SACRAMENTO - Napa High’s softball team showed it can hold its own against the country’s best.

It had been a whole season since the Calistoga High softball team had last played Urban-San Francisco, losing 1-0 its season opener.

The 2008 CIF North Coast Section Meet of Champions Track & Field Championships will take place Friday and Saturday at UC Berkeley’s Edwards Stadium. Some of the top high school athletes in the state will compete in this qualifying event for the state championships, one of the premier meets in the country each year.

Swan Pools carried its momentum from Sunday’s win into Tuesday night and its offense showed. Aidan Willard was 1-for-2 with an RBI, Mac Neilson 2-for-2 with an RBI, Alex Neal was 2-for-2 with two RBIs and four stolen bases, Max Hautala 1-for-1 with a big two-run double, Owen Oster 2-for-2 with solid hacks, Levi Olson was 2-for-2 with two RBIs, and Carson Seibert 1-for-1 with the game-ending RBI. Alex Neal pitched three strong innings, giving up all three Napa Wine runs while striking out four, and Aidan Willard finished out the game with a 1-2-3 top of the fourth inning, throwing only eight pitches.

St. Helena High School went nationwide in its search for a new football head coach and found its man in the heart of the United States.

Tony Dehzad went 3-for-3 with a grandslam and solo home run, Austin Abernathy 3-for-4 with a three-run homer and Nick Johnson 4-for-4 for Kiwanis, while Steven Lewis added another solo homer. For Reliable, Eric Webster was 4-for-4 with a double, Jacobson went 3-for-4 with two doubles and Max McArdle helped out with a three-run triple.

Kiwanis 6, Jonesy’s 1. No other details available.

Today

The other day our very first Napa neighbors and friends, Helga and Dan Lucas, dropped in for a visit.

The Napa Valley lost one of its best softball coaches earlier this year.

In California’s springtime, you never know what kind of weather you’ll get. Just two weeks ago we were still getting freezing nights and cool days.

NOTES AND QUOTES for a Sunday in the Napa Valley: By winning the recent US Youth Soccer California-North State Championship, a Concord area team that has Vintage High School senior Cameron Cruz has qualified to play in the US Youth Soccer Region IV (West Regional) Championships.

NOTES AND QUOTES for a Wednesday in the Napa Valley:

RESULTS OF PAST RACES

Napa’s Krider Racing was victorious over 90 other teams in the wacky “24 Hours of LeMons” endurance car race, held May 10-11 at Altamont Motorsports Park.

INDIANAPOLIS — For some drivers, winning the Indianapolis 500 would make their career. Tony Kanaan isn’t looking for any such validation.