Dominic Riebli (1994 Justin-Siena High graduate)

Vince D’Adamo: What did you enjoy most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Dominic Riebli: Competition serves as the best motivator to improve your life. Things always seemed to flow better when I was involved in sport. In college, I got better grades in-season than out. I needed the structure and pressure to perform. After college, there were so few opportunities exist to compete. I consider myself blessed to have had a 14 year career playing rugby. Since my retirement three years ago, I've found it much harder to motivate myself to get to the gym or do the extra work to keep myself fit and strong. I learned that "training" is much easier than "working-out."

D’Adamo: What have you been doing since graduating from high school?

Riebli: I got recruited to play football at Columbia University in New York City. Though I don't have a lot of fond memories of the school itself (my politics didn't exactly mesh with the majority of the student body), I'm proud of what I accomplished as a member of the football team. In my freshman year, we recorded the first winning record since the 1960's. My junior year saw the best record since the 1908 Rose Bowl Championship team. I received Academic All-Ivy honors in my senior year.

After graduating, I took up rugby and quickly fell in love with it. I started with Pasadena Rugby Football Club for the first couple years and then Santa Monica Rugby Club for the last 12 seasons. In that span we won back-to-back Division I national championships, I played a season for Eastern Suburbs in New South Wales, Australia, and got into the USARFU Eagles pool in 2001. I keep up with the Club in a management capacity and now coach my eldest son in U8s touch rugby.

During the national championship runs, I had the good fortune to meet a wonderful woman named Jennifer Moore. She lived in Walnut Creek, I was in Los Angeles, so we dated long distance for a year.  At some point, one of us needed to move and we agreed that she would be the one. We've been married for nine years and have four beautiful children. Outside of sports and family, I do licensing for CBS Television.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite class at Justin-Siena High?

Riebli: Bob Morrish's English class. I'm the youngest of four and my eldest brother, A.J., had a very close relationship with  Mr. Morrish. I had a lot to live up to but I also knew the inside jokes. I still recall the day that he literally performed a scene from "The Tempest" during a particularly heavy rain storm.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite athletic moment at Justin-Siena High?

Riebli: Winning the SCAL Championship in basketball my senior year. It was the only league title I won in my scholastic career. Of course, that joy was offset by losing to Colfax in the opening round of the playoffs.  I still have nightmares about missing the opening layup in that game.

Tony Alvaro ranks right up there with some of the best coaches I've ever had. I was discussing this with fellow JSHS alum Mike Kramer a few months back: Tony was right about so many things that he said about us; we were just too naive or self-involved to recognize it. He called us "valley boys" and wanted more than anything for us to be tough. We never took it as the put-down he intended because we knew that we played hard. We confused playing hard with playing tough. They're very different things - tough and hard - but we didn't understand it at the time. I'd like to think I eventually became the tough player he'd always hoped for; at least, I have several scars to support my case.

D’Adamo: How much do you feel you have grown personally since graduating from high school and how much of that do you trace to athletics?

Riebli: The biggest thing was shifting my psychology from "playing not to lose" to "playing to win." I spent most of my life playing not to lose and while it motivated me to accomplish some admirable things, it kept me from accomplishing much more. When you play to win, you're willing to take the risks that you wouldn't take otherwise. You become a more confident player and person. Your teammates and associates pick up on it.  Now, whether they accept it is an entirely different matter.

D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people?

Riebli: My eldest brother, A.J. Without him, Columbia wouldn't have recruited me. He put my highlight reel together back in the days of VCR editing. He introduced me to rugby. It was such a great fit for me.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet.

Riebli: I regret not having known about William F. Buckley and Fr. Richard John Neuhaus while I lived in NYC.  I became a loyal reader of National Review in my mid-20's, in the waning years of WFB's life. In my mind's eye, I surely could've done an internship there while I was an undergrad.  I feel the same about Fr. Neuhaus and First Things magazine. Two great Catholic men in my city for four years and I completely whiffed.

Time Out with Macklin Bickford (2015 St. Helena High senior)

Vince D’Adamo: What have you enjoyed most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Macklin Bickford: What I've enjoyed about competing in athletics the most is the competition. Being able to apply the abilities I have worked hard to perfect towards a competitive sport is one of the most rewarding feelings you can have. Standing toe-to-toe with an opponent who's worked just as hard as you is a type of challenge  everyone needs.

D’Adamo: What are your plans after high school?

