Last spring, distance runner Andrew Quallio transferred to Zama American from Florida and took the Kanto Plain Association of Secondary Schools by storm.

After Saturday’s invitational meet at Zama, it appears that several of his teammates may frequently join him on the victory stand this season.

Seven Trojans won events, Zama won three of four relay events and the Trojans’ boys and girls finished atop the team standings in the six-school event.

“This is the strongest team I’ve ever had, especially with boys” in six years of coaching at Zama, Mitch Moellendick said. “I’m happy with the way the team performed.”

Quallio dominated the two-mile (10 minutes, 17.2 seconds) and the mile (4:51), Lew Barrett captured the 400 and 110 hurdles, Eric Tank won the high jump and Miguel Rodriguez the long jump.

On the girls side, Danielle Franklin won the 200 and high jump, Yuri Tanaka the mile and Ashana Jackson the long jump.

The Zama boys 400-meter relay team dropped its baton and still won in 49.4 seconds. “That’s pretty good for the first meet,” Moellendick said.

He pronounces his boys lineup “solid” top to bottom, while his girls sprinters are strong. “It will be interesting to see how the girls distance runners progress this season,” Moellendick said. “But this is the most depth I’ve had.”

Zama’s first major challenges come March 29 in a DODDS meet at Yokota High School. The Kanto Plain opener is slated for April 12 at a site to be determined.

Fastpitch softball debuts in Japan with exhibitions, clinicsDODDS-Japan’s conversion to fastpitch softball took a major step forward on Saturday, with brief instructional sessions and exhibition games at Yokota and Camp Zama.

E.J. King, Robert D. Edgren and Zama played four developmental games following a half-hour tutorial with umpires at Rambler Field. Nile C. Kinnick and Yokota played a scrimmage, in which each team’s full roster batted in the first inning. No score was kept.

At least one coach feels the teams are ahead of DODDS-Japan’s district office’s stated goal of playing competitive games by the end of March.

“The pitching is decent, the ball is being put in play, the kids are having fun, the games are productive,” Edgren coach John Cannon said. While pitching depth needs to be increased, “everybody’s ready to play now. I don’t think we need a couple of weeks.”

Japan is the last DODDS district to change over to fastpitch; Okinawa and South Korea made the switch in 2005.

Bosworth seizes girls goals lead; Osan remains unbeatenWhat a difference a season makes.

After going winless in their first six games last year (0-5-1), Gina Bosworth and the Osan American Cougars have roared out to 7-0-1 this season.

Bosworth seized the Pacific girls goals lead with 15, after scoring twice in Saturday’s 4-0 shutout of defending Far East Class A champion Daegu American.

“I feel more confident, much better than this time last year,” coach Sung Plourde said.

His charges are showing “more focus and concentration, good passes and finishing. We weren’t doing that last year. We’re working on that. I sense a lot more motivation and determination this year,” Plourde said.

Daegu coach Ed Thompson says the Cougars remind him much of the 2006 Class A champion team. “They’re strong, physical. They have a good, solid offense. They’ll be dangerous come Far East,” he said.

Another defending Far East power, three-time Girls Class AA champion Kubasaki, continues to ride the hot early-season play of junior midfielder Sara Harter, who’s been involved in six of the team’s 11 goals in two matches. Kubasaki shut out Yomei 8-0 on Saturday.

“We have good depth at all positions,” coach Terry Chumley said. “We just need to get all the parts to mesh.”

Kinnick baseball team begins season the way it ended 2007Reigning Kanto Plain baseball league champion Nile C. Kinnick picked up where it left off last May, sweeping Yokota 5-4 in eight innings and 12-4 at Yokosuka Naval Base’s Berkey Field.

Gabe Malaki was 5-for-5 with five RBIs in the nightcap. Winning pitchers Eddie Davis and Tommy Coyne combined to strike out 25 batters. Taylor Myers knocked in the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning in the opener.

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