From Steve Marks - Sacramento Sports Bureau

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION Athletes Abound In Sacramento Sacramento, CA - March Madness took on a rare form in Sacramento, California this past weekend. A prestigious group of athletes traveled to Sac Town from as far as Utah and included stars from both Olivenhain and Penngrove. The weekend kicked off early, Wednesday in fact for Utah State University Freshmen flamethrower Lindsey Benson. The Sacramento State Capital Classic was the tournament and exciting Women's college softball (a misnomer) was the venue. Benson, a.k.a. Benny, came to Utah on a scholarship out of San Marin High School. As expected, Benson has been adjusting to the game at the college level and this pre-season has been a learning experience. Lessons learned!
When the skies cleared, the sun (or stadium lights) shined brightly on Benson. Although difficult for her mother and father, Benson took her appearances in stride and pitched brilliantly. In two outings, Benson pitched nine innings and gave up just one earned run. In a start versus Minnesota, Benson hurled a complete game three-hitter in a 1-0 heartbreaking loss. At times pitching out of jams, Benson often ended threats with BIG strikeouts. The crowd went wild with regularity.
http://utahstateaggies.collegesports.com/sports/w-softbl/recaps/031806aab.html More
A little further down Watt Avenue, Brian Gallagher was busting his gut on the soccer field. Gallagher, who hails from Penngrove and plays for Petaluma, battled it out in California's Association Cup Tournament. After playing two tough games on Saturday, the Sunday game (viewed by this reporter) once again demonstrated Gallagher's on-field superiority. Gallagher, as he had all weekend, tried to carry Petaluma on his broad shoulders. However, in the end, Petaluma could not overcome a lucky goal and fell 1-0. Although playing nearly the whole game, a brief rest on the side for an exhausted Gallagher may have been the difference. A spectator remarked, "Petaluma is just not the same team without Gallagher on the field." One can only hope that Gallagher's pre-game Icee had no bearing on the outcome.
More
At ARCO Arena Saturday, high school basketball at its finest took to the King's hardwood. In probably the most interesting match-up of the State Championship Tournament, Division 5 heavyweights battled in a defensive struggle. So Cal champ Santa Fe Christian of Solana Beach traveled to the north state to take on Nor Cal champ Branson of Ross. Open looks were hard to come by for Santa Fe Christian, but when they did, the ball seemed to invariably rattle in-and-out. When the banging stopped, Branson was ahead 37-29. Many in the crowd felt that the Santa Fe Christian Eagles needed just one more quarter to go ahead to stay.
But the real story was multi-sport champion Brendon Marks of Olivenhain. Fresh off a championship football season that ended at the San Diego Charger's Qualcom Stadium, Marks arrived on the hardwood about three weeks after the first round ball hit the floor. Although not certain he would report for another campaign (after playing both offense and defense for the Eagles varsity football squad), the talented senior determined, " you only go around once" and suited up. Nice call... Marks, who played sparingly Saturday, once again had made it to the dance. Basking in the glory of adoring fans, Marks bowed to the crowd, including his brother Keaton (a rising multi-sport star in his own right) who made the trip along with a strong contingent of the Santa Fe Christian student body. Another fan, Brendon's mother, was seen on the ARCO Arena big screen urging a large crowd to make some noise. Photos of the scene provided by Sarah Dillon of Rocklin prompted Ali Marks of Portland to inquire if the woman, Marks, was "about to engage in a brawl..." The answer of course was no, just another FANatic... And they were out in force.
Thanks to all for the memories.