inception for the 2002 season.

The Sage Hill boys water polo team, making its first CIF Southern

Section Division VI playoff appearance, lost to fourth-seeded and

host Chadwick in the first round.

Sage water polo, competing in only its fifth varsity season,

finished 13-9.

Senior guard Matt Loper was named first-team all-league in

basketball after leading the Lightning with 18.9 points per game. He

played in every game for Sage Hill, which finished fourth in the

Academy League but earned an at-large bid to the Division IV-A

playoffs.

The Lightning, which finished 16-11, lost in the first round to

Big Sky League champion Woodcrest Christian.

The Sage Hill soccer team started the season 0-6-1, but finished

out the remainder of the regular season by winning eight of its last

nine games, placing second in the Academy League and qualifying for

the Division VI postseason.

The Lightning won its first playoff game in the school’s history,

an 8-0 romping of Westmark in the first round, but lost to Bishop in

the second round to finish 9-9-1.

Alex Edelstein, Braden Ross, Conrad Whitaker and junior Zach

Milder were named first-team All-Academy League in soccer.

Milder was also a standout on the Lightning baseball team (7-16,

4-11 in the Academy League).

Primarily used as a shortstop, the junior led Sage Hill in hitting

(.329) and stolen bases (13) while tying for the team lead in runs

scored (18) and, along with Kornswiet, earned Daily Pilot Dream Team

accolades for their baseball feats.

Junior Jake Lazere was named first-team all-league in volleyball.

Lazere was the lone varsity returner from a team that advanced to the

Division V semifinals in 2003-04. The ‘04-’05 squad finished 2-13.

The tennis team was second in the Academy League and advanced to

the Division V quarterfinals. Sage Hill (16-8) was led by first-team

all-league selections Tristian Cordier, Whitaker and Michael

Garrison.

Dan Chen qualified in the 100-yard freestyle for the Division IV

preliminaries at Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool in Long Beach, where he

finished 24th with a time of 52.38.

Chen teamed with Alex Nguyen, Danny Harold and Perry Pang to

finish 22nd in the 200 medley relay (1:52.97). Chen, Julian Tooma,

Chase Caillouette and Beau Caillouette finished 23rd in the 400 free

relay (3:40.54). The golf team (9-5, 7-3 in league) finished tied for

second in the Academy League with Capistrano Valley Christian.