Under the Scoreboard: Feb. 20, 2011

With PGA pro Phil Mickelson following the University of San Diego team around Pelican Hills Golf Club’s Ocean North course, Union Mine graduate who is now a senior at USD, Ken McCready, won individual medalist honors with a 7-under par 203 over three days. McCready shot 65-70-71 to hold off a UCLA player. UCLA finished first, the Toreros took second as a team. USD is coached by Phil’s brother Tim Mickelson.

Kim McCready, Ken’s older sister who played on the first-ever Union Mine girls team and won the Northern California individual title in her senior year, has graduated from Oregon and is now an assistant professional at Riverwalk Golf Club in San Diego.

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Another Union Mine alumna, Maranda Smith, is still making news on the University of Florida gymnastics team. The sixth-year senior was honored in her last home meet at the O’Connell Center prior to the No. 1-ranked Gators’ win over Alabama.

Smith, in her last floor routine in the “O-dome,” turned in a9.9. Immediately following her routine, the whole team huddled around Smith, who said she was in tears before her routine — tears she used as motivation.

“I wasn’t nervous at all,” she said. “It was all just about enjoying it and soaking up every pose, dance, smile, finish.”

The mark gave Smith her first floor win of 2011 and the fifth of her Gator career.

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AquaSol distance swimmers Kevin Mertz and Mikaela Fuller, both 16, were chosen by the local swimming chapter to represent Sierra Nevada Swimming on a training trip to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., April 19-23. Sixteen swimmers were chosen based on a performance index comprised of their best times in the 400 individual medley, 500, 1,000 and 1,650 freestyle and the 200 fly.

The experience will enable them to train at a high altitude (7,600 feet) and share the training with their competitors from other teams. This will be Kevin’s second trip and Mikaela’s first.