Bickford: After high school I will be attending Santa Barbara City College. To me, choosing a junior college wasn't just about saving money. Being able to develop a better idea of what I want to do for a career as well as having fantastic transfer possibilities are some of many reasons why I'm choosing the college I am.

D’Adamo: What might you choose as a major? What intrigues you about going that direction?

Bickford: Since I was young, my favorite subject has always been history. Ancient societies and cultures such as Greece and Mesopotamia have always fascinated me. A reason why I'm not going to a four year college straight out of high school is to find out the directions I can go with an ever expanding passion for history.

D’Adamo: What has been your favorite class here at St. Helena High?

Bickford: My favorite class has undoubtedly been Ms. Dunlop's AP Literature class. Learning how to write efficiently and organize my thoughts and insights into an essay has been incredibly helpful and is easily applicable in my life.

Within your family who have been the most influential people?

Bickford: The most influential member of my family has been my father. Being an exemplary role model my entire life, my father represented what a father should really be like. Even though he passed away when I was fourteen, I have yet to meet a better man than him. He is the reason why I never give up and continue to push myself physically and mentally.

Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports, that you would most like to meet.

Bickford: If I could meet any historical figure I would choose John Lennon. Not only is he my favorite musician/artist, but he was one of the most influential musicians of the past century. Contributing to activism from his career in the Beatles until his death in 1980, John Lennon is a constant inspiration and role model for all the right reasons.

Time Out with Noelle Roldan (2010 Napa High graduate)

Vince D’Adamo: What did you enjoy most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Noelle Roldan: I am an extremely competitive person. So the competitive nature of organized sports is what  I loved the most. That and the camaraderie. There is nothing like being a part of a cohesive unit and being able to come together and successfully accomplish a common goal of winning.

D’Adamo: What have you been doing since graduating from high school?

Roldan: I played four years for an NCAA D-II program at Dominican University. I travelled all over the place; playing in Hawaii and even Alaska. Academically, I received my degree in Communications and Media Studies with a concentration in sports broadcasting. And although broadcasting was a major passion of mine I found my way back into the hospitality industry. Which, naturally, being from Napa and being bred into that industry has been a fun environment for me that I definitely thrive in. I run the taproom at Napa Smith Brewery. The only production brewery in Napa.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite class at Napa High?

Roldan: I can't really say what class was my favorite at Napa High, but I definitely had a favorite teacher and that was my honors english teacher Katy Howard. She was extremely influential in my personal growth as an individual and I don't know what I would have done without her.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite athletic moment at Napa High?

Roldan: There was a tournament we went too my junior year and we were in the semi-final round playing Sheldon. The game was tied and Coach (Darci) Lewis drew up a play that ended with a three point shot from me. It could not have been ran any better than how we did it. Literally textbook. The game was tied and I remember shooting the three from the left baseline corner and it flowed from my hands perfecting. Sunk straight through the bucket, nothing but net. It was the most clutch I think I had ever been in my entire career and to this day was one of my favorite moments.

D’Adamo: How much do you feel you have grown personally since graduating from high school and how much of that do you trace to athletics?

Roldan: I have grown so much personally since graduating high school. I think college is where I really found myself and could decide the type of person I wanted to be. Throughout all those years I was still playing basketball which shaped me into the person I am today. I credit my time as an athlete for my work ethic, determination, and ability to work with others and as you can imagine these are all things that I need on a daily basis to be successful in anything I do. Often times my co-workers laugh at me for always making correlations between life in the hospitality industry to life on the court. I always say, "We're a team. Everyone has their specific role and if one person is not doing their part the whole team fails. Whether you're the six man off the bench or the starting point guard. every role matters." I often times laugh at myself when I say that and think I sound just like the Lewis sisters. Which is not a bad thing, they were and are amazing role models for the young women athletes in this city.

D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people?

Roldan: Both my parents are very strong individuals and I like to say I embody the best parts of both of them. They both are extremely independent, hard-working, and passionate individuals. and of course my Nonna, who I think everyone in the family could agree that she is the definition of positive role model.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet.

Roldan: I can't say there is anyone specific. I would like to meet a women's basketball player from way back so we could talk about the strides the sport has made. I mean women back in the day had to play in dresses and couldn’t even play long enough to get sweaty because it wasn’t lady like. I think it would be incredible to hear first hand from a women that had to deal with that sort of discrimination and to see their reaction to women who can dunk. I enjoy learning about my sports history and knowing that I was a small part in a huge change. I have even heard  from alumni players from the 80s that the game has evolved so much and how incredible it has been to watch so I'm sure a woman from the 1900s could shed some light on how fortunate the younger generations are.

