AV Press: True to His Roots
WELCOME HOME - UCLA soccer player and Littlerock High School graduate Max Griffin (top) coaches at the California Soccer Academy at Pelona Vista Park.
KELLY LACEFIELD/Valley Press
True to His Roots
Griffin returns to coach at academy
This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press on Tuesday, July 10, 2007.
By PATRICK BURNS Valley Press Staff Writer
PALMDALE - His team played in the NCAA Division I college soccer championships last year, but Maxwell Griffin hasn't forgotten about the opportunities that helped him get there.
The former Littlerock soccer star is currently playing on the UCLA men's soccer team, but spent this past week at the California Soccer Academy at Pelona Vista.
The camp is aimed at helping kids develop the skills and know-how to make it to successful college soccer programs. Griffin, a former camper, is happy to be coaching since it was helpful to him in getting into a major soccer program.
"We get to talk to players and help them with what it takes to get in to college programs," Griffin said.
UCLA went all the way to final game last year where they lost to UC Santa Barbara, but Griffin sat out most of the season after tearing his ACL in September. Now eight months removed from surgery, he is hoping he will be able to return to form.
"I'm a little nervous because I've never had a major injury like this, but I'm feeling good and I should be ready when we start preparing for the season," he said. "Being out here moving and running around is helping me get my touch back," he said.
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Griffin excelled in his freshman year for the Bruins, scoring goals in each of his first two collegiate games, including a game-winner against Maryland.
One of the two players the Bruins will miss is Quartz Hill graduate Kiel McClung, who now plays for the California Victory, an MLS subdivision I team for the Galaxy.
Leonard Griffin, Maxwell's brother, also played for UCLA, where he was an all-Pac 10 first team selection in his senior season. After playing with the Chicago Fire MLS team for three years, Leonard Griffin is currently playing for the Portland Timbers, a USL First Division team.
Thinking of others
It's fitting that Amber Bunnell played setter for the Palmdale High School girls volleyball, since it requires helping others and being unselfish.
The recent-graduate was honored with the Renaissance Award at the 2007 Volleyball Festival in Reno this past week, while attending the tournament with her Revolution 18-blue club team. The award was given to only six of the 10,000 girls who demonstrated excellence in academics, athletics and community service.
Bunnell received the award on July 1, the opening night of the five-day tournament.
"I was really excited and very honored when I found out," said Bunnell, who was nominated more than any of the other winners.
Bunnell was Palmdale's valedictorian after finishing her senior year with a 4.10 GPA.
And despite getting good grades, playing volleyball and working two part-time jobs, she was still able to be involved in the community. She organized a book drive for needy children, took part in the Special Olympics and also helped out with Relay for Life, an overnight event designed to help raise money for cancer research.
Bunnell attributes her off-court activities and academic achievements to her involvement in sports.
"(Playing volleyball) helped me focus a lot more and it kept me out of trouble," she said. Bunnell will attend UC Santa Cruz this fall where she hopes to continue all of her "Renaissance" activities. While studying Developmental Pyschology, she hopes to walk-on to the volleyball team and also continue participating in charitable events on campus.
"That's why I want to study (Developmental Psychology), because you get to help a lot of people out," Bunnell said.
One fast couple
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If couples could race together, these two would win practically every time out.
Two local distance runners were the top male and female finishers at the 25th annual Independence Day 5K road race in Santa Clarita last Wednesday.
Under a brutally hot sun, Justin Patananan took the crown among the 475 runners, finishing the 3.1-mile race in 14 minutes, 44 seconds Tiffanie Marley finished highest among the women racing finishing in 17:21.
People lined the streets on the celebratory day, making the runners forget about the higher-than-90-degree morning weather.
"It was such a great atmosphere it made the heat seem like it wasn't even there," Marley said.
The 24-year old Marley, a graduate of Paraclete in 2001, lives in Lake Hughes, but teaches at Westwind Elementary School in Lancaster, where she is also the cross country coach.
Patananan, a former cross country state qualifier for Highland, is a graduate student at Cal State Northridge seeking a Masters degree in Geographic Information Systems.
Both Marley and Patananan run for Nike Team Run L.A year-round and plan on continuing running wherever their careers take them.
Other local athletes who had notable finishes include M.C. Allison-Cohn, of Lancaster, who finished third among women in 19:06 and Clay Patten, of Quartz Hill, who finished in 19:46, good enough for third place in the 45-49 men's age division.
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