TORRANCE TRIBUNE August 18, 2016 Page 5 Phelps Ends Rio Splashed in Gold By Adam Serrao With all of the time that Michael Phelps spends in the water, it wouldn’t be a surprise if breaking news came through suggesting that he is not, in fact, human. If he, indeed, does turn out to be human, though, all of the records that he has set and medals that he has attained are certainly not. Phelps ended his Olympic career last Saturday by, fittingly, winning one last gold medal in the men’s 4x100 medley relay. Like the sailfish he is, Phelps leapt into the water and took a U.S. team that was on the verge of falling behind Great Britain well into the lead and to their eventual Olympic gold medal victory. Now, the most decorated athlete in U.S. history leaves the Rio de Janeiro Olympics with a gold medal count of 23, a long list of world records, and as a man who has truly gone down in history. Way back in 2000, a young, 15-year-old Michael Phelps made his Olympic debut in Sydney, Australia. At that time, Phelps wasn’t anything like he’d eventually become, but for a 15-year-old, he had already begun setting records. At his young age at the time, Phelps was the youngest male to make a U.S. Olympic swim team in 68 years. “I guess one of my long-term goals is to win the gold medal in Athens,” Phelps said at the time. Funny how he put it so singularly. When Athens finally came in the summer of 2004, Phelps would do more than win just a gold medal. He won six, to pair with two bronze medals, to have the second-best performance ever at a single Olympics, just behind Mark Spitz’s seven gold medals in the 1972 Summer Games. Only four years later, Phelps would break Spitz’s record by winning his eighth gold medal of the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 4x100-meter medley relay in Beijing, China. “Epic. It goes to show you that not only is this guy the greatest swimmer of all time and the greatest Olympian of all time, he’s maybe the greatest athlete of all time,” said Spitz. “He’s the greatest racer who ever walked the planet.” Though he had already made a name for himself and received such high praise from such a great Olympian as Spitz, Phelps wasn’t close to being done yet. Four more gold medals and two silvers in the 2012 London Summer Olympics led Phelps to where he is now. Five more gold medals and one more silver at Rio de Janeiro round out the epic amount of 23 gold, three silver and two bronze medals, to give the fish a total of 28 Olympic medals; an amount that will most likely never be approached again. After 16 years, five different Olympic appearances and six world championships to add, the career of Michael Phelps has finally drawn to a close. Or at least, so he says. “I want to be able to look back and say ‘I’ve done everything I can, and I was successful,” Phelps told ESPN before this year’s Olympics even started. “I don’t want to look back and say I should have done this or that.” Well, to be labeled as unquestionably the greatest swimmer to ever grace the waters of a pool is certainly to acknowledge success. He is now the most decorated Summer Olympics athlete ever. To put things in even more perspective, if Michael Phelps, himself, were a country, he would rank 37th all-time, tied with South Africa with 23 gold medals (at the start of the 2016 Games). With the last race of the aquatics schedule in Rio, also came the last race of the great career of Michael Phelps. A gold medal victory alongside his American teammates in the 4x100 medley relay sent Phelps out just as he should be sent out: on top. “This was the cherry on top that I wanted,” Phelps explained after the race. “I couldn’t be any happier with the end of my career.” Phelps announced his retirement once before, after the London games, but this time, he sounds serious. After likely winning more medals than any other Olympian at Rio for what will be his fourth Olympics in a row accomplishing such a feat, there isn’t much more to prove for Phelps. Now, he has a fiancée who has stuck by his side and a baby son who may one day walk in his footsteps. For the first time in the relatively short life of Michael Phelps, there is more to live for than just being the fastest swimmer in the world. Michael Phelps began his journey to becoming one of the greatest athletes that this world has ever seen not by trying to be the next Mark Spitz, or even by trying to emulate anyone else for that matter, but trying to become the first Michael Phelps. He’s been young, he’s been inexperienced, he’s gotten into trouble and veered off course, but all the while, he’s been himself. Michael Phelps is unlike anyone we’ve ever seen before, and though his career as an Olympic swimmer may now be over, we can all say that we’re better off for having witnessed the greatness that he’s presented to us, 28 Olympic medals later. “I wouldn’t change anything that got me here,” Phelps explained following the final race of his career. “I can honestly say this is the best place I’ve ever been in my life.” Asixlion@earthlink.net • Up and Adam Spartans Look to Turn New Leaf By Adam Serrao The South High Spartans are moving into a new era of football. With just over two weeks to go until this year’s Opening Day game against Lawndale, South will be looking to compete with a new coach at the helm. Matt Mishler will take over for previous head coach, Joshua Waybright and look to lead the Spartans into brighter pastures. Those pastures will start with overcoming seasons like the one that they had last year, in which the team finished in fourth place overall in the Pioneer League standings and failed to make it to the playoffs. Despite losing a few key seniors due to graduation, the Spartans will also have plenty of all-league selections from last year’s team returning to the club. Mishler could just be inheriting a team that will surprise some people from around the Pioneer League this year. Despite what looked like a pretty impressive 7-3 record one year ago, South High failed to make any noise in the Pioneer League due to their 3-2 record in league play. Losses to Leuzinger and West High ruined an otherwise inspiring year for the Spartans who were overlooked, like the rest of the Torrance teams, because of Mique Juarez and the North High Saxons. Now that Juarez is gone and people have something else to talk about, South is beginning to get a bit more press. Mishler, the team’s new head coach, will be looking to turn that good press into a great football season; something the Spartans haven’t experienced since 2010 when the team made it all the way to the CIF Final, only to lose by six points and in the final seconds of the game to Lompoc. Mishler will be the man looking to get South High back to greatness. After spending 16 years with the North High Saxons in which he spent 12 as a defensive coordinator, the Spartans came knocking for his services and Mishler answered the call. “I’m just really humbled and really excited to finally be the head guy,” Mishler said. Mishler takes over for Waybright, who previously spent 18 years as the head coach of the Spartans, only to be dismissed because of what Waybright claimed to be his own use of smokeless tobacco. Nonetheless, Mishler, who is also a graduate of the 1990 class of West High, is excited to be the man at the helm of South. “I was born and raised in Torrance. To have a chance to run a program in Torrance is something I’ve always wanted to do.” Mishler finally has his chance, but it doesn’t come to the new head coach without a challenge. He will be forced to take the field without key players from last year’s team that helped attain their seven win season. One of those players is last year’s starting quarterback, Gabe Zuniga. Zuniga led the team on offense all season long and was assisted by his backfield mate, Cameron Dillon. Dillon, the team’s starting running back and linebacker on defense will certainly be missed, but his friend and teammate of a season ago, Noa Harrison, will remain on the team and try to help fill the void. Harrison, a wide receiver and defensive back, will lead the charge, joined by Troy Bennett, Pat Patterson and Jimmy Clark to complete the total of four all-league selections returning to the Spartans as they make a run at this year’s Pioneer League crown. If the Spartans are going to overtake the likes of the West High Warriors, they’re going to have to do it by starting the year off versus a pretty challenging schedule. South will begin with a game against a highly touted Lawndale team this year on September 2. The Spartans will then match up with Santa Monica and El Segundo, among other teams, before league play eventually gets started. The Warriors figure to be South’s toughest Pioneer League opponent. They are a team that is also returning a handful of key starters from a season ago. The Centennial Apaches and North High will round out this year’s regular season schedule before the playoffs begin. Mishler and his team certainly figure to be in the conversation and right in the thick of things come that time of the fall season. A new head coach and a new football season will certainly bring with it a list of unique challenges. The way that the South High Spartans are set up this year, though, certainly bodes well for their immediate future. Mishler and his lot of returning seniors figure to boast some of the Pioneer League’s best talent. Harrison, Patterson, Bennett and the rest of the Spartans will have to play hard-fought games against the likes of the Warriors, Saxons and Torrance Tartars in order to become the city of Torrance’s most outstanding football team. Ask anyone that laces up their cleats to take the South High football field, though, and they’ll all give you the same answer. They’re ready for the challenge. Asixlion@earthlink.net • Police Reports from page 3 Burglary-Auto 8/5/2016 12:00:00 PM 400 BLOCK CALLE DE ARAGON Suspect(s) enters vehicle by unknown means and takes property/speakers, video games, watch, clothing, camera, golf club Burglary-Auto 8/5/2016 8:15 AM 22100 BLOCK LINDA DR Suspect(s) enters locked vehicle by unknown means and takes property/power tools Auto Theft-All 8/5/2016 2:00:00 AM 4200 BLOCK 179TH ST Stolen vehicle: ‘02 Ford Van Theft 8/4/2016 8:45:06 PM 500 BLOCK MAPLE AVE Suspect(s) removes property from unattended bag/cell phone Theft 8/4/2016 8:30:00 PM 15900 BLOCK ILLINOIS CT Suspect(s) takes property off of parked vehicle/tailgate Burglary-Auto 8/4/2016 8:00:00 PM 22000 BLOCK LINDA DR Suspect(s) enters unlocked vehicle and takes property/gps, glasses, clothing Theft 8/4/2016 7:45:00 PM 23500 BLOCK ANZA AVE Suspect(s) takes unattended property from front yard/bicycle Vandalism 8/4/2016 6:30:00 PM 2200 BLOCK CARSON ST Suspect(s) shatters a window and spray paints several other windows Vandalism 8/4/2016 6:00:00 PM 2200 BLOCK CARSON ST Suspect(s) uses fire extinguisher to spray the contents on the inside of the forklift, breaks mirror on outside of forklift, throws items off of rooftop breaks tools Burglary-Auto 8/4/2016 9:38 AM 3300 BLOCK REDONDO BEACH BLVD Suspect(s) enters vehicle by unknown means and takes property/keys Burglary-Auto 8/4/2016 9:00:00 AM 2700 BLOCK ARLINGTON AVE Suspect(s) enters unlocked vehicle and takes property/paperwork Vandalism 8/4/2016 5:45:00 AM 2700 BLOCK DALEMEAD ST Suspect(s) smashes victim’s window with unknown object •
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