Time Out with Tim Malloy (1987 Justin-Siena High graduate)

Vince D’Adamo: What did you enjoy most about competing in athletics throughout your life?  

Tim Malloy: The competition itself. I think society has become delusional on the role athletics plays in everyday life. I am a firm believer that there are winners and losers, athletics taught me that growing up. Today, there are too many outside influences corrupting young people. Not everyone should get a ribbon or trophy. We learn life lessons from failure as much, if not more, than from success. Competition teaches us to focus, deal with adversity and most importantly gives us the understanding that not everything is going to be easy. This can be carried on throughout life in so many different ways.

D’Adamo: What have you been doing since graduating from high school?

Malloy: After high school I attended and graduated from St. Mary’s College in Moraga. I went to work as an underwriter for Allied Insurance Company after graduation in 1991.  I started working for the Insurance Agency my great grandfather started (1911) in October of 1993 and became partner in 1997. I married my college sweetheart, Christine Nicole, on March 5, 1994 and we started our family on September 29, 1997 (Morgan Alexis Malloy). On March 23, 2007, we welcomed our second child, Thomas Biron. Morgan will graduate Justin-Siena High School on June 4. She will attend St. Mary’s College in the fall. Tommy had been concentrating on gymnastics for the last couple of years. He started playing basketball and baseball this year after seven years chasing his sister from gym to gym, city to city.  It appears as though Chris and I are starting this sports thing all over.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite class at Justin-Siena High?

Malloy: Geometry with Mr. (Gary) Rose. He had the ability to teach an abstract subject with enthusiasm and conviction. He kept us all engaged and helped make the school day go a little faster.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite athletic moment "as an athlete" at Justin-Siena High?  

Malloy: I participated in varsity baseball for three years and varsity basketball for two years. I would have to say there are many memorable moments with both of those sports. I had caring coaches (Gary Rose, Steve Meyer, Lynn McCarroll, Greg Schmitz) who all taught us how to compete, value relationships and truly tried to teach us how to be great people. With that being said, my most memorable moment was helping re-start the cross country program in my senior year with Mr. (Frank) Defilippis. I was the only member of the varsity boys team and Coach D helped give me a confidence that carried on throughout my senior year, into college, and ultimately continued into my professional life.

D’Adamo: You have served a variety of different roles with Justin athletics since graduating, how much do you enjoy staying connected?

Malloy: When I moved back to Napa, I was given an opportunity by Steve Meyer to help with the baseball program. Coach Tom Bonfigli was hired in 1994 to be the head varsity boys basketball coach and he asked that I coach the freshman boys. I have been helping at the school in some capacity ever since. I truly enjoy the student/athletes and try to help them understand the value of high school sports. “Staying connected” was never my goal. I had a great experience at Justin-Siena as a student/athlete and have been fortunate enough to give back to the community.

D’Adamo: How much do you feel you have grown personally since graduating from high school and how much of that do you trace to athletics?

Malloy: I believe I have grown tremendously since graduating high school and I can attribute a lot of my growth to athletics. In reality a lot of my personal growth has come from coaching. As an athlete, I never really understood the big picture, I wanted to compete and I wanted to win. That was my mindset when I first started coaching as well. It wasn’t until I started coaching Morgan in fifth grade at St. John’s Lutheran that I truly started to understand the value of athletics and the influence coaches have on student/athletes. There is a lot more to athletics than winning and losing. Bob Hauch was the athletic director and boys basketball coach at St. John’s Lutheran when I started. He helped me understand how much of a difference we can make as coaches.  He explained there are two paths, I believe he helped me find the right one.

D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people?  

Malloy: My Grandpa Malloy has had the most influence on me. He had a calming personality that was infectious. We live in a selfish society, my grandfather was the most selfless person I have ever known. He taught me that everyone puts their pants on one leg at a time. His simple life lessons were to look everyone in the eye, give those you are talking to your undivided attention and most importantly refrain from talking about yourself.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet.  

Malloy: This is a tie. I would love to have a 30 minute face to face conversation with Pete Rose.  I think all young athletes (every sport) should watch videos on Pete Rose. We try to teach our kids to play every possession and not take plays off. Pete Rose never took a play off. If I saw a player sprint to first base when they walked in baseball I would guess they have seen a video of Pete Rose. Society has taught young people that looking good matters. Pete Rose never cared about how he looked, he cared about helping his team win. I would need a lot more than 30 minutes with John Wooden but would love to pick his brain as well. He was a believer in repetition, commitment and competitive greatness. Something I think a lot of people need to understand a little better.

