The Sports Informant

My friend Mike Finnerty, host of the SureWest Sports show on SureWest cable’s channel 702 every week, announced his sponsor company’s athletes and coaches of the year selections yesterday.

If you recall, I made an appearance on the show in May, and can’t wait to go on Mike’s show again. In the meantime, take a gander at their picks, you may be one of them.

ROSEVILLE, CA – June 10, 2009 – Leading independent communications holding company SureWest Communications today announced the following first annual SureWest Sports Show 2008-09 Athletes and Coaches of the Year award winners:

• Cora Harms (El Dorado High): SureWest Sports Show Female Athlete of the Year
• Brendan Lane (Rocklin High): SureWest Sports Show Male Athlete of the Year
• Mike Alberghini (Grant High): SureWest Sports Show Boy’s Athletics Coach of the Year
• J.T. Tiumalu (Pleasant Grove High): SureWest Sports Show Girl’s Athletics Coach of the Year

The winners were announced  June 10 on the SureWest Sports Show, a weekly 30-minute youth and high school sports program that can be viewed on channel 702 on SureWest digital TV and online at www.surewestsports.com. Highlights, interviews and awards presentations are featured in today’s program. Airing every Wednesday at 7 p.m. with replays throughout the week, the SureWest Sports Show is the only Sacramento area show to feature both youth and high school sports and consists of scores, highlights and interviews from games around the region. Fans can view new and archived shows, sign up for Twitter alerts and see where the show will be next at www.surewestsports.com.

SureWest Sports Show Female Athlete of the Year Cora Harms was named Placer Valley League MVP in volleyball and Co-MVP in basketball during the 2008-09 season. At the Division III Track & Field sections, Harms finished fourth in the 100 meter hurdles and second in the triple jump. Her other volleyball honors included Sac-Joaquin All-Section and Second Team All-Metro. The El Dorado High graduate will attend the University of North Carolina on a volleyball scholarship.

SureWest Sports Show Male Athlete of the Year Brendan Lane led Rocklin High to the Division II State Basketball Championship game and was named the Sac All-Metro Basketball Player of the Year after averaging 22.1 points, 12.1 rebounds and 4.8 blocks with an impressive 4.2 GPA. He was named Sierra Foothill League (SFL) MVP and First Team All-State and Division II State Player of the Year. He was also named First Team All-SFL in water polo and set Rocklin’s school record in the high jump at 6-feet-6-inches. Lane will attend UCLA on a basketball scholarship this fall.

SureWest Sports Show Boy’s Athletics Coach of the Year Mike Alberghini led the Grant Pacers football team to a 14-0 record and a 25-20 upset over powerhouse Long Beach Poly in the California Open Division State Championship. The Pacers scored 659 points during the season, compared to just 157 for their opponents. The Grant football program is 192-32-1 in Alberghini’s 18 years as head coach.

SureWest Sports Show Girl’s Athletics Coach of the Year J.T. Tiumalu guided the Pleasant Grove softball team to the first Division I Section title in the school’s history. To win the title, Pleasant Grove upset the back-to-back defending section champion Sheldon Huskies, who were ranked No. 4 nationally. In just his second year as head coach, Tiumalu led Pleasant Grove to a 26-5 record after outscoring its opponents 173-26 this season.