The best of the rest in 2007 sports

Aitken's track records - Yuma Catholic senior Ashley Aitken won the 100 hurdles at the 2A state meet this year to cap her prep track career with her seventh state title. Aitken ran the table in the 100 hurdles, winning the 2A state title in the event during each of her four years. She also took second in the long jump and high jump this year.

"I was stronger this year so I had more time to focus on technique just to get everything down and ready for the next level," Aitken said. "Hard work and dedication really pays off and I guess this proves it."

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Rams score road playoff victory - Antelope scored 21 unanswered points and then held on for a 28-21 upset victory over No. 6 Winkelman-Hayden on the road Friday in the first round of the 2A state playoffs.

"It's not like the jinx is over, but it's good to finally win a playoff game on the road," Antelope coach John Blabe said.

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Klostreich hangs up whistle - For the better part of the last 45 years, Don Klostreich had been a fixture on the sideline coaching prep football.

Klostreich, who in addition to coaching football at San Pasqual, served as the school's athletic director, wrestling coach and track and field coach. He retained all titles other than football coach, which he gave up last summer.

"I was tired of coaching three sports - football, wrestling and track. I just ran out of gas after awhile," Klostreich said. "Then moving down to 1A and going to eight-man football kind of turned me off.

"Right now, I just don't have any desire to coach football, and I think it's time I slowed down a little bit."

Since 1962, Klostreich had coached football every year, with the exception of a three-year hiatus. He entered the local scene in 1989-90 as the head coach at Kofa.

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Weddle swims to title - In less than one minute, three and a half seconds, Katelyn Weddle from Kofa had done what Yuma swimmers don't. She won an event at the 5A state championship. Specifically, Weddle won the 100-yard breaststroke in a time of 1:03.43 - a feat that Kofa coach Amber Benz doesn't recall a Yuma-area swimmer doing since the turn of the century.

"It was her best swim of the year, timewise, stroke, form, everything it was beautiful," Benz said. "Our team was at both ends of the pool cheering for her, it was exciting to watch."

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Coaches head to Hall - Don Klostreich had won 12 state wrestling team titles in two states and coached 76 individual champions. Now, his lifelong dedication to the sport has been recognized with the highest honor possible - induction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Okla.

Klostreich and former Yuma High wrestling coach Tom Daniel were also honored for "Lifetime Service to Wrestling." Their hall-of-fame induction ceremony took place Nov. 17 at the Arizona State Wrestling Complex in Tempe.

"It caught me by surprise. I've been out of the wrestling room as a hands-on guy for quite a while," said Daniel, who coached at Yuma High for parts of four decades. "But the interest in wrestling has never left me. It's been a very important part of my life and always will be."

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Save a seat for Deacon Dick - Area coaches weren't the only hall inductees this year, as noted Yuma stock car driver "Deacon Dick" Rautenberg was a member of the Class of 2007 to be inducted into the Arizona Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Having won 11 driving championships and with 508 wins to his credit, in a career that spanned five decades, Rautenberg, 71, said he was "extremely honored and just as surprised" to hear of his induction.

"All the years we raced, I just never, ever thought that I'd be in the hall of fame, or even have a chance to be in the hall," he said.

"When I read that he had 500 career wins and all those driving titles, I

was blown away," said AMHF committee member Mark Armijo. "Anyone who has accomplished as much as Dick Rautenberg has is a no brainer for induction into the Hall of Fame."

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More state wrestling titles - Kofa's Anthony Bermudez claimed his first at 103 and Cibola's Alex Meraz completed his run of upsets en route to capturing the 135-pound title in 5A Div. I with a 9-1 victory.