Time Machine: 1998 high school football playoffs: Calistoga at St. Bernard

There are certain eras of most any program that are etched in your mind forever. Calistoga High football in the late 1990s would be one stretch of time that comes to mind for me. Small town sports programs go through peaks and valleys as far as talent levels of various classes but the Wildcats football program had a special group of athletes with a tremendous work ethic and resolve in the late 1990s. Couple those qualities with talent and you have a special group.

Setting the scene: The program had fallen on hard times from 1992-1995 before Dan Conner took over as head coach in 1996. Conner had been the Wildcats head coach from 1974-1977 and was also an assistant coach for several seasons. Conner infused a phrase known as “Restore the Roar.” Calistoga reached the CIF North Coast Section Class B playoffs in 1996 and 1997 only to get ousted in the first round by St. Bernard (Eureka) and Ferndale respectively.

In 1998, the Wildcats went 8-2 in the regular season and would get yet another four-hour bus-ride to Humboldt County for the third straight postseason. This time against St. Bernard, which ended Calistoga’s 1996 season with a 29-14 loss.

During the week leading up to the game, I remember going to practice to interview Conner and a couple players for a preview story for the Napa Valley Register. Wildcats’ starting offensive lineman Levi Thomas walked up to me and said, “We’re going to win.” Thomas’ Joe Namath like moment came true on a rainy, mud-soaked day as the Wildcats pulled off a 14-6 upset. The field was not a work of art, neither was the game, as both teams lose a combined 15 fumbles. Look up the word “quagmire” in the dictionary and this game qualifies as such.

Thumbnail sketch of the game: The Crusaders led 6-0 early in the second quarter. Calistoga faced third and 13 from the St. Bernard 42. Crusader cornerback Bobby Ludden intercepted quarterback Jake Blakeley but Calistoga’s Leo Leon, who was the intended receiver, tomahawk-stripped Ludden of the ball. In the meantime, offensive tackle Adrian Orozco hustled to recover the ball, giving the Wildcats a new set of downs at the Crusader 28.  

On the next play, Wildcats running back Ben Alfaro, ripped off a 22-yard gain to the St. Bernard 6-yard line. Two plays later, he scored on second-and-goal to tie the game at 6-6.

Corey Pinochi fumbled an Alfaro punt that Don Bohan recovered at the St. Bernard 19. Calistoga later faced fourth-and-goal from the 1 but during the time out, running back Ernesto Marron changed his socks, which were drenched. Marron got the call on fourth down and scored as the Crusader defense was keying heavily on Alfaro, who had 73 yards on 19 carries. Blakeley connected with Leon for the two-point conversion to give Calistoga a 14-6 lead midway through the third quarter.

The Wildcats, however, had to fend off more Crusader charges. With 6:30 left in the contest, St. Bernard trailed 14-6 and had first-and-goal from the Calistoga 1. However, Crusader quarterback Alton Tomlin and Bohan recovered to give Calistoga possession. Three plays later facing third down and 4, Calistoga opted for a “quick kick” as Alfaro punted but St. Bernard’s Ryan Redner inexplicably tried to dive on the ball, this making contact and the Wildcats recovered to get a new set of downs.

St. Bernard later had one more chance at the Calistoga 47 but with two seconds remaining Alfaro intercepted Tomlin’s pass in the end zone to send Calistoga to its first section title game appearance since 1978.

What it meant: Truth be known, it was probably one of the ugliest games you’ll ever watch. The constant downpour and quagmire field conditions had a lot to do with both clubs combining to lose 15 fumbles. In fact, I would venture to say there was about an inch and a half of water on the field even before the game, in which the Crusaders were considered heavy favorites. Did the conditions help Calistoga? Perhaps so because it can be an equalizer for the underdog but it should also be pointed out two years earlier when St. Bernard beat Calistoga there was also a lot of rain.

Though Calistoga’s trip to the section title game one week later was a 25-0 loss, the win over St. Bernard had to be a huge confidence builder one season later. Most of the roster returned to fashion one of, if not the best, season in school history. In 1999, the Wildcats went 9-2 with both losses coming by a combined six points. The Wildcats capped the next season with a 22-18 come-from-behind victory to win over St. Bernard in the NCS Class B title game.

