NOTES AND QUOTES for a Wednesday in the Napa Valley:

Napa Valley Swim Team members got a surprise when Margaret Hoelzer, a two-time U.S. Olympic swimmer, visited with the club recently.

Hoelzer, a long-time friend of NVST head coach Asher Green, needed a place to train as she was passing through the area while moving from Seattle to Fullerton to join her coach at the newly founded U.S. Olympic Committee Post-Graduate Center.

At the 2008 Olympics, Hoelzer won two silver medals (200-meter backstroke, 4x100 medley relay) and a bronze medal (100-meter backstroke). At the U.S. Trials, she posted her first world record swim in her signature event, the 200-meter backstroke.

In addition to her Olympic credentials, Hoelzer has been a national champion, world champion, world record holder, and an NCAA champion for her alma mater, Auburn University.

Hoelzer had been with the King Aquatic Club in suburban Seattle.

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Vintage High School held its second annual freshman athlete luncheon, sponsored by the athletic leadership class at VHS.

Vintage holds three luncheons a year — one for the fall, winter and spring seasons. The luncheon was attended by over 80 first-time high school athletes. The mission of the luncheons is to create an athletic family by welcoming the freshmen into the school and athletic department.

Senior basketball player Ben Molinari spoke about the difficulties of being a true student-athlete and all the demands it encompasses.

“Keeping up your grades with all of the demands of practice and games is tough, but you guys can handle it,” said Molinari.

Senior tennis player Tyler Blackman expressed to the group, which included athletes from over seven sports, how he wished the program would have been in place when he was a freshman.

“When I arrived four years ago, it was pretty overwhelming,” said Blackman. “I wish somebody would have looked out for me and made me seem like I was part of the program, even as a freshman.”

The luncheon is an attempt to make the high school environment more intimate and welcoming.

Athletic Director Dave Shipp addressed the group and challenged the freshmen to be great students and outstanding citizens.

“Winning will come along if grades and character are top priorities,” said Shipp.

Vintage’s athletic leadership class will put on two more luncheons. The class is also busy working at West Park Elementary School with reading enrichment and P.E. One day a week, the class travels to the Veterans Home of California in Yountville to work on the Oral History project with veterans at the home.

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Tessa Mini traveled with the University of Portland women’s tennis team to the Saint Mary’s Fall Invitational, which was held last weekend at Moraga Country Club and Saint Mary’s College. A challenging field of 13 teams, including five from the West Coast Conference, played in the tournament.

Mini, a Vintage High graduate who is from Napa, played in both singles and doubles. Mini is a sophomore for the Pilots.

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This is the final week to qualify for the 30-man field at next week’s Champions Tour season finale, the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, which takes place at the Sonoma Golf Club.

Only five players remain in the hunt to win the Charles Schwab Cup as Loren Roberts leads the pack with just one full-field event left. The 20th annual Schwab Cup, which carries a $2.5 million purse, takes place Oct. 26 to Nov. 1 on Sonoma’s par-72, 7,103-yard course.

The winner of the season-ending tournament, as well as the year-long Charles Schwab Cup winner, will be crowned at Sonoma.

Fred Funk, Bernhard Langer, Jay Haas and John Cook are also still alive in the race for the Schwab Cup.

Designed to recognize the Tour’s leading player, the program rewards both top finishes and week-in/week-out consistency at all 25 official Charles Schwab Cup events. Points are awarded to the top-10 finishers and ties and are based on the money distribution for each tournament.

The winner of the 2009 Charles Schwab Cup will earn a $1 million annuity. The second through fifth-place finishers earn annuities of $500,000, $300,000, $200,000 and $100,000. The previous winners in the competition are Allen Doyle (2001), Hale Irwin (2002 and 2004), Tom Watson (2003 and 2005), Haas (2006 and 2008) and Roberts (2007).

For tickets, call 939-4131. For  information, go to www.charles

schwabcupchampionship.com.

E-mail Executive Sports Editor Marty James at mjames@napanews.com or call 256-2223.