Time Out with Alisyn Slinsen (2015 Justin-Siena High senior)

Vince D’Adamo: What have you enjoyed most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Alisyn Slinsen: One of my favorite things about playing in athletics is being apart of a team. There is nothing better than the long bus rides and team bondings. I have met many of my closest friends through sports. I also love being able to go out and compete everyday. There is no better feeling than winning a league title and knowing you earned it because of how much work your teammates invested in it. There is honestly no better feeling in athletics than knowing you made your teammates proud.

D’Adamo: What are your plans after high school?

Slinsen: After high school, I hope to attend either the Napa JC and continue my basketball career or Grand Canyon University.

D’Adamo: What might you choose as a major? What intrigues you about going that direction?

Slinsen: I would love to major in kinesiology and pre physical therapy. I hope to end up as an athletic trainer or physical therapist for a college team.

D’Adamo: What has been your favorite class here at Justin-Siena High?

Slinsen: My favorite class at Justin this year is my sports medicine class. I love learning about the body and injuries. Growing up playing sports, I have sustained and witnessed many injuries and I have always been intrigued by the rehabilitation process. This class is great because there is a lot of hands on practice whether it be leaning new tapings or using the rehab equipment.

D’Adamo: Within your family who have been the most influential people?

Slinsen: One of the most influential people within my family would be my brother Michael. He was a three sport athlete who understood the meaning of hard work and sacrifice. Growing up, anytime we would play games he would never let me win or go easy on me. Thanks to his tough love I have a competitive drive to always work hard.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports, that you would most like to meet.

Slinsen: I would love to meet "Pistol" Pete Maravich because he is one of the greatest basketball players in history. He was an athlete who understood the importance of practice and repetition. He would practice for hours on end and unlike most who practice to be great, he practiced to be perfect.

Time Out with Gianna Trzesniewski (2012 Napa High graduate)

Vince D’Adamo: What did you enjoy most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Gianna Trzesniewski: It is hard to pinpoint one aspect about athletics that I enjoy the most. Athletes are given so many opportunities to grow and succeed outside of their sport as well as in their sport. Being a part of a team that pushes you to be your best shows you how to learn and grow. Teammates can take place of your family when you need them to and they support your dreams and goals.  Personally, I think athletes grow to be individuals with a strong work ethic that invest their time in being the best.

D’Adamo: What have you been doing since graduating from high school?

Trzesniewski: Since graduating from Napa High School, I have been pursuing my business degree at California State University San Marcos. I have spent my three years here on the women’s golf team, competing for a spot on the traveling roster.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite class at Napa High?

Trzesniewski: In high school I never really found a subject that I enjoyed significantly more over the rest, I just know that my strong subjects do not include any type of math. One of my most memorable classes at Napa High was my junior year with Ms. Walker. Her English class inspired me and truly made learning fun.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite athletic moment at Napa High?

Trzesniewski: My favorite moment as an athlete at Napa High was when I won Most Improved Player two years in a row. I had put so much time into learning golf and trying to master the sport and winning an award like that, not only once, but twice was such a meaningful accomplishment. I had just started the sport and it was nice to know that my hard work didn’t go unnoticed.

D’Adamo: How much do you feel you have grown personally since graduating from high school and how much of that do you trace to athletics?

Trzesniewski: It truly amazes me how much you learn and grow when you move out and are on your own. There is so much to experience and a lot of college students get off track their first year. This is why I believe athletics is so important. My first year I had no time to party or go out. Every morning we started practice before the sun came up and we practiced and went to school until sundown. The day doesn’t end after that, you still have to make dinner and meal prep as well as do the rest of your homework. Being a college athlete teaches you so many things on how to be successful in the real world and how to have a good balance in your life. It teaches you how to mature a lot quicker than other students. I am proud of how much I have learned and grown over the last few years and can’t wait to see what else I will learn in the years to come.

D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people?

Trzesniewski: Within my family, my parents have been the most influential people in my life. They have always supported me and my decisions and gave me a solid background to succeed. I used to take for granted where I grew up but after moving away and being exposed to so many different lifestyles I am so thankful that my parents chose this path for me. I still look to them for advice and encouragement when I need it. I would not be the individual I am today without their loving care and support.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet.

Trzesniewski: If we are speaking just on golf terms there is no hesitation that I would be honored to meet and talk to Tiger Woods. No matter what he has done in his personal life he has an incredible golf career. I would love to meet him and discuss his training routine and how he become so successful and such an inspiration to the golf industry. Outside of golf I would love to meet Jackie Robinson. I love baseball and have studied his career in the sport and he is such an inspiration. Sports would not be what they are